Haruka & The Fairy Tail Guild
It was past noon by the time Haruka and Natsu returned to Magnolia. The pair strolled casually into town, holding hands, while Happy rested tiredly over Natsu's shoulders. The cat was still knocked out after eating at least his own body weight in fish. For most of the journey, they were quiet, but it was comfortable, easy type of silence as they enjoyed the walk.
The vivid memories from last night still kept them quiet. Even the fire alarm and being chased out of the hotel did little to stop the phantom sensations that tingled across their bodies. During the journey, Natsu walked closely against Haruka, her scent almost addictive, and they both had to bite their lips to stop them from jumping the other and falling down into a sweaty mess of heaving bodies…
Natsu shivered with the thought. It was a wonder they managed to get back to Magnolia Town at all.
It was only as they approached the Fairy Tail guild building that Haruka shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, Natsu…" She said awkwardly. "Is it ok if we keep what happened between us quiet for now?"
He frowned. "What do you mean? Burning down the hotel, or… that…"
"Yeah, that," Haruka nodded. "It might be best if we don't tell anyone for the time being."
"Oh," he said confusedly. "Do you regret it?"
"Of course not!" Haruka retorted, flushing slightly.
"Then why shouldn't we tell anyone?" He asked with a frown.
Haruka pushed her long hair backwards. "Well…" She murmured quietly. "I'm still new here, and it just seems… well, I don't really want to make a fuss about it. Let's sort this out between ourselves first, ok?"
She stared at him pleadingly. Natsu paused. "I really don't like lying to my friends," he said uncomfortably.
"It's not lying!" Haruka protested. "We just don't have to tell them everything."
He hesitated unhappily for a moment, but then he stared into Haruka's wide eyes and sighed. "Alright," Natsu relented. "We won't tell anyone we slept together."
She beamed. "Thank you!" Haruka said happily, pressing her lips up against his cheek for a soft kiss. Her hair brushed into his face.
Even after last night (and most of this morning), the skin contact still caused him to jump. Her scent overpowered his nostrils. Natsu didn't know how it happened, but suddenly he was pressing up against her, his lips pushing against hers hungrily. Haruka giggled, leaning backwards slightly while his hands wrapped around her waist, while their tongues danced between them.
He could feel the breath moving between them, and he could feel every beat of her heart, every tremor of her body, every tingle and every sensation. Natsu opened his eyes just to see the sultry look in hers, and suddenly he was planning on how long it would take him to get back to his house, rip her clothes and…
There was a click from behind him as the door to the guild opened. Haruka reacted first, pushing him away so quickly that she toppled to the ground. Natsu could only stare dumbly while Gray exited the building, casting a curious look over the pair.
"Flame brain," Gray muttered absentmindedly, walking around shamelessly in nothing but his boxers. Haruka's face was blushed, but she stared at Natsu apologetically as she recomposed herself and headed into the guild.
Natsu had never hated Gray more than he had at that moment.
Still, once he was inside Fairy Tail the familiar atmosphere overtook him. Mirajane was serving drinks at a nearby table, but she grinned brightly and rushed over to hug Haruka while the Mages roared to greet them.
"Hey!" Mirajane said warmly. "How did your first mission go?"
Haruka beamed happily. "Really well."
Natsu was just starting a fight with Elfman as Makarov hobbled into the building, and took his normal seat on top of the bar. He glanced towards Natsu and Haruka curiously.
"Oi!" The Guild Master called. "Natsu! Haruka! A word!"
Natsu paused, right in the middle of punching Elfman. "What's up, Gramps?"
Haruka walked towards him cautiously. Makarov frowned slightly at Natsu's disrespect but didn't say anything. He glanced between Natsu and Haruka with confusion. "I've just got a complaint from Shirotsume," he said finally. "Nice work exposing that Duke, but did you two really burn down a hotel?"
Haruka paled. Natsu blinked, glancing towards her uncertainly. She gulped. "Um… yes," she said finally in a panicked murmur. "… But, well, I mean… it wasn't really that big of a hotel anyways. More like a bed and breakfast than anything. And it's not like the whole building burnt down…"
Makarov just frowned. "I'm used to Natsu burning down stuff," he said with an exasperated glance towards the Fire Dragon Slayer. "I'm just wondering why. Not even he demolishes every building he stays at. What happened?"
Natsu blinked again. Makarov was expected a reply, but he just looked towards Haruka to answer. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. "Umm…" She muttered, racking her brain for an excuse. "Bandit attack!" She said finally. "There was a bandit attack! We fought them off, the hotel burnt down!"
"A bandit attack?" Makarov frowned. "How strange; I haven't received any reports of bandit activity in the area…"
Haruka squirmed slightly. "Well, I doubt anyone noticed," she murmured. "It was only a small battle…"
Natsu bristled, staring at her in objection. "Hey!" He protested. "It was not small!"
Her face reddened. Makarov just stared between them in growing confusion. "I really don't think the size of the battle matters right now," Haruka growled through gritted teeth, causing him to wince as she stamped on his foot.
He scoffed. "You thought the size was important last night…" Natsu muttered moodily, not quite under his breath. "You kept on saying so…"
Haruka felt a vein throb on her forehead, but she just grinned brightly at Makarov, willing him to believe the lie desperately. "So…" The old man said sceptically. "There was a bandit attack of indeterminate size on a hotel, then?"
She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "That's right."
"Were the bandits after a place to stay the night, by any chance?" He said sarcastically.
