Well, once again, I took forever. Still I hope you'll forgive me, especially since I'm finally getting around to posting another chapter. Here's hoping you guys enjoy it! Love you all so much, and thanks for your support!

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

MIND FXXK: PART 3

Erza watched from the front of the room, perched on her 'birthday seat', as Natsu talked to Jellal. She was still reeling from the news that Lucy was interested in the man she herself had once loved.

How had she not seen it? She hadn't even realized Lucy was harboring a crush on anyone. Did that make her a bad friend? On one hand, she supposed she'd been busy, distracted. She'd been so happy lately, that she hadn't even considered that Lucy might not be.

On the other hand, it wasn't likely that her girlfriend would just come right out and tell her that she liked Jellal, especially if she believed Erza was still feeling that way herself. Still, she wished Lucy had told her. She'd have happily encouraged her to go for it. Now, who knew how much time had been wasted?

Her view shifted to the side, to the Celestial mage, and Erza shook her head. Of course Lucy would keep all this to herself. She would do anything to avoid hurting her friends, even sacrificing her own happiness.

Well, no more. Erza refused to live blissfully while Lucy ached for something more.

Nodding her head resolutely, she stood to her feet and found Natsu again. His eyes met hers almost instantly, as if he'd felt her call. He moved toward her, a little grin on his face, and Erza couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips in response. She still couldn't believe he was hers.

He'd become so very necessary in her life. She wasn't even sure when it had happened, when he'd become like air to her, but he was. And she wouldn't change it, not for all the jewels in the whole of Earthland.

She hadn't always felt that way. If fact, she'd very nearly ruined everything in the beginning. Fear of the future, of change was a constant friend for her, and that night had been the worst she'd ever endured. She'd been so very lonely then - alone for years when so many of her friends were finding love. It hadn't taken much for bitterness to set it. And Natsu just happened to show up at just the right to take the brunt of her anger.

Looking back, she couldn't even remember what they'd fought about. She wasn't even sure she'd understood it back then either. She'd only known she was angry, and Natsu was a convenient target. And he'd taken it - for all of one minute. He'd stood there and let her berate him, and then, he just snapped.

For the first time in all the years she'd known him, he stood up to her. His expression fierce, he grabbed her arm, and before she could hit him for calling her a damn fool, he jerked her forward and gave her a kiss that damn near curled her toes. And she hadn't even tried to stop him. The instant his lips met hers, she'd folded into him, desperate to be closer.

But once he'd let her go, guilt set in, and she'd gotten angry again, blaming him for what they'd done. But he hadn't let her off the hook, not this time. He reminded her that she'd responded, practically climbed his body for more. And much as she'd have liked to, she couldn't deny it.

So, she'd fallen apart.

She'd been forced to see that the fantasy she'd held all these years had simply been that - a fantasy. Once she'd kissed Natsu, her eyes had been opened to the truth, and she hadn't been prepared to see it. She'd been so certain she knew what the future held for her, so certain that Jellal was the one, and the feelings she'd felt in Natsu's arms had destroyed that illusion.

Of course, that hadn't gone over well. Erza had never done well with change, and this was a big one. The entirety of her future, one that she'd believed for so long would include Jellal. And all of a sudden, she'd been forced to face the fact that her heart, without her even realizing it, had already begun to let him go.

True to his nature, Natsu had taken her into his arms and comforted her while she cried, mourning the loss of the future she'd believed awaited her. She'd only been deluding herself. Jellal had told her it wouldn't work, repeatedly, but she hadn't listened. She'd held on to her hope, and let the years pass her by.

She'd run from Natsu that night, too angry and hurt to give him a chance, but it hadn't taken her long to realize her heart was already leaning in his direction. So she'd gone to him and asked for a second chance, and with his usual grin, he'd said, "I'll give you however many you need, babe."

And she'd been falling in love with him ever since.

Sighing contentedly, she watched him cross the room, her heart happier than it had ever been. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over that. Over him. He'd become her whole world in such a short period of time.

It took only a few short moments for him to reach her, and she nearly grabbed for him, eager for another kiss. At the last possible second though, she remembered where they were and pulled back, though not before he realized what she'd intended.

His mouth quirked. "I saw that."

"Shut up," she demanded, her lips pursing with the effort it took to restrain her amusement. Why on Earthland she found his cockiness so endearing, she'd never know. "Now focus. Is Jellal on board?"

Natsu snorted. "Uh...yeah. He's practically chomping at the bit."

