章 222: Chapter 222: Watching Pokémon with... Ghost?
Mirajane quickly closed her chat with her sister, worried that Lisanna might say something even more suggestive next.
"You didn't peek, did you?" she asked.
We're sitting side by side—how could I not see? Nate thought, amused. It seemed Lisanna had a much bolder texting style than he'd expected.
"Nope, didn't see a thing," he replied innocently.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind if you did see," Mirajane said teasingly.
"Oh? Well, I only saw a little bit…"
"Aha, I knew you were peeking!" Mirajane pretended to pout in mock outrage.
Hold on, was she trying to bait me here? Nate thought, smiling. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and changing the subject smoothly.
"Don't you think it's been getting colder lately, especially at night?"
As the opening theme of the next episode began to play, Mirajane leaned into his embrace, her cheeks lightly flushed. Something seemed to glimmer in her gaze—a touch of shyness, a hint of expectation.
"It has, actually," she agreed. "That's Magnolia's climate; give it another week or two, and we'll probably see snow."
"Snow this early?" Nate was a bit surprised. Growing up in warmer southern regions, he'd only seen snow a few times in his life.
"Yep, it usually starts around this time, so remember to dress warmly! The temperature drop's really sudden this season, and I don't want you catching a cold," Mirajane advised with a warm smile.
Talk of snow made Nate remember that he'd promised Ur they'd go to the north to enjoy an outdoor hot spring in winter. But at this rate, they might not even need to travel all that way—Magnolia's first snowfall could bring just the experience he wanted.
As his mind wandered, he noticed Mirajane's hands were cold to the touch.
"Your hands are freezing! Here, give me both of them—I'll warm them up for you."
Mirajane, her eyes soft with affection, placed both hands in his, holding them as if gripping a warm blanket. Leaning in, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"A little reward for my warming," she whispered, smiling shyly.
"Then I'll reward you too," Nate thought, and he leaned in, brushing his lips gently against hers.
Mirajane's lips were soft, warm, and inviting—a light rose pink like cherry blossoms after spring rain.
"No way, I won't let you!" Mirajane laughed, trying to shy away, though with Nate's arm still wrapped around her waist, she only gave a token resistance before they kissed.
It was the second time they'd kissed, and Mirajane once again felt that familiar, blissful blankness in her mind. She felt herself tense up at first, but then gradually relaxed, letting herself savor the moment.
The music ended, and the second episode began. Mirajane finally pulled back, her face flushed as she said, "Alright, now I really want to watch!"
Fine, fine. I'll let you watch the show, Nate thought, chuckling. He figured that maybe watching while sneaking kisses wouldn't work so well after all.
"Let's watch, then. With over a hundred hours of episodes, it would take a couple of all-nighters to finish everything," he remarked.
"I don't mind. That just means I get to enjoy it longer," Mirajane said softly, feeling a bit giddy.
They settled back into their cozy position, and Mirajane, having never seen the story before, was completely captivated by it.
Nate, on the other hand, knew these early episodes by heart and found his attention wandering. He ended up watching Mirajane instead.
He was half a head taller than her, even while seated, so when he glanced down, he couldn't help noticing the view at her collar, revealing a peek of her soft curves.
Mirajane was wearing a delicate, adorable set today, he noted with a slight smirk. Acting on impulse, Nate conjured a warm, soft blanket with his newly-learned magic, draping it over both of them.
Underneath the blanket, he slowly moved his hand, letting it wander carefully.
Mirajane was so engrossed in the show that she didn't seem to notice a thing.
The plot of 'Pokémon' wasn't complex, and the Team Rocket characters introduced in Episode 2 were actually pretty amusing. They were part of an organization that kidnapped Pokémon—Jessie and James were constantly bickering—and they even had a talking Meowth!
Mirajane was engrossed in the story but suddenly became aware of something sneaking its way up her skirt. Feigning obliviousness, she asked softly,
"Nate?"
