All was normal in the guild hall. Well, as normal as Fairy Tail could be. The rambunctious mages were in the act of practically destroying the guild, as usual. Gray and Natsu had started brawling five minutes after walking in, and had eventually dragged most of the guild in with them. Erza wasn't there to put a stop to it so it went on for most of the day. Lucy sat at the bar with Levy, Mirajane, and Lisanna and presently asked, "Where is Erza? At this rate the guys are going to tear down the entire building."

Mirajane smiled blissfully as she wiped down a mug behind the bar, "You know how she gets when she hears that Jellal is going to be in town. She's probably stressing over what crazy outfit to wear when he finally gets here."

Lucy smiled, "I forgot he was coming into town soon. You're right, we probably won't be seeing her for a while then."

All of them jumped and were slightly surprised when the doors to the guild slammed open. Erza walked in wearing her normal blue skirt and Heart-Kreuz armor and her demonic voice rang out, "Natsu… Gray… I know that you two aren't fighting."

The entire guild was frozen, most of them in abject fear of the red headed woman. The two culprits, Natsu and Gray, were in the process of punching each other in the face and had stopped with their fists only inches from the other, eyes wide and trained on Erza. The woman growled and said, "I see, so you have been fighting. It is time to deal out punishment!"

The next ten minutes were a scene that the entire guild had seen before, Erza beating Natsu and Gray into a state of near unconsciousness. When she was done she grabbed the both of them by their collars (Gray by the back of his neck because all he was wearing were his boxers), and growled, "Have I made my point clear?"

They both nodded and did their best Happy impressions, "A-aye!"

She nodded and said, "Good."

Erza dropped Gray back on the floor but kept hold of Natsu saying, "I need to talk to you Natsu, come with me."

This wasn't an unusual request seeing as how they were on the same team and the guild didn't pay it too much attention. They were too busy laughing at the fact that Natsu was being dragged out by his scarf by the red headed woman.

The girls at the bar all went back to talking with Lucy saying, "I wonder why she was here, and not even in some crazy costume."

Levy replied, "Well. Maybe she finally gave up on Jellal and decided that she needed to move on. I mean, they've been doing the same dance for so long now. He'll show up, they'll be really awkward around each other for a few days, and then he'll leave again. A woman needs a bit more than that from a man."

Mirajane grinned at the small blue haired woman, "So what is it that you're getting from Gajeel that keeps you going back."

Levy blushed, "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Lucy ignored her friend's embarrassment and instead wondered aloud, "I wonder who she would move on with, I mean, it would take some type of crazy guy to put up with Erza. Every guy in the guild except Laxus is scared of her."

All the girls sat in silence pondering for a moment before they all noticed a demonic glint in Mirajane's eyes. She said gleefully, "The possibilities are endless. I'm going to have so much fun with this."

All three of the other girls began to look nervous as Mirajane started rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

Natsu could feel every cobblestone in Magnolia's street as Erza dragged him through the town and up to Fairy Hills. He didn't complain though, as he was fearful of extra punishment from Erza. The woman dragged him into the dorm and up to her room before throwing him down on her bed. She stood in the center of the room and said calmly, "I need your help with something Natsu."

The Fire Dragon Slayer was mildly stunned to say the least and cautiously said, "What do you need help with?"

A slight blush rose in her cheeks and she said, "It's a personal matter. Will you help me or not?"

Natsu was still slightly cautious and said, "I don't kno…"

He was interrupted by a sword at his throat and a glare from Erza and then hurriedly said, "A-aye! I'll help!"

The sword disappeared and a smile appeared on Erza's face. She said, "Good. Now, I need you to take me out on a date."

Natsu's jaw hit the floor, "Wh… Wha… What?"

Erza blushed and said with evident frustration, "Not an actual date. It just needs to look like one. I've been trying for so long to get Jellal to actually notice me! If I can make him jealous maybe he'll finally ask me out."

Natsu scratched his head and said, "I don't know… Why can't you just ask him?"

The red head groaned and said, "Because it is the man's job to ask the woman. Besides, if Jellal can't get over his own issues, for which we have already all forgiven him, then it would never work between us."