Haruka clutched the flimsy lie like a lifeline. "I'm not really sure what they were after," she said simply. "I mean, it was over so fast—"
"Oi!" Natsu protested. "It was not over 'fast', it was at least—"
Her elbow collided with his stomach with enough force to knock him onto the ground. Haruka didn't even look around, she just kept on smiling at Makarov with forced brightness. After a couple of seconds while Natsu pulled himself off the floor, the Guild Master sighed.
"Alright," the old man relented. Haruka felt her heart skip. "I'll talk to the mayor, explain what happened. I'll also have to contact the militia, and warn them about the bandits in the area."
Haruka nodded eagerly, half dragging Natsu away before he could make it any more difficult for her. "That sounds like a good idea," she said enthusiastically, moving away from the bar.
Makarov nodded absentmindedly and returned to reading through a pile of letters. Haruka sighed in relief, walking into the centre of the room.
Suddenly, the Guild Master shouted towards her again. "Also!" Makarov called loudly, so that the whole building could hear him. "The next time you two have sex, try not to burn the building down!"
The whole room froze. In an instant, Haruka was standing with Natsu in the centre of crowd staring at them while Makarov's words echoed through the building.
Makarov was already returning to his paperwork, but Natsu caught the mischievous grin flash across his face. "…Little brats…" He muttered under his breath with a chuckle.
There was a moment's silence, and then suddenly the Mages started to clap and cheer loudly for Natsu and Haruka. The whole hall instantly erupted in celebration. Haruka felt her cheeks turn bright red, while Natsu just grinned.
"See?" He said cheerfully. "They're supportive!"
She could have died from embarrassment. Haruka groaned and collapsed to the ground, while Natsu was overtaken by a crowd of men high-fiving him.
The loudest voice in the crowd was that of Elfman's, who was roaring at the type of his lungs. "Congratulations, Natsu!" He bellowed. "Now you're a real man!"
Haruka dropped into a pile on the floor, only for a gentle hand to pull her upwards. Cana was instantly by her side, looking sympathetic, despite a teasing glimmer in her eyes. "Come on," Cana said softly. "Just ignore them."
She sighed, while around her a crowd of girls formed slowly. Natsu was being carried on top of a crowd of cheering men towards the bar. Haruka's shoulders slumped.
"Do they have to be so immature about it?" She muttered weakly.
"They're men. It's what they do," Cana explained with a grin, wrapping her arms around Haruka reassuringly. "Just let them be men."
Levy was instantly jumping towards her, the petite, blue-haired girl bouncing happily. "Oh, Haruka, congratulations!" She said excitedly, hugging the Celestial Dragon Slayer tightly.
Despite herself, Haruka couldn't help but grin. Cana smirked, the buxom brunette was still holding a glass of wine. "Tell me something," Cana asked cheekily. "What's his stamina like? I've always been curious…"
Haruka blushed. "I'm not…" She stammered, blushing even more. "It's just…"
Cana patted her on the hand softly. "Got it, I'll put a couple of drinks into you and then you'll tell us all about it," She said cheerfully, walking towards the bar. "Mira, let's serve some booze, this is a reason to party!"
"Everything is a reason to drink with you…" Levy muttered under her breath.
The girls stopped as they saw Mirajane. The white-haired Mage had her eyes closed tightly, her body trembling as she wept into her hands. She was sobbing quietly. Haruka blinked.
"Mira…?" Haruka asked gently, approaching the barmaid. "Are you alright…?"
She didn't reply. Haruka's mouth dropped open. "Mira… do you have feelings for Natsu?"
Mirajane paused, looking upwards. "What, no!" she said dismissively, her eyes still watering. "But I was going to be the one to set you two together!"
"Huh?" Haruka said confusedly.
"I had this whole plan as well!" Mirajane sobbed. "I'd send you both out on this mission to a romantic island, hunting flowers, and then you'd just 'bump' into each other and it'd be true love! I was going to play matchmaker! How you could you just hook up like that without telling me!"
"Oh, Mira!" Haruka said sympathetically, hugging her tightly. "That's so sweet, but… well, I'm sure there'll be plenty of other people for you to match up!"
Mira stifled, still crying into Haruka's shoulder. "Like who?"
Haruka floundered helplessly. "Umm… well…" She muttered, glancing around the crowd. "Well, I'm sure you could match Cana up with someone!"
She just started to cry harder. "Oh, like that would ever happen!" Mirajane wailed. "It's hopeless!"
Cana bristled and then stomped off moodily to get the drinks. Instead of mugs, Cana returned with two large kegs over her shoulders; one for her and one for everyone else. That was when the party really began.
Natsu laughed loudly as the booze was served. Elfman was next to him, roaring him in, while Loke was scowling slightly, muttering under his breath about Natsu not appreciating beautiful girls enough. Natsu took the mug cheerfully; gulping the cool liquid down happily. He usually didn't care much for alcohol, but he could burn through it so quickly that he rarely got drunk.
Behind him, there was a giggle from the other side of the hall. Haruka was sitting at the opposite bar, laughing with Cana, Levy and Mirajane. They were all drinking. Occasionally, one of the girls wound glance towards him. Somehow, Natsu really didn't like the way they were laughing.
Next to him, Macao seemed to read his mind as he patted Natsu on the back sympathetically. "They're girls, man," Macao said simply. "They tell each other everything."
Natsu stared at him dumbly. Macao sighed, and repeated slowly. "They tell each other every little thing," he explained. "Every. Little . Thing."
Macao chuckled at his expression as he walked away. Natsu had to stop himself from shifting along to eavesdrop on what the girls were saying. Suddenly, telling everyone about their relationship didn't seem like such a good idea.