~*****~

"This place looks kinda... weird." I mention as we approach the Balsamico home.

"But it definitely looks like the kinda place that would have a magical ball!" Lucy beamed.

"I didn't realize it was so far away," Gray mentioned.

"A small price to pay for the chance to dance," Erza retorted.

"You do remember that we came all this way to catch an escaped convict, right?" Lucy asked.

The doors opened to reveal a pretty girl. "You're a little early," The girl comments politely.

"WHOA! WHAT A FOX!" I hear Warren in my head.

"Was it really necessary to scream that inside of our heads?" I ask irritably.

"We're here to see the count," Gray mentions.

"Yes, of course you are. My name is Aceto and my father is Count Balsamico." Aceto introduced herself.

"She's too pretty to have such an ugly name," Warren says in our heads again.

"EVERYBODY CAN HEAR YOU, YA IDIOT!" We all bellow.

Natsu stepped forward. "My name is Natsu, and we're with Fairy Tail."

"We've come here concerning the job request that your father posted in our guild hall," I explain.

Aceto beamed. "In that case, I'll take you right to him! Please, follow me!"

Count Balsamico was nothing like I pictured. I was thinking of a gangly old man, but this guy looked like he was sucking on a sour lemon. And he was smaller than Makarov. "Welcome and thank you for taking my request," Count Balsamico hummed through his tightly pursed lips. "I am indeed Count Balsamico!"

"This guy is hilarious! He's got a sour name!" Natsu laughed.

"And a sour face to match!" Happy cheered.

"DON'T SCREW THIS UP FOR ME, OKAY?!" Lucy bellowed while leaning over me. I held my hands up, blinking rapidly in response.

"Let me get straight to the matter. I want you to know there is more to the story than what was written on the flyer." Count Balsamico stated.

"Please, go on." Erza urged.

"I am exceedingly concerned for the well being of my precious daughter, who means more than the world to me." Count Balsamico explained.

"Then why'd you give her such a silly name?" Natsu asked happily.

"IT'S A LOVELY NAME!" Count Balsamico barked.

I raise my fist and slam it down onto Natsu's head, shoving his head down and grinding my knuckles into his skull. "I'm so sorry for his lack of manners," I hum politely. "Please, continue, sir."

"The ball being held this evening is very special, for it is the night that her future husband shall be chosen." Count Balsamico explained.

"Yeah, that is a pretty major deal!" Lucy chirped.

"Once every seven years, our family brings out an extremely precious ring. A ring that has been passed down through the Balsamico family line for countless generations!" Count Balsamico exclaims.

"And you're afraid that Velveno is gonna come here and try to steal it from you?" Lucy asks.

"I'm absolutely certain of it, since he tried and failed seven years ago," Count Balsamico hummed. "But he did ruin the ceremony to choose my daughter's husband."

"I see, but given his unique appearance, wouldn't sneaking in undetected prove to be a bit difficult for him?" Erza asks.

"He is both skilled in Transformation Magic and Magical Drain," Count Balsamico explained.

"Magical Drain?" Elfman echoed. "What the heck is that?"

"It allows him to temporarily copy the type of magic used by anyone he comes into contact with, it is very dangerous indeed." Count Balsamico explained.

"Awe, man, I wanna use magic like that sometime!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I entrust full safety to the ring to you! Work together and make sure he fails to snatch it again! And what's more, I want you to capture him and put him behind bars where he rightfully belongs!" Count Balsamico shouts.

"We'll catch this clown for ya!" Natsu cheered.

"Yes, we will, sir." Erza nods.

"Uh, just one more thing. The flyer mentioned a certain reward if we were to catch him for you?" Lucy hums.

"That's correct, four million jewel in cash for his capture," Count Balsamico nodded.

"C-Cash?" I gasp. "Oh, hell yeah!"

"Cash is king, let's do this!" Lucy exclaimed.