Natsu kept scratched his head, "But Erza… You just asked me on a date…"

A gauntleted hand came flying in and smacked him, "You idiot! It's not a real date! I just need you to pretend so that when Jellal sees me with you he will become so jealous that he jumps in to stop the date and fights you to the death for my love."

Natsu could see the stars in Erza's eyes as she said this and knew that she was serious, that was a look reserved for strawberry cake."

He said quickly, "So, if I do this, I get to fight Jellal again?"

Erza nodded, "If all goes according to my plan, yes."

Natsu jumped off the bed and pumped his fist into the air, "Alright! I'm all fired up! I'll make this the best date ever, and then smack down Jellal!"

Erza was about to hit him again but thought better of it, lowering her hand and saying, "Very well. Jellal gets here sometime early tomorrow afternoon, so you will pick me up from the guild at seven. Now, go and plan our date, I expect dinner and then an activity afterwards, preferably one that will give Jellal a chance to show up and fight for my love."

Natsu nodded and ran out of Fairy Hills and all the way home. He was excited at the chance to have another fight with the incredibly powerful former Wizard Saint. He burst into his house and the next thirty minutes was spent trying to plan his and Erza's date. The only problem being that he had no experience in this and was completely clueless as to what people did on dates. Suddenly a brilliant idea struck him, 'Mirajane knows everything about dates and romance. I'll just go ask her tomorrow and she can help.'

With that in mind he sauntered into the kitchen to cook dinner for himself, Happy had decided to stay with Lisanna. After a supper of rice and multiple fried fish he lay down in his hammock and soon was snoring softly, dreaming of fish, fighting, and Erza.

The next morning Natsu opened his eyes slowly. When he remembered what today would be though, his eyes popped wide open and he jumped out of his hammock. He pumped a fist and shouted to his empty little house, "Alright! Today I take Erza on the best date ever!"

He rushed around getting ready for the day and then ran most of the way to the guild. He burst in and was about to make his way to the bar to talk to Mirajane when Lucy waylaid him. She said, "My rent is due soon, let's take a mission."

Natsu cheerfully said, "Can't today. I have a date!"

Natsu walked past Lucy, whose jaw was on the ground and looked to be in a catatonic state of shock. He walked up to Mirajane and said, "Hey Mira, I need some help."

The white heart woman smiled at him, "What do you need Natsu?"

Color rose in his cheeks as he said, "Well, it's kind of embarrassing, can we talk in private?"

Mirajane's eyebrows rose and she said, "Sure Natsu, I'll get Lisanna to cover for a while and then we can talk in the basement."

Natsu grinned and said, "Thanks! I'll be waiting there!"

He ran down to the basement and a minute later Mirajane joined him. She put her hands on her hips and then said, "So, what is this embarrassing problem you have?"

Natsu grinned, "I have a date tonight, but I have absolutely no idea what to do on a date. So I need some help."

Mirajane squealed and tackled Natsu in a hug, "Who's the girl! Tell me!"

Natsu pried himself from her grasp and said, "You'll see tonight, we're meeting at the guild. I just need some help, please?"

The white haired woman grinned and said, "Of course I'll help. Now, the first thing you have to think about is dinner. Are you going to take her to a fancy restaurant, or someplace casual?"

Natsu looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shrugged, "I don't know, I know I just want to make it the best date ever."

Mirajane smiled sagely and then said, "Well then, definitely a fancy restaurant. That means to dress to impress. Do you have anything like a suit?"

Natsu looked down at his vest and loose trousers before saying, "What's wrong with the clothes I have?"

Mirajane sighed, "If you're going to a fancy restaurant, you need a suit and tie."

This drew a matching sigh from Natsu, "I don't have one though."

The girl brightened immediately, "That's okay. I'll just take you shopping. Come on!"

She grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the basement and back up to the guild proper. It was morning so there weren't that many people there, but the ones there did laugh when they saw Natsu get dragged out by another of the guild women that had a scary reputation. They blew right past Lucy who was still in the same position Natsu had left her in, with the same catatonic look of shock on her face.

