Gray sat in his new seat that was uncommon for him. He usually sat by Erza, Natsa, and Lucy; but now with that bet going on, he felt strange even being near the pink haired. Everything he glanced at her, he couldn't help but think about that bet. How was he supposed to date her?! She was Natsa; and they were rivals. She couldn't even stand sitting next to him on a train ride, let alone being by themselves on a date.

He was rival zoned unlike the other two. He was always the rival, or friend; he had no clue what Natsa thought about it. For Gajeel it was easy; he didn't know her for that long and so he wasn't totally zoned, like Gray. Gajeel and Sting were both Natsa's rivals; but she only knew them for a year or more. She knew Gray for seven years from when they first meet in the guild hall.

She knew too much about him for her to think about boyfriend status.

He sighed and took a drink from his shake. Why couldn't he just be smooth like always? Even Gajeel had a moment to ask her out, yet Gray couldn't even sit near her. He also heard the whole thing from Loke when he came back that one night. Gajeel took her out to a boxing match and Sting was there spying. Loke even had to cancel a date because of the blonde; which Gray had to now repay him.

The raven haired needed to get his ass in gear before the others gotten their second chances.

"Gray~? Is something the matter~?" Mira asked with her usually cheery tone. She leaned over the table and refilled his cup without being asked to. She handed him back the glass and glanced over to his normal table.

"Nope. Nothing," he answered quickly. He turned around so he wasn't faced with the sliver haired anymore.

Mira giggled and poked him. "Does it have to do with Natsa?" she suggested.

Gray's skin shivered.

She chuckled with her hand over her mouth. She guessed right. "Are you jealous from all of her dates lately?"

Now Gray finally turned around and looked at Mira. He wanted to yell something along the lines of how did you know; but that would have gave him away. Instead he relaxed his tensed body and allowed all sigh of emotion to drop from his face. "What do you mean? Like I care," he rolled his eyes.

She couldn't help but giggle at his reactions. He was such a little kid. "You better get her before they do, Gray. I heard from Loke that even Gajeel asked her out." She turned around and tilted her head, "I didn't even think he liked Natsa. He kept it hidden well." It wasn't like her, the matchmaker, to miss such details.

"Damn it, Loke…" Gray mumbled under his breath. Loke didn't just tell him, but the whole guild of Natsa's affairs. Even if it wasn't for him to hide that secret, Gray wanted to smash Loke's face in.

Gray just wanted to protect his property; Natsa.

"What's that?" Mira questioned. She knew she heard something, but she didn't listen to it.

"Uh-Nothing. Just a fly," he waved his hand in the air.

"You know, Gray, that it's every girl's dream to go somewhere wonderful with a guy she likes," a smile formed on her lips, "Even if the boy is one of her friends."

He looked up from the counter. His eyebrows rose as if that was supposed to mean something to him.

"Just go ask her out before it's too late, or else," she smiled with her eyes closed and went on to serve the others. Lisanna walked out from behind the counter and went up to Mira to ask her something.

Gray didn't want to know what else was supposed to mean. He just knew he didn't want it. His skin shivered, and he took another drink from his shake. Somewhere wonderful… Her words swirled around in his mind. Were all girls this confusing? He sighed and thought about it some more.

He had to ask Natsa out.

Or else the other two could get her before he could.

…

Natsa sat in her normal spot. People from the guild were leaving and only she, Lisanna, and Erza were left. Lisanna came over earlier when she heard the news from Loke; and Lucy had to drag him out of here before he spouted anything else.

The pink haired finished her plate and belched. Erza turned her head and glared at the pink haired; who gulped, "Sorry."

The scarlet haired nodded her head and finished her last piece of strawberry delight. Her eyes darted around the guild and right at Gray. "Why hasn't he been sitting over here?" she asked in a harsh voice.

"He hasn't?" Natsa questioned. She turned around and glanced at the raven haired; who ducked around quickly. She barely meddle into others, Gray's, affairs; but this was unlike him. "He's acting weird…"

Erza stood up from the table, "I will go get him."

"Erza-nee! Wait!" Lisanna halted Erza.

"What?" she asked with her eyes narrowed at her target, the raven haired.

Lisanna leaned in and whispered, "He's embarrass right now. I think he's too shy to be around Natsa."

The red haired nodded her head and slowly sat down again. She still had her sights on the raven haired across the room. Her glare was becoming stronger each passing minute.

Lisanna gave a quick smile at Erza's behavior. It wasn't like for the group to be sitting apart. Usually everyone was near each other and laughing. Lisanna would be sitting near Elfman or Natsa. And the others would be close. And now the cycle was broken with Gray sitting at the bar away from everyone.

"Maybe…he's mad?" Natsa suggested.

Both of the other girls chuckled at Natsa's remark. They knew more about this than the pink haired. Lisanna tilted her head and a smile formed on her face; the smile was very strangely looked like Mira's., "Natsa-chan, maybe you should go ask?"

The pink haired looked at the girl and was about to shake her head when Erza ordered her too. She stood up, defeated by the red haired, and slowly walked to the bar where Gray was sitting. She waited with each step. She wasn't one to be good with this type of thing. She let out a deep breath of air and sat down next to Gray. "What's wrong with you?"

