Chapter 70: Moonlight and Promises
The guild hall was quiet now, the chaos of the celebration reduced to the soft sounds of sleeping bodies and the occasional snore echoing from beneath a table. Natsu stood just inside the doorway, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light, when a familiar presence stepped up beside him.
"You disappeared."
Erza's voice was soft, not accusing. She moved to stand at his shoulder, her armor replaced by simple clothes, her hair loose and falling past her shoulders. In the moonlight filtering through the windows, she looked almost ethereal.
"Just needed some air," Natsu said. "And some quiet."
She studied his face, those sharp eyes seeing more than he wanted her to. "You were training. I could feel the heat from inside."
He smiled, a small thing. "Couldn't help myself. The new power... it's a lot. I needed to understand it."
Erza nodded slowly. She reached out and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. Her skin was warm, her grip firm.
"Come with me," she said.
"Where?"
"My apartment. It's closer than yours, and I suspect yours is currently on fire."
"It is NOT on fire."
"Happy said there was an incident with a training dummy and a misplaced flame."
"Happy talks too much."
Erza smiled, that rare, genuine smile that transformed her entire face. "Come. We can talk there. Or not talk. Whatever you need."
She pulled him toward the door, and he let her lead.
---
The streets of Magnolia were empty at this hour, the shops shuttered, the cafes dark. Gas lamps flickered on corners, casting pools of golden light across the cobblestones. The moon was a silver coin in the sky, and the stars were scattered like diamonds across velvet.
They walked hand in hand, their footsteps echoing in the quiet. Neither spoke, but the silence was comfortable, easy. Erza's thumb traced circles on the back of his hand, a small, absent gesture that made his chest warm.
A group of late-night revelers stumbled past, laughing and singing, and one of them noticed them. A woman with bright red hair and a man with pink, walking through the night like they owned it.
"Hey! It's the Fairy Tail heroes!" one of them called out, raising a bottle. "The Dragon Slayer and the Titania! Together!"
Erza's cheeks flushed pink, but she didn't let go of his hand. She lifted her chin and nodded regally. "Good evening."
The revelers cheered and continued on their way, and Natsu caught Erza looking at him from the corner of her eye.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing." Her blush deepened. "I just... I never thought I would be that person. Walking through the city, holding someone's hand. Being seen."
Natsu squeezed her fingers. "Does it bother you?"
"No." She said it quickly, firmly. "It doesn't bother me at all."
They passed the fountain in the main square, its waters glittering in the moonlight. A couple sat on its edge, heads close together, sharing a quiet moment. Natsu saw Erza glance at them, then away, and he felt something shift in his chest.
He stopped walking.
Erza turned, confused. "What is it?"
He pulled her closer, his hands settling on her waist, and kissed her.
It was slow, deliberate. A kiss that said everything words couldn't. Her hands came up to his chest, fingers curling into his vest, and she kissed him back with equal intensity. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard.
"What was that for?" she whispered.
"Because I wanted to. Because I can." He grinned. "Because you looked like you needed it."
Her blush was spectacular. "I... that's... you are impossible."
"You love it."
She stared at him for a moment, something fierce and vulnerable in her eyes. Then she laughed, a real laugh, bright and free.
"I do," she said. "I really do."
They walked the rest of the way with their arms around each other, Erza's head resting against his shoulder, his arm draped across her back. The city wrapped around them, quiet and peaceful, and for a little while, the weight of everything they had been through felt lighter.
---
Erza's apartment was on the third floor of a modest building near the guild hall. She unlocked the door with a practiced motion and pushed it open, revealing a space that was unmistakably hers.
Swords lined the walls. Racks of armor stood in corners like silent sentinels. A training dummy wore a dress. The bed was made with military precision, the sheets tucked so tightly they could bounce a coin.
Natsu stepped inside and looked around, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"So this is where Titania lives."
Erza closed the door behind them, her expression caught somewhere between pride and embarrassment. "It's not much, but it's mine."
"It's very... you."
"Is that a compliment?"
"It is absolutely a compliment." He wandered over to the sword rack, running his fingers along a blade that gleamed even in the dim light. "You could kill a man with any one of these."
"I could kill a man with a spoon," Erza said flatly. "The swords are for efficiency."
Natsu burst out laughing. "Only you, Erza. Only you would say something like that."
She moved to stand beside him, watching his face as he examined her collection. "You're different tonight."
He looked at her. "Different how?"
"Lighter. Easier. Since we got back, you've been carrying something. I could see it. But now..." She reached up and touched his face, her palm against his cheek. "Now you're here. With me."
He leaned into her touch. "I'm always with you. Even when I'm not."
"That's a very romantic thing to say for someone who spent half the celebration hiding behind the guild hall."
"You noticed that, huh?"
"I notice everything about you, Natsu."
Her voice was soft, sincere. The words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning.
He turned to face her fully, his hands finding her waist again, pulling her close. "Is that so?"
"It is." Her arms went around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair. "I notice when you disappear into the forest. I notice when you train until you can't stand. I notice when you look at Lucy and me like you're afraid we might vanish."
His breath caught. "Erza..."
"I'm not going anywhere," she said. "Neither is she. Whatever you're fighting, whatever you're carrying, you don't have to carry it alone. That's what we're for. That's what this is."
He kissed her again, deeper this time, pouring everything he couldn't say into the press of his lips against hers. She met him with equal passion, her body pressing against his, her hands pulling him closer.
When they broke apart, both gasping, he rested his forehead against hers.
"You're incredible," he breathed.
"I know," she said, and they both laughed.
She pulled him toward the bed, and he followed willingly, letting her push him down onto the perfectly made sheets. She stood over him for a moment, looking down at him with an expression that made his heart stutter.
"You know," she said, "Lucy is going to be insufferable when she finds out I got you first."
"She got me first, technically."
Erza's eyes narrowed. "We don't talk about that."
Natsu grinned up at her. "Jealous, Titania?"
She climbed onto the bed, straddling his hips, her hair falling around them like a curtain. "I am not jealous. I am competitive. There is a difference."
"Is there?"
"Absolutely." She leaned down, her lips brushing against his ear. "And I always win."
He shivered. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's a promise."
---
Next Time: Natsu and Erza