Mirajane dragged Natsu into a clothing store and then began picking out a myriad of suits for him to try on. Natsu could only stand by helplessly as she played dress up, using him as a human sized doll. Eventually though she decided on a plain black suit, crisp white shirt, and a tie that coincidentally was the color of Erza's hair. The significance of this was lost on Mirajane, but not on Natsu as he thought, 'I bet she'll like that.'

After he purchased the suit for an obscene amount of jewels, Mirajane took him around town looking for a restaurant. Natsu had veto power, but they finally settled on a restaurant called The Fading Rose. It was fancy enough for Mirajanes standards, but also was a place where Natsu could get a large, well-cooked steak, which was really the only reason he agreed to it.

Natsu looked up into the sky to see that the sun was starting to get low in the sky and shouted, "Damn! I've got to get home and get ready! Thanks for all your help Mira!"

He was about to dash off when the woman grabbed his wrist and said, "One last thing. You have to get flowers. If everything else you do is a failure, the flowers will definitely help, and if you think the date has gone well flowers won't hurt either. When you walk her back to her house, if the date went well, you definitely go in for a good night kiss."

Natsu nodded and then ran off home to get dressed, leaving Mirajane behind. The good natured woman stood in the middle of the street with a bemused look on her face thinking, 'This is possibly the weirdest day ever. Natsu has a date. Maybe this will light a fire under the other guys in the guild and I'll see more dates from more people.'

With this happy thought and stars in her eyes, Mirajane walked back to the guild and resumed her bar tending duties. The guild was much busier than when she'd left, it being much later in the day and the majority of the guild was now there. Lucy was sitting at the bar having left her post near the door at some point and Mirajane asked her brightly, "So what was wrong with you today?"

Lucy looked up at her, "I asked Natsu to go on a job and he said no, because he had a date."

Mirajane smiled dreamily, "I know, I spent all day helping him get ready for it."

The blonde looked shocked, "Really? He was being serious? Who is going on a date with Natsu?"

Mirajane smiled and shrugged, "He wouldn't tell me. But apparently he's coming by the guild to pick her up, so I think it's someone in the guild."

Lucy looked around the guild and then said, "Well, the only one here dressed up to go out is Erza, but that's only because Jellal is here and she's trying to get him to actually ask her out."

The woman in question was sitting with Gray, Juvia, Meredy, and Jellal near the entrance to the guild. Erza was dressed in a stunning purple dress with a pattern of roses on it, a low neckline, and a slit up to mid-thigh. Her hair was in an elegant bun and she had white elbow length gloves on.

Lucy said to Mirajane, "She only breaks that dress out for special occasions; she must really be trying hard for Jellal. I swear, that guy is so self-absorbed. I have half a mind to go over there and give him a piece of my mind. Erza's been in love with him forever, even after all the horrible things he did. She's already forgiven him, and so has everybody else, so he needs to get over it and man up."

Mirajane said, "You should. With Natsu having a date, maybe there's some type of romance magic going on and it'll be just the push he needs."

Lucy giggled, "You're right, it must be some kind of magic. That's the only way Natsu could get a date. You know what, I am going to go over there and have a little talk with Jellal."

She went to stand up but was interrupted when the doors flew open and Natsu walked in. Lucy looked at him wide eyed and muttered to Mirajane, "Oh my god, how did you get Natsu to look that good?"

The suit that he'd bought earlier fit Natsu perfectly, and the red of his tie looked striking with the dark suit. His scarf was settled around his shoulders in the usual way, generally an odd object to pair with a suit. Lucy said quietly, "He's even making the scarf look good with that suit. Mira, next time I have a date, you get to dress my guy."

Mirajane only giggled and said, "Shush, let's find out who he's here for."

Natsu walked over to the table where half of his team sat and said cheerfully, "Alright Erza, ready for our date?"

There was a rush of air as the entire guild rubbernecked to look at Natsu and say, "Whaaat?!"

Mirajane and Lucy were both slackjawed at the bar, neither of them having the coherence to even make a comment. Erza stood up and said with a smile, "Of course, let's go."