~*****~

"Do I really have to wear this?!" I ask irritably as I get tugged out of the curtained room by Erza. "It's revealing and I'm already cold-- can't I put on my overcoat?!"

"We have to look the part of elegant party goers, remember?" Erza reminded me. "Besides, you look fine. That color really brings out your eyes."

"No kidding, I bet you'll have a bunch of guys trying to flirt with you!" Lucy beamed.

I grimace and curl my arms around my waist. "So, uh, do I look okay?" Wendy stammered as she approached us.

"Okay? You look absolutely adorable!" Lucy chimed.

"Thank you, I never dress up like this." Wendy smiled.

"Now, then. The curtain is rising on the magical ball, so let's take our places on the dance floor!" Erza orders, burning up with determination.

"I haven't seen her this worked up since we were in that weird play together," Lucy mentions.

"Okay, I'll try not to mess this up," Wendy chirps.

"I wanna go home..." I groan.

Wendy grasped my hand. "Should I cast a Troia spell on you and Natsu? Since there's floating platforms?"

I grimace and shrug. "I guess... I was hoping just to watch the others dance..." I mention irritably. Wendy giggled as I sulked after Erza and Lucy.

"Warren, any sign of our man, Velveno?" Erza asked through the telepathy ring Warren set up.

"I've got surveillance Lacrimas floating all over the palace. But so far, there's been no sign of him."

"If we see anyone that looks creepy, you'll be the first to know!" Happy chirped.

"Remember, you're at a party, so try to act naturally." Carla reminded us.

"That means no complaining about the cold." Ballad exclaims.

"What happened to the boys?" Lucy wondered.

"There over there!" Wendy pointed them out.

I peer over and grimace. I really hated being in such a revealing dress, especially around other people. Even if that person was Natsu. He never seemed to act normal when I was in a stupid outfit like this. "It's so glamorous," Erza hummed. "I have to wonder if Velveno will show up here like the count's predicting."

"All we can do is investigate people we find suspicious, without being rude." Lucy explains.

A strange looking man approached Erza. "Whoa, I think a red-headed angel just walked through the door!" He chirped as he did ridiculous poses. "You came way too far from heaven to be frowning like that, beautiful! Dance with me and smile!"

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone that suspicious in my entire life!" Happy exclaimed.

"Tail him, guys!" Warren exclaimed.

"Roger." Gray and Natsu hum.

I sigh lightly and wave my hands to stop them. "You do realize Erza's gonna destroy that mans life," I mention through the telepathy connection. As if on cue, she begins spinning the man like a top. "See? No worries."

Lucy giggled. "Yeah, saw that one coming."

"May I have this dance?" Another man asks as he approaches Lucy.

"Yeah sure!" Lucy chirped.

"Look, now Lucy's got some guy talking to her!" Ballad mentioned. "Very suspicious, no one's that handsome!"

"You guys know what to do, right?" Warren asked.

I hum irritably as someone approaches me and takes my hand. "Would you like to--"

"No thank you, I've got two left feet," I answer as politely as I can while tugging my hand away. "I prefer to stay on the ground and watch the others enjoy their evening." With that, I walk off. I totally hated this job. I hear a crash and I sigh irritably. "Great..." I sigh loudly. There's another crash and Erza shouting.

"Look, Ms. Aceto's up on the balcony!" Wendy cooed.

"She looks so pretty, and then there's the dad..." I mutter in annoyance.

"The way you sparkle is so manly!" Elfman cheered.

"I am a girl, you know," Aceto giggled. "Now, would you honor me with the first dance?"

"Of course," Erza nods.

"Why in the heck is the count's daughter dancing with Erza?" Lucy asked as I leaned against the food table.

"I don't know!" Natsu barked while stuffing his face. He swallowed his full mouth, pointed at his face and beamed at me. "You wanna dance while we still can?"

I smile affectionately at him before gesturing to my own mouth. "You're covered in crumbs. I think we can dance later, once you've cleaned up."

