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Natsu slammed his hand on the table, sending silverware and cups flying. “Twenty eight.”
Gray slowly looked up from the rim of what used to be his glass. “What spark got up your ass this time, flame-brain?”
Natsu grinned sadistically. “Gajeel just bragged at me that he has twenty eight piercings. 10,000 Jewel says that you’d be too chicken to get just one.”
Gray choked a bit. How did that stupid dragon know he couldn’t stand needles? Had he realized that Gray had always conveniently been out of town when the guild was giving out flu shots? Or been there the time that Mira and Makarov cornered him and he yelped like a scared puppy when they forced him to get a blood test?
“Not a chance.”
“What, stabbing yourself in the stomach is just fine but you can’t handle one measly little prick?” Natsu taunted.
“I can handle you just fine!” Gray leaped over the table and took an icy swing at Natsu, who was all too happy to use that as an excuse to brawl.
As tables splintered and fireballs scorched the ceiling, Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel looked up from their drinks and shifted in their barstools.
“Did you plan this, Gajeel?” Levy sighed.
“I was mostly trying to piss off Salamander, but watching the popsicle squirm is a nice bonus. Plus, you know I got more than 28 piercings,” he said with a wink.
Levy instantly turned beet red. “G-Gajeel!!”
Lucy tried and failed to stifle her giggles, then her eyes light up and she tapped her fist in her hand. “Hey, I’ve got an idea! It might get Gray over his fear of needles and shut Natsu up for a bit, too.”
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And that’s how the five of them ended up in Magnolia’s premiere tattoo and piercing parlor.
Magic stamps worked well for guild marks, but if anyone needed something more complicated, this was the place to be. The walls were filled with complex designs and price lists for piercings that Natsu and Gray had never even heard of. A heavily tattooed but very bubbly lady stood in front of them.
“So that’s one lobe piercing each for the two of you?” she said while gathering her tools.
Natsu had only agreed to this so he could watch Gray cry like a little bitch, but truth be told, he wasn’t wild about needles either. So he resorted to tossing verbal jabs at Gray, hoping his bravado would cover the nervousness.
“Make sure to give him a lollipop when he’s done, okay?” he lilted at the lady. “This is a big step for poor little Gray.”
“Shut your trap! This is nothing compared to the fights I’ve been in!”
Lucy and Levy were whispering to each other about how the two boys would look with matching ear piercings. Maybe they’d be like a boy band!
Gajeel walked up beside the tattooed lady and cut through the chatter. “It might be better to do this quick, okay Siren? These two numbskulls could wreck this whole building if they get worked up.”
The lady smiled brightly. “Sure thing, Gaj. Fairy Tail’s already built up a tab here for damages, but I’ll try to spare your master a headache this time.”
Natsu, Gray, and the girls raised their eyebrows. A tab, here? They scanned around and saw a darkened corner where lights had been violently shorted out and scorched black tendrils of what looked like electricity splayed out from a chair. They turned back to the lady named Siren with slightly paler faces.
Siren clapped her hands together. “So you’re both ready, then? Let’s get started!”
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“AAAAAaaaaAARRRrrrrrGHGGHhhhHHh!”
“God, Gray, you’re being such a baby.”
“Well you’re next, so don’t get cocky just yet!”
“Try to relax, okay? If you’re tense, it’ll only hurt more.”
“Ouch, it’s pulling on my ear!”
“Do you think Sorcerer Weekly would put them on the cover with their matching piercings?”
“Yeah, like back to back and looking all badass?”
“Gotta give ‘em popped collars and sexy shades.”
“Oh, who thinks piercings and shades are sexy now, Lucy?”
“T-that’s not what I meant!”
“There, all done. Looks great, right?”
“…Sure. You’re up, squinty-eyes.”
“You’ll be a tough act to follow, ice princess.”
“Ready?”
“OOOOooooowwch!”
“Geez, you dorks are beyond pathetic.”
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Later that day, the five wizards burst through the doors of Fairy Tail with a cheery “Ta-da!” from Lucy and Levy. They framed the two grumbling rivals, gesturing grandly at their new looks. Natsu had a small gold ring in his right ear and Gray a small silver one in his left. Gajeel stood off to the side trying not to laugh.
“Oh my god, you two look like you’re in a boy band!” Mira squealed.
“You guys look really cool…” Wendy blushed.
“It’s manly to get your ears pierced!” bellowed Elfman.
“Finally got over that fear of needles, huh?” said Cana.
Makarov strode into the room, carrying something out of sight. “Oh, is that so? Then I’m sure the both of you won’t mind taking the vaccine renewals that you were supposed to have eight months ago.” He produced two large syringes from behind his back.
“NOOOOOO!!”
Before anyone had time to blink, Natsu and Gray had sped right back out the door, down the street, and probably all the way out of Magnolia. The doors clattered shut behind them.
Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel glanced at each other