He stretched back and turned to the pink haired. "I'm fine, okay?! How many people are going to ask me that?!" he complained. He opened his eyes and he noticed the pink haired. "Oh…hey Natsa…" he muttered after that.

"Hey….Iceblock…" she said slowly as if not to get on his bad side. "What's with you?"

He pushed himself forward in the seat and laid his head on the table. "Nothing. Just a long boring day."

"You're not sitting with us," Natsa added.

Gray's mouth dropped. He wasn't suspecting Natsa to observe that or anything about his behavior; even though Erza had to inform her. Gray picked up his head and tried to think of an excuse of some sort; but nothing came to mind. "Uh…I just didn't want to sit over there, Flamehead."

"Droopy eyes," Natsa commented.

"Flame for brains," Gray countered.

"Ice Princess," she gave a smug look.

He finally looked up and countered, "Red Ant."

"Strippe-" she was interrupted.

"Natsa~!" Lisanna came up from behind them. She looked at one to the other with a grin. They were talking again~! "Gray-nii~! Me and Erza-nee are going home. Bye~! See you tomorrow~!"

Natsa turned around, but the two were already out of the guild. Her smile vanished as she ran out to try to follow them. The doors shut behind her, and Gray followed; he felt like he had to. Outside, the two girls were already missing. "Where did they go?" Natsa bit her lip. She wanted to walk with them, but it was too late now. She was bummed out.

"I think they went to Fairy Hills…" Gray suggested. That was where Lisanna lived with her sibling and Erza did; so it was only logical.

Salamander stretched her arms behind her back and started walking away. She was heading home for the night since everyone was gone.

Gray stood at the guild's door and Mirajane's words entered his mind once more. He grunted and with all of his courage, he caught up with Natsa. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at him. Her face shifted into surprised by his appearance. Gray just walked forward; hoping not to embarrass himself. He could feel eyes on the back of his head; maybe Sting and Gajeel were watching them?

If they were, they were probably laughing their asses off with this awkward setting.

"…Mind if…I walk you…home….?" He phased it as a question.

"Uh…sure…?" she answered. She was really starting to get scared. She made a complete halt. "Are you Gray? Or a clone?"

"What?!" the raven haired exclaimed.

"Who are you and what did you do with Iceblock?" she asked once again.

He rubbed his head and looked at the ground. She was noticing his actions and he was shock. "I'm Gray, Pinhead. One and only."

"Well, you're acting weird…again," she stated. "Do you have a cold?"

"Nope, I'm fine. Haven't I been saying that?"

She rolled her eyes and sneezed.

"Bless you," he said. She nodded a thank you. They walked and Gray was starting to notice the time. "How far is your house?"

"Couple more miles, I think," she shrugged her shoulders.

Their shoulders touched each other, and Gray pulled back. Natsa didn't notice the touch or didn't care. She kept walking, and Gray walked at a slower pace than her. He didn't want to touch her once again; that would be awkward.

Natsa looked up at the sky. It was getting so dark that stars were appearing above them. "Oh look!" she pointed above.

"Hm?" he looked up. His mouth dropped as he looked at the numerous colorful stars in the night sky. There were more than he could imagine.

"One of the highlights of living out so far," she smiled.

"In the city, usually there are only three or four."

She glanced at him, "You should see the sunset. It's beautiful. Happy found this cliff and we set there in the mornings waiting for the sun to rose," she chuckled, "One time, Happy dropped his fish and I dropped up falling after it. Good thing Happy grabbed it before it hit the water, it was icy as hell."

"So…he left you and got his fish instead…?" Gray raised his eyebrow.

"Yep, it would have escape if it went into the ocean." She started to say something else, but Gray interrupted her.

"You risk your life for a fish?!"

"It was big though!" she argued.

"Don't you have common sense?!"

"What's that?"

"For a fuckin' fish! If you just ask, you know someone could have brought you a fish. Even I would have!"

"But I fished it out of the stream!"

"What does that got to do with anything?!" he asked.

"Everything." She stated calmly. Her skin started to heat up as she glared at the Icehead.

"You could have caught one the next day!"

"The stream was frozen that day!"

"Ice fish! You're a fire mage, melt the ice!"

…

The door to the shack opened, and Gray walked inside of the dirty room. He dropped Natsa in the bed and left. Both of them were covered in bruises and dirt from a fight they had in the field.

Happy looked up from his bed, "Natsa? What happen?" He wiped his tired eyes. There wasn't no reply so he went back to bed. A yawn escaped his lips as he covered his head with his blanket.

…

A message appeared on Gray's phone. 'That counted as a date.'

"What the fuck?!" he yelled. 'I didn't even ask her out to one. That doesn't count.'

'Too late. We both agreed, and that's it.'

Gray grunted and threw his phone on the wall. So much for a first date. Why couldn't Mira be less confusing and help him for once?! Why did his anger get the better end of him?! And it was over something stupid.

He laid on his bed and went to sleep. He just hoped she wasn't mad at him tomorrow.