Natsu held out a hand and she took it and they began to walk towards the door. When they got to the doorway Natsu paused and began unraveling the scarf from his neck, "It's pretty cold outside; you might want this to keep you warm."

He wrapped the scarf around the red headed woman's neck and then smiled, "You look great Erza."

She blushed and smiled at him, "Thank you Natsu. Now shall we go?"

They both turned and left, closing the guild doors behind them. Nobody moved in the guild before Gray shouted, "What the hell is going on?"

Then all hell broke loose as the members tried to decipher what they'd just seen. Mirajane was still staring at the door and furiously wiping down a mug when she said to Lucy, "I have no idea what just happened, but poor Jellal. Just look at the guy."

Lucy looked over and could see the shell-shocked expression still on Jellal's face. Meredy was whispering too him quietly and he was only shaking his head. A moment later though he stood up, mostly unnoticed due to the commotion, and quietly slipped out. Lucy turned back to Mirajane and said, "I really hope he's not going to go ruin their date. Wait, what am I saying? Jellal and Erza are perfect for each other, so why the hell is she on a date with Natsu? I'm so confused."

Mirajane only shrugged and smiled, "Well, whatever is happening, romance is in the air and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts."

She then stiffened and slowly turned to look at Lucy, "I told him to give her a goodnight kiss. I'm so sorry Lucy, but you're going to be unable to work for a few days."

Lucy replied, "What do you mean I won't be able to work? Because of a goodnight kiss… oh."

She imagined Natsu trying to kiss the terrifying woman and groaned, "Good thing I have enough money for rent this month."

Natsu and Erza walked along down the streets of Magnolia, drawing eyes and whispers. Erza looked over at Natsu, "I didn't realize you had a suit like that, it suits you very well."

Natsu grinned, "I didn't. I had to go to Mira to get advice and she helped me pick it out."

Erza quickly growled, "Natsu, did you tell her the plan?"

He waved his arms defensively, "No! I didn't! I just needed some advice because really, I have no idea what to do on a date."

Erza nodded and then smiled at him, "Well, good then. I'm glad you're taking this seriously. Where I we going? If Mirajane planned this date and you're this dressed up I know that I won't be overdressed, but I'm curious."

Natsu grinned, "We're going to a place called The Fading Rose."

The red head let out a small surprised sound, "That's my favorite place that isn't a bakery, Natsu, how did you know?"

Natsu winked at her, "I'm just that good."

She lightly hit him on the head, "It was a lucky coincidence wasn't it?"

He nodded bashfully, "Yeah, it was."

They had just reached the restaurant then and Erza stopped out front to pull Natsu in for a hug. She said, "Well it's very nice anyways, thank you Natsu."

She didn't get a response because Natsu's head was buried in her very ample cleavage. Generally when she pulled someone in for a hug their head just banged off of her armor. Since she was wearing that dress however, she had pulled Natsu's head right between her breasts. She quickly let him go and his head popped up, eyes wide. He said quickly, "Please don't kill me! It wasn't my fault, I swear!"

Erza's face was as red as her hair as she said, "It's alright, it was my fault. I hope Jellal didn't see that though. Come on; let's just go into the restaurant."

They went in and were immediately seated. Natsu was a perfect gentleman, holding the door and pulling out her chair for her. She commented on it and he replied, "I know how to act like a gentleman. I've read so many of Lucy's stories and a lot of them have the perfect gentleman in them, so I can definitely fake it. The only problem is, she never gets to the actual date part of the date so I was pretty lost when it came to that."

They had a spectacular dinner. They were already close friends and so the normal awkwardness that accompanied a first date wasn't there. Natsu and Erza were just their normal selves with each other and had a wonderful time reminiscing and talking about the guild, or really anything that crossed their minds. At one point during the dinner Natsu stiffened and said quickly, "Don't look now but Jellal is at the corner table, he's spying on us."

Erza remained calm, eating a bite of her meal before saying, "Good, my plan is working. Hopefully after this he'll make his move."

Natsu grimaced, "I hope not. I put a lot of thought into the last part of the night and I want it to go off without a hitch."

Erza sighed, "Natsu, remember, this isn't a real date. We're just trying to get Jellal to make a move."