Grinning, the redhead clapped her hands together. Everything was coming together, just like she'd planned. "Excellent. Now, we just need Lucy to get with the program. You ready?"

Wagging his brows, the fire dragon slayer took a step closer. "I'm always ready, babe."

The innuendo was impossible to miss in his response, and Erza felt a flash of heat spill through her belly. Still, she rolled her eyes, determined to keep him (and maybe even herself) focused on the mission at hand. "Don't get distracted, Natsu. This is about them, not us."

"I know. I know," he laughed, throwing a hand up to appease her. "Doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with it."

She laughed. "Okay fine. I suppose you have a point. And it's possible..." She bit her lip and glanced around the room before leaning in to add, " ...that I might be enjoying this a little myself too."

Expression turning heated, Natsu reached out a hand to her, fingers smoothing down her waist to her rest on her hip. He gave her just the barest squeeze before letting go. "Oh trust me baby. Later, you'll be enjoying yourself a whole lot more than a little bit."

Erza's breath caught at the look in his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Lucy sighed from her place across the room. She was beyond ready to go home. She'd only been there for an hour, and already she was hitting her limits. Watching the man she wanted more than anything and knowing there was nothing she could do about it was quickly becoming more than she could take.

She thought she could handle it. She'd already done so for months. So why was today so difficult?

Granted, she didn't have to be around Jellal frequently. Maybe that was it. Pining for someone you didn't have to see every day was apparently a hell of a lot easier than being face to face with him. Not that they'd been face to face all that much. Usually, there was a shit ton of space between them, which oddly enough made her feel even worse.

She wasn't sure what she wanted. She'd love to be near him, close enough to smell his cologne. Of course, that also meant close enough for him to possibly catch sight of her interest in him, which could land in her all kinds of trouble. Then again being far away, while keeping her protected, also kept her firmly out of reach with no chance of him even noticing her. Which was exactly what she should be hoping for.

Somehow, knowing that didn't help at all.

Puffing out another tense breath, Lucy let her shoulders drop. She wondered how long she'd have to stay to keep up appearances. How long would she be expected to stick around her friend's party? How much time was appropriate? She had a feeling it was somewhere closer to the party's end rather than in the next five minutes.

Head canting to the right, she found herself looking for Jellal again. It was stupid and would do nothing but make her feel even more helpless, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She was so desperate for even a glimpse of him.

And there he was, lips angling up as he talked to Master Makarov, looking every bit as handsome as he had the last time she took a peek. She almost wished she hadn't gone searching for him. Still, no matter how hard she tried to turn away, her body refused to cooperate. It was as if she no longer had control.

Then he shifted, his eyes coming to rest on her, and instantly, she flushed, dropping her head to avoid his gaze. How embarrassing! God, she hoped he hadn't realized she was staring. She'd be mortified. Worse still was the thought of Erza finding out and thinking Lucy was betraying her in some way.

Maybe she was. Maybe simply having these feelings for him was a betrayal in itself.

Groaning, Lucy folded over the table, dropping her head lightly onto the wooden surface. How was she ever going to survive this? She was so tense, she could barely sit still. Every moment that passed was spent in agony over someone discovering her secret.

Lucy shook her head. No, she'd been careful. Save for Cobra's nosy peek into her mind, no one knew a thing, and she wanted to keep things that way. Of course, things would be a hell of a lot easier if she could just forget about him and move on.

She supposed going out more might help. At least that's what Cana said. The brunette had invited her several times in the last month to go out dancing. Or in Cana's case, drinking. Lucy hadn't gone even once because she'd been foolishly holding out hope for Jellal. And what an idiot move that was. There wasn't a chance in hell he was interested in her. His eyes had only ever been turned to Erza.

Not for the first time, she wished she had someone she could confide in, someone outside her usual realm of friends she could trust to help her sort through her feelings. At least then she wouldn't feel so alone. And maybe, by laying those feelings bare, she could finally get rid of them.

Of course, not all of her friends were of the poetic variety. Cana, for one, would tell her to get laid. Then again, that was her answer to everything man-related. Well, that and drinking. And while Lucy couldn't disagree that it might distract her for awhile, she knew it wouldn't last because whatever it was she felt for Jellal was real. Strong. And she had a notion it wouldn't be going away so easily.

Sighing again, Lucy sat up and very nearly decided to head home when Mira exited the kitchen with a broad smile on her face and a very large cake in her hands. The silver-haired woman cast her eyes around the room and nodded before starting the first few lines of 'Happy Birthday'.

