Cry More

Natsu wasn't having a very good day. No - he had his life flash before his eyes - that, and Mirajane's chest - when he choked on a bone.

In retrospect, it wasn't that bad. Besides, he was about to fight Erza! She actually challenged him!

She said to meet in front of Cota de Maya, the strange place with excessive armor decorations. They apparently served food there, so Natsu wasn't going to complain.

As he walked along the bustling street, he caught sight of his red-haired foe. She was standing in her usual blue skirt, chest armor, and gauntlets. The fire mage almost scoffed - was she going to fight him in that?

Approaching her, Natsu saw that Erza had a weird smile on her face, one that he couldn't fully identify. It made no difference: all it did was just fire him up.

His hands ignited, and the people around him jumped away, eying the destructive Salamander in fear.

"Natsu!" she sternly shouted as her smile evaporated. The flames died away; Titania didn't look like she wanted to fight.

The fire mage, angrily glaring, walked up to the knight. He was about to scream in her face, but she savagely pulled him by the collar and dragged him into the alley beside Cota de Maya.

He didn't resist - she wanted to fight there? Fine with him!

"Do not move," her voice was hard and her command was law. "Now, Natsu," she whispered as she pushed him against the cold brick and pulled back her metallic arm, "cry!"

Salamander didn't know what was happening; she gave him orders and he was compelled to abide by them. He could feel her hard fist beating him without remorse. Whenever his stray hand defied Titania and raised itself to block her punch, she would just swat it away and continue.

"Cry, Natsu," she pleaded, eyes gleaming with agony, "please cry."

He had enough and, in a flaring burst, escaped her clutches. Natsu didn't know what was wrong with the woman, but he had enough! He barreled out of the shadowed lane and into the lively street, heedlessly running through the crowd.

He turned right to run past the restaurant and back to the guild, but he slammed into a steady figure.

"Natsu?" After a moment of observation, the soft voice hysterically asked, "A-are you okay? Who did this? What happened?" Delicately holding the injured mage against her, she darkly glowered at the advancing villain.

"Erza?" she barely choked out, "You did this?"

Titania was ashamed: she had failed her mission. The dragon slayer released no tears. Mirajane would never forgive her. This was not the knightly mage's profession; she should not have interfered in matters beyond her skillset. "Please, Mirajane," Titania bowed, "hit me!"

The woman just shook her head and sent the inclined mage a perplexed gaze. "Stay away from Natsu, Erza," she stated harshly. The reprimanded one dared not look into the face of her friend.

With her arms around the feeble victim, Mirajane twirled away and headed back to the guild, her arms still supporting him.

The guild was empty, aside from two bodies. One was splayed across one of the tables while the other was tending to his sores.

Natsu," the white-haired woman sighed, "what did you do?"

"Nothing, Mira," he whimpered in dejection, "all she kept telling me to do was cry!"

The woman raised a brow at that; for what reason would Erza want to make Natsu cry? She briefly recalled her younger days, a faint smile showing.

Natsu caught what looked to be content on her face and accusingly uttered, "You put her up to this!"

"I didn't," she shot back defensively, and her face shined with mirth once more. "I bet Erza did it just because you were so cute when you cried."

Mirajane brought up his bruised forearm to her mouth and placed a tender kiss on it. "Is that better?" she asked with a kind smile.

"She kept hitting my head," he moaned, "and it's just pounding in my ears."

"Oh," Mirajane murmured as she passed around the circular table, her maroon dress gracefully fluttering behind her.

She stood directly behind Natsu's battle-marked head. Leaning forward, she placed a smooth kiss on his blemished temple, placatingly wading her pale fingers through his disheveled hair.

Natsu's ears started burning - there was still a clamorous pounding, but it had streamed throughout his entire body. "My cheek," he whined, "is so sore."

Her mouth trailed down, lightly running over his skin, and she affixed another in the allocated zone.

"My nose," he buzzed, "I'm surprised it isn't broken."

Mirajane traced a wet line from the bridge to the tip of it, and her free hand made its way beneath his neck.

Natsu's body shuddered at her dainty touch. "My jaw," he whispered, elevating his hand and concealing it in her flowing white hair.

Traveling over his jawline with soft pecks, she stopped at his chin, waiting for his next words.

"My lips."

Hers proceeded to meet his.

Erza must have hit Natsu in the mouth many, many times, because Mirajane never shifted to a different region.