The bell chimed loudly, causing us all to flinch. "Now what's going on?" Natsu asked, shoving more food into his mouth.

"The fateful hour is upon us." Count Balsamico states.

"And what happens at midnight?" I ask, brow raised.

"The ring is presented," Aceto hums. "The bells within that giant, old clock toll on one night every seven years. When the doors open, out comes the ring."

"Whoever takes the ring is thereby granted the right to propose to my beautiful daughter. It is a Balsamico family tradition!" Count Balsamico declares.

"Anybody that takes the ring can propose?" Warren exclaims.

"Here, here! Anyone who desires my daughter's hand in marriage must first possess the ring!" Count Balsamico shouted.

There's a mad rush to the ring, and Elfman is apart of it. "I bet she won't say no to a real man!"

"Did you forget that we're not here to hook up with the clients daughter?" Lucy wondered.

Warren's voice booms in my head. "Wendy! Watch out! That's Velveno!"

Wendy snatches her hands from the little boy she'd been dancing with. "Transform off, now!" The boy shouts as he leaps up. "I'm me again!" Velveno shouts. He sucks in a deep breath. "SKY DRAGON ROAR!" The ring pops from the box and swings straight into his hand. "And now the Balsamico Family's precious ring is in the hands of the one and only Velveno!"

"He did it..." Aceto murmured.

"Why you rotten thief!" Count Balsamico shouted. "Give it back this instant!"

"All right, this party's finally gettin' started!" Natsu cheered. "I wanna play, too! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

Ironically, Velveno comes at him with the same attack. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

I peer up irritably. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu bellows as they get blown away from each other.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Velveno copies. They land on the ground. "I took the liberty of helping myself to some of your magic, too, while we had our little dance."

"Then I shall have to deal with you." Erza states. "Now Gray, Elfman! You two protect Aceto!"

"We're on it!" Gray nods.

"We're men!" Elfman roars.

"Requip!" Erza shouts. "Purgatory Armor!"

"Requip!" Velveno copies. "Purgatory Armor!" I palm at my face in annoyance. "It's pointless, I've already coped the magic of every single Fairy Tail member that came to this little shindig!"

"Oh yeah, Copy Cat? Then we'll have to kick your butt the old fashioned way!" Natsu shouts. "And we're pretty good at it, ya know!"

"Aw, knock it off," Velveno waved his hand. "The last thing I wanna do tonight is get in a brawl with you and your buddies."

"Say what?" Natsu asked.

"I'm here 'cause I screwed up last time. I've waited seven long years to try it out again." Velveno explains. He holds up the small ring and gazes at Aceto. "Aceto. I got somethin' big to ask you."

I hum quietly and perk up. "This suddenly got interesting." I mention.

"We've known each other ever since we were both just little kids. And this entire time, I've been crazy in love with you." Velveno explained.

"You were the low-born child of one of my servants, yet I still permitted you to play with my daughter! Have you forgotten your place?!" Count Balsamico shouted.

Velveno scoffed. "Every time I came to see Aceto, you'd remind me. You'd say we were from two different worlds that shouldn't mix. And then, you'd kick me out into the street again. Cause trash like me doesn't belong in your palace." Velveno snapped.

"Daddy!" Aceto shouted. "You never told me he tried to visit!"

"And you don't need to hear about any of this now!" Count Balsamico shouted.

"The said thing is, I started to believe him and I decided I was finally gonna give up on you, Aceto. I kinda gave up on myself, too. I drifted around for a while, and eventually turned to a life o' crime. I got arrested. Ended up in jail." Velveno explained.

"I'm not buyin' any of this guy's crap." Natsu mentioned.

I shush him violently. "This is getting saucy!" I exclaim girlishly.

"And while I was locked up, I had all the time in the world to sit around and think about the thing I regretted most in my life. How I never got the chance to tell you how I felt." Velveno continued. "So I took a risk and broke out to come to the ball. I even did it twice!" Velveno approaches Aceto slowly, and sinks to his knee. "Miss Aceto, please tell me you'll be my wife." He proposes to her while holding up the tiny ring.