"Hm?"
"Why are they using 'Poké Balls' in the animation? Shouldn't they be using cards?"
Good question! Nate thought. Every episode featured Poké Balls, and there were 271 episodes... it'd be way too much work to change them now. He answered, "Well, throwing a ball just looks cooler."
"Then why call it a Poké Ball? Shouldn't it be a Celestial Ball?"
"The Celestial Ball's a higher-tier item, super rare. There are different types of balls, like the Master Ball and others," Nate explained, all while keeping his hand busy under the blanket.
Mirajane, feeling her thigh lightly brushed, whispered in protest, "Stop that and have a snack!"
With that, she reached out and grabbed a strawberry, playfully popping it into his mouth.
Nate took a bite. "Tastes great—did you make this yourself?"
"Not talking to you, I'm watching the show," Mirajane teased, giving him a playful look before turning back to the animation, clearly amused.
Unbothered, Nate continued with his discreet exploration under the blanket, noting that her lack of further resistance was a green light. He picked up another strawberry, offering it to Mirajane.
Reflexively, she opened her mouth, letting him feed her. The second episode soon ended, leaving her wanting more. Feeling slightly flustered, she whispered, "I need to go to the restroom," and hurried off.
Nate found himself alone without her leg to occupy his hands. Just as he was contemplating grabbing a few more snacks, he suddenly heard a voice next to him.
"Come on, come on! Play the third episode—I want to see what happens next!"
Startled, he turned to see the little blonde, Mavis, the First Master of 'Fairy Tail', staring up at him, her little antenna of hair bouncing as she urged him forward.
"Hold up—First Master, how long have you been here?"
Mavis grinned mischievously. "Since the two of you started kissing."
Wait, how did she get here without me noticing? Nate wondered, realizing he'd perhaps let his guard down too much.
"And why are you here?"
"I live at the guild, you know! This sofa's actually my favorite spot for naps."
Got it! Nate realized with an inward laugh. So, the missing food from the guild's kitchen... it was her this whole time.
"All right," he sighed, "we'll wait for Mirajane to come back before continuing."
Once Mirajane returned and noticed the little blonde sitting next to Nate, she gasped, startled by her unexpected presence.
"Hold on—let me explain!" Nate said quickly. "This is the First Master, Mavis Vermillion."
Mavis waved cheerfully. "Hi, Mirajane! I'm Mavis Vermillion, the First Master of 'Fairy Tail'."
"Are you… a ghost?" Mirajane asked, her wide-eyed expression making Nate smile.
"Yes, I am," Mavis nodded, then immediately turned to Nate. "Hurry up with the third episode! 'Pokémon' is fascinating!"
Mavis was even more engrossed in the story than Mirajane, so Nate gave in and started the next episode.
Now there were three of them watching—two people and one ghost. The ghost, however, turned out to have quite the appetite; by the time they'd watched a dozen episodes, she'd finished most of the snacks.
Eventually, Mirajane started to look sleepy, and even Nate felt a bit drowsy, though Mavis still seemed wide awake. Handing over the remote crystal to her, he sat back, pulling Mirajane into his arms as they snuggled into the corner of the sofa, and he used a sound barrier magic to muffle the noise.
Before long, the two of them had drifted off to sleep.
Mavis glanced over at them and chuckled softly.
"Just how many girlfriends do you have, you hopeless romantic Fourth Master!"
When they'd first met, Mavis had assumed that Lucy and Nate were a couple. Later, after arriving in Magnolia, she'd encountered Erza at a dessert shop, where she'd overheard Nate confirm that 'Erza' was his girlfriend.
And then... well, it seemed like half the beautiful women in the guild had some special connection to the Fourth Master.
Mavis shook her head with a smile, adjusting the volume as she continued watching the animation.
"Fourth Master, you sure are popular," she whispered to herself with a hint of amusement.
~~~
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