The key holder pushed her own troubles aside and joined in, forcing a smile to her face. Her friend had done so much for her, and Lucy felt bad for even considering leaving midway through Erza's party. She could do this. She would, because the armored woman up front deserved it.

Lucy watched as Mira set the massive cake down in front of Erza. The woman's eyes instantly lit up, and the blonde had to laugh.

"Strawberry?" Erza asked, her voice hopeful.

Mira giggled and pulled her into a hug. "Of course! It's your favorite!" She drew back, reaching into her pocket for a lighter and moving to light the candle in the center of the cake. "Now, how about a wish?"

Nodding, the birthday girl stood up and did a quick scan of the guild, then closed her eyes. "I know just what I want," she hummed. She was quiet for a moment, then drew in a deep breath and released it in a quick release.

Erza opened her eyes, standing tall at the front of the room, and let the applause die down before she began speaking. "Thank you for being here today and helping me celebrate my birthday. And Mira, thank you for the cake. I'm sure it'll be delicious just like always." She stopped then, taking a deep breath and looking back behind her at Natsu, who moved a step closer as if offering his support. "There's something I want to say, or actually something I've been wanting to do for a long time. And I guess I should have done it before now. I'm not even sure why I waited, but...I don't want to wait any more."

The redhead looked out over the entirety of the guild, meeting Lucy's eyes before moving on to Jellal's. And Lucy just knew. It was finally happening, the moment Lucy had known was coming for ages, and she wasn't ready.

"Jellal, we've been through so much. We both lost our way for a while, and we lost sight of each other. But we found our way back, and I'm so grateful for that because you've always meant so much to me. Honestly, I couldn't imagine my life without you."

It felt like someone had grabbed hold of Lucy's heart, clutching it and squeezing it tighter and tighter with every word Erza said. And it got even worse when Jellal nodded his head in agreement.

"I know life didn't go the way we planned and it took years for us to get to this place, but I'm happy. And I want you to be just as happy because you deserve it. You're a good man, and you should be with a woman that'll never let you forget it."

Fighting tears, Lucy pushed a smile on her face. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. She'd sit there and smile no matter how much it hurt. Erza had waited so long for this, and Lucy would be there for her while she bared her soul to the love of her life.

Erza offered a soft smile. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be that for you. I tried. We both tried, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. And now, we can be what we were always supposed to be. Friends."

Lucy's heart dropped. She didn't understand what was happening. From every direction, she heard her guildmates wondering the same thing, but just then, she couldn't be bothered with anyone else. She was too overwhelmed with her own questions. What did Erza mean? They were just friends? How was that even possible?

Her head jerked in Jellal's direction, curious how he was taking the news, and she found him with a giant grin on his face, which only served to further confuse her.

"The best of friends," he clarified.

Erza, seeing everyone's stunned faces, smiled, then reached back to the man behind her. Natsu came forward, their fingers laced together, and took his place beside her. He angled his head in her direction and grinned, seeming almost proud of her, and asked, "Now?"

The redhead laughed and nodded her head. Then, to Lucy's complete shock, Natsu stepped right into the front of Erza's body and kissed her. And not just any kiss. It was a full body, swallow you whole kind of kiss. The kind of kiss Lucy hadn't been certain Natsu even knew existed, and yet there he was, laying one on Erza like he did it every day.

She felt like she was in a dream. It had to be a dream, right? Because how could Erza and Natsu being kissing like that in the middle of the guild right after she wished Jellal well without her? She shook her head, certain she was losing her mind.

All around her, shouts went up, each of her guildmates laughing and cheering the couple on. And if Lucy hadn't felt like the ground had just been ripped out from underneath her, she might be doing the same thing. But she was almost frozen in place, wondering what - if anything - this meant for her.

And then, the two mages so intent on giving the guild a show separated. Their faces were flushed, their eyes dark with something Lucy wasn't quite ready to acknowledge, but they looked happy. Something she'd only just realized they'd both been a lot more lately, and she struggled to figure out why she hadn't figured it out before now.

They looked down at her, both offering her a knowing smile, and Lucy immediately smiled back. Regardless of what happened with her, she was glad to see them so happy. If anyone deserved that, it was them.

Then Erza bumped Natsu in the side and angled her head in Lucy's direction. The pink-haired man straightened with a laugh. "Oh right! Hey Luce," he called, making sure he had her attention, then winked. "Go get your man."