Author's Note: This is centered around a fictional dating app called Spark.

"Aw, come on, Erza! It's not going to kill you. I know you're curious."

"Curiosity is fine in theory, Mira, but often in practice it leads to a mess." Erza locked her phone and slid it back into her pocket.

Mirajane sighed dramatically. "I suppose even downloading the app is a big step for you." She smirked and sipped her coffee. "By the time you get around to creating a profile and uploading pictures you'll need to take all new ones because your hair will be grey."

"I won't apologize for being cautious! The anonymity of the internet makes people terrifyingly bold."

"I'll concede to that point, sure, but Erza-" Mirajane pulled her friend gently by the elbow to a park bench. "Sweetie, you're not happy. You aren't."

Erza frowned and picked at the seam of her jeans. "I'm fine."

"Fine isn't the same as happy." Mirajane reached out to tuck a strand of red hair behind her friend's ear. "Tell you what, let's make a deal. You try Spark for three months and if you don't have at least one positive experience, I swear I'll lay off the online dating subject."

"Define positive experience."

Mira laughed. "Let's not bother with details, Erza!" The chirping of her phone distracted interrupted the conversation and Mirajane stood to toss her empty cup into the garbage can. "I've got to get back to the restaurant. Apparently a shipment of broken glasses needs my attention."

Erza rose off the bench and embraced her well-meaning but pushy friend. "Fine, fine. I guess I should get back to work, as well."

"Promise me you'll get online tonight. Pick up some wine on the way home, and get out there. I bet in a week's time you'll have a line of men waiting for your approval."

"I don't need a line of men, Mira, just one."

"Well, you won't have any if you don't get swiping!" Mirajane rushed off back to work and Erza decided to take her time returning to her own place of business. She had three wedding cakes to do before Friday and it would take a miracle to get them all finished on time. Mirajane said three months. Who would notice if she started the timer today but didn't take action until the weekend?

It was Sunday before Erza collapsed onto her couch with the recommended glass of wine. She loved her bakery and the happiness a perfectly designed cake brought to her customers, but weddings and baby showers always sent her heart into a downward spiral. The desperate way she wished for such milestones of her own made her feel even more pathetic and hopeless.

The previous summer Mirajane had signed her up for a speed dating event that ended in embarrassing tragedy. Erza often experienced bouts of social anxiety and large groups of people made her nervous. The crowd of men and women swirling around the dimly lit restaurant made her palms sweat and head throb. She'd ended up excusing herself to the restroom, and sneaking out a side door. At the very least a dating app on her phone afforded her a level of control a group setting didn't.

She took a sip from the wineglass and reached for her phone. The Spark thumbnail was a corny red flame and Erza rolled her eyes as she tapped it open. Almost immediately she wanted to call the whole effort a loss when Spark wanted to connect with her other social media. The last thing she needed was for her small group of friends to realize the depths of her loneliness. Of course Mirajane's proclivity for matchmaking was no secret, but Erza didn't want to broadcast her love life – or lack thereof – to the online world.

Powering through her irritation she quickly selected the pictures she would allow Spark to utilize, and proceeded to the next step. By the time she'd completed the tedious task of self-essays her wine bottle was half empty. With a sigh of dissatisfaction she looked over her profile.

"Erza Scarlet. Baker and spinster. That'll bring them in for sure." She closed the app and polished off the cabernet before falling into bed.

Mondays were her favorite. She could sleep in and actually enjoy her expensive mattress for its qualities by choice and not because she was so exhausted she couldn't stay vertical any longer.

Erza blindly reached out from under the comforter for her phone on the end table. She blinked in confusion at the number of Spark notifications. Her profile was a skeleton of half answered questions! How could anyone have possibly had the time or inclination to message her? She groaned loudly as she shuffled through the messages.

To: Titania

From: ArchiveOfLove

Hey gorgeous. Wanna chat?

To: Titania

From: DrunkenFalcon

Pretty eyes! Let's get a drink sometime.

To: Titania

From: PowerParfume

Beautiful Titania, your tantalizing scent of sugar and everything sweet scandalizes me. Let's bake beautiful cakes together. I long to warm my batter in the depths of your oven.

She didn't even bother to read the remainder of the messages after the one about batter in her oven. The lot of them were deleted en masse, but not before Erza snapped a capture of PowerParfume's attempt at romance. That gem was sent to Mirajane in a text.

Erza: Happy now?

Mirajane: LOL

Erza: That's all you have to say to me? I've been traumatized. On my day off, too.

Mirajane: Oh, chin up, Erza. You can't make a good batter without cracking a few eggs.

Erza: Do not make batter jokes at me ever again.

Mirajane: Aw, I'm sorry. Come by for lunch. You can have a drink on me.

Erza tossed the phone aside and hid under the blankets again. Why did she ever agree to this?