I sniffle delicately, dabbing at my eyes with a napkin. "How sweet--" I stammer.

"Can't you see this is a waste of time?" Count Balsamico exclaimed. "Her answer is no!"

Aceto approaches Velveno and smiles brightly. "I will!" She chirps happily.

The others scream in shock as I cheer. "Congratulations!" I cheer.

"Wow, are you serious?" Velveno beamed.

"Of course, I've been waiting my whole life for the day you'd come back!" Aceto exclaims.

"You were?" Velveno gasps. "This is like my wildest dream come true! I can hardly believe it!"

"There's just one thing," Aceto hums. "Turn yourself in. You still need to pay for your crimes."

Velveno stares at her and nods after a moment. "You're right." He hums. Aceto holds out her hand, and Velveno gingerly places the ring on her finger, containing the promise to her.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Erza asked breathlessly.

I wipe at my eyes. "I love happy endings!" I cry. "Their love is so beautiful!"

"He's the sweetest guy ever!" Wendy chirped.

"Incredible," Gray sighs.

"Yeah, that was so freakin' manly!" Elfman cheers.

"I don't know about all this." Natsu sighs. I slam my hand atop his head and shoved him down.

"A round of applause for the couple!" Erza and I cheer.

By the end of the ball, the royal guard came to take Velveno away. "Well, they're haulin' me off." Velveno hummed.

"I'll wait for you." Aceto smiled. "I promise."

"Thanks." Velveno hums. "And I promise that I'll come back for you."

"Now, to celebrate Lady Aceto's newfound happiness!" Erza cheers. "Let's dance the night away!"

I sigh and palm at my face, my smile warming my skin. Everyone began dancing, leaving me to stand off to the side, smiling at the joy on everyone's faces. "Aria," I flinch in my spot and turn to Natsu as he approaches. For some reason, I wonder if he's going to take the opportunity to propose like Velveno did for Aceto. Perhaps I should stay away from romance, because we only just started moving closer. "I ate so much food, can we go home?"

I laugh loudly and nod. "Sure thing. We can totally enjoy the scenery on the walk home." I mention as I nod my head to the doors. Natsu groaned as he followed after me, but seemed to perk up in the cool air. I hum softly and tilt my head back. "I'm so glad things worked out for them. Although, they might be sad to be separated for a while, their love will stay strong."

"So you like all that romance stuff?" Natsu asks.

I hum again. "I like watching it, to be honest. Like public proposals, that's adorable. And when someone announces their having a baby? I lose my marbles. I guess I just love the idea of someone starting a family. You know?" I shrug. "I'm not too good with romance myself. Marko said he loved me a couple of months into dating, and I totally panicked and ran off."

"What if I said it?" Natsu asked gently.

I peer over at him and hum. "I'd probably say it back." I say softly. "Things are different with you. But we've only just started navigating around this whole... thing we've got."

"I don't think it's a thing." Natsu retorted. "I think I've had these feelings for a while now... It probably started when you kicked the crap outta Laxus."

I giggle and tilt my head. "Ah, the most romantic thing a girl could do-- beat up some dude on a roof top."

"Come on, it was a cool fight! You were totally in the zone!" Natsu chirped.

I laugh. "Thanks, but I'm absolutely sure if he wanted a rematch, I'd be toast. He's obviously been training since he was kicked out of the guild." I mention.

Natsu grasps my hand and tugs me back, encasing me in his warm arms. I fight the urge to hum in delight and bury my nose into his neck. "Aria, I really like you." Natsu says suddenly. "I won't say the other thing, cause I don't wanna scare you away. So, will you wait for a little bit until I do?"

When the hell did he become so romantic? My heart began pounding in my chest as I stared up at him. I bashfully nodded and leaned into his chest, my palms pressing against his back.