Natsu groaned, "Aww, cmon Erza. I know that. I just want you to have a good time, even if it isn't really a date."

She smiled at him, "Thank you Natsu for being so thoughtful."

They continued, each just enjoying the others company. Natsu paid and as they were walking out the door he said suddenly, "Whoops, I forgot something, I'll be right back."

He went back in and Erza stood outside in the cold, although it didn't bother her unduly. A few moments later he came out with a small package in his hands. Erza looked at him questioningly but he just smiled at her and shook his head. He took her hand, started walking, and said, "Come on."

She asked, "Where are we going?"

The Dragon Slayer smiled mysteriously, "You'll see."

Erza nearly growled, "Natsu, tell me."

He shook his head and said, "Nope, you'll like it though."

Erza was tempted to requip a sword and threaten him with it but decided not to, knowing that it would probably give the game away. She instead said, "Very well, lead the way."

He did, leading her out of Magnolia and into the woods where his house was. On the way she whispered to him, "Is Jellal following us?"

Natsu surreptitiously sniffed the air and said, "I'm not sure, I'll wait until we get where we're going and then check again."

She nodded and followed him quietly until they started getting into thicker woods. She said, "Couldn't you have picked something in the city? I like this dress very much and I don't want it to get ruined by a trek in the dark through the woods."

Natsu grinned, "Nope. The city is no fun. In the woods there are no other people to be a distraction. The woods are perfect for a date if you ask me. It's the most natural, beautiful place in the world."

Erza smiled fondly at him, "It will be a lucky girl that wins your heart Natsu."

He smiled back, "You really think so?"

She said, "Of course. You're a warm, kind, and loyal man. Not to mention you do that suit great justice."

Natsu grinned and then pulled her into a large clearing and said, "We're here."

He pulled her to the middle of the clearing and she saw that there was a blanket spread out over the ground. He sat down on it and pulled her down with him. He lay back and she did the same before he said, "Let your eyes adjust, and you can see the stars. I've found this is definitely one of the best places to just relax and stare up at them."

She did, staring up at the sky and letting her eyes adjust from the bright lights of the city. Little dots of light began to appear in the sky, until it seemed almost covered in them. Erza smiled, "This is beautiful Natsu."

She couldn't see the smile that graced Natsu's face. He sat up and handed the small package to her that he'd gotten at the restaurant. She gave him a quizzical look before opening it. Erza was delighted to find a small piece of strawberry cake wrapped up in the little box. She said excitedly, "Thank you Natsu!"

He grinned and said, "Go on, eat it, it's for you."

She was about to dig in with the small fork she'd also found but then stopped and said, "Well. Just this once, since you're being very sweet, I'll share with you."

Natsu grinned and said, "Nah, I got it for you. You eat it, and I'll be right back."

He hopped up and then ran off into the woods, leaving Erza by herself. She sat up and looked around thinking, 'What is he doing now? Maybe he went off to find Jellal.'

She was swiftly distracted from these though by the cake though, and soon there was nothing left, save a tiny bit of frosting forgotten on the corner of her mouth.

She sat for five minutes, then ten, then fifteen, just looking up at the stars. Erza was getting a bit worried though and she sat up looking around for Natsu. She could see a tiny flame moving around in the woods and knew that it was him, but couldn't figure out what he was doing. She followed it with her eyes until it suddenly blinked out. A few moments later he made his way back into the clearing carrying something in his hand. He got back to the blanket and sat down next to her whispering into her ear, "Jellal is out there somewhere but I can't tell where."

Erza whispered back, "If he's going to make his move this is the best place for it."

Natsu nodded and then smiled at her, "That's one of the reasons I picked this place, it's got everything you need for a romantic date, or a full on fight."

She laughed, "I'm surprised you took the time to consider that."

Natsu shrugged, "Well I didn't want to destroy half of Magnolia in a fight with Jellal. You'd kill me, and then maybe Jellal."

The red headed woman nodded sagely, "Very true. However, since you're helping me in this, I'll give you a pass next time you get in a fight with Gray."

Natsu grinned and cracked his knuckle, "Alright, I'm all fired up!"

Erza laughed again and lay back down, a moment later Natsu did the same. They stayed there in companionable silence for a while, both waiting, when Natsu suddenly spoke up, "Hey Erza."

The red headed woman had started to get sleepy and so she murmured, "Yeah Natsu?"

"I see some stars in the shape of a fish. Do you think if Happy flew me up there we could catch it and eat it?"

She burst out laughing and sat up. She looked down fondly at the dragon slayer who wore a confused look, "Probably not Natsu, don't worry though, if you want I'll buy you the biggest fish we can find at the market sometime."

Natsu sat up as well and grinned at her, "Alright. I'll remember that!"

Erza looked around and then sighed, "It's getting really late, we should probably head back."

Natsu sat up as well and sniffed the air again, "He's still out there somewhere, the wind is carrying his scent in our direction. Are you sure you don't want to wait a bit longer?"

She nodded, "Yes, he's obviously not going to do anything. Come on Natsu, let's just go back."

She stood up and Natsu did with her and they left the clearing. Natsu led her through the forest and back into to town. She could see him scenting the air occasionally as they walked, and knew that he was still looking for Jellal. She sighed as they walked and thought, 'Another plan down the drain. At this rate nothing will ever happen.'

They walked to Fairy Hills and stood in front of the doorway. Erza looked at Natsu and smiled at him, "Even though it didn't work, thank you for trying, I really did have a wonderful time."

The pink haired boy grinned, "I know it didn't work how you wanted but here, this should make you feel better."

He brought up the object he'd been holding in his hands the entire time but she'd been too preoccupied to notice. It was a small bouquet of wild flowers, tied together with a red ribbon around the stems. He grinned, "That's what I was doing after I gave you the cake. I didn't have time to go get a real bouquet, so I figured I'd just make one."

She slowly took the bouquet of flowers out of his hand and then stared at if for a few seconds. Natsu started to get nervous when she didn't respond and said, "If you don't like it, I'm sure I can run down to the market and get some better ones."

Erza smiled at him, "I love it Natsu. It does make me feel better."

He grinned at her, "Good."

She was extremely surprised then, when he stepped in, put both hands around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss. His lips were soft against hers for a moment, and warm, sending a tingling sensation down her spine. He broke away from the kiss and stepped back. He wasn't smiling at her or grinning and actually looked a bit unhappy. Erza said, "Was it that bad?"

Natsu looked at her confusedly, "What?"

"The kiss. You don't look happy at all."

Natsu shook his head and grinned at her, "No the kiss was great. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I didn't think you'd send me flying across Magnolia. I'm just really surprised Jellal didn't come try and knock my head off after that."

Erza sighed, "I'm surprised too. I thought for sure this plan would work."

Natsu could see the unhappiness written on her face and stepped closer , throwing an arm around her shoulders, "Well, look on the bright side, you had a great meal, a nice time star gazing, and now you have some flowers. The night wasn't a complete waste."

She sighed again, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up Natsu. I just don't think it's going to work right now."

Natsu grinned at her, "You want me to beat up Jellal? I've done it once; I bet I can do it again."

Erza did laugh this time, "Thanks for the offer Natsu, but no, I don't want you to beat him up. I'm glad you're always here to cheer me up though."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze and then let go, stepping back, "Anytime Erza."

He began walking away and waved goodbye over his shoulder as he called, "I had a great night. Let's do it again sometime!"

Erza blushed and almost threw a sword at him, but decided against it. Instead she just shook her head and smiled thinking, 'I don't know what goes on in his head. I can't tell if he is actually flirting with me or not.'

She walked into Fairy Hills and all was quiet in the dorm. Erza made her way up to her room and walked into her bedroom, requipping into blue pajamas. She found a small vase and put the flowers and a small bit of water in it before setting it on her nightstand. Looking down on it she smiled and murmured, "He really is a great guy."

She lay down and pulled the covers over her head, finding the comfiest spot in her pillow to sleep in. She let sleep overtake her, counting swords as most others would count sheep. Her last thoughts before it did were, 'Maybe Jellal doesn't want me. He's never there for me… but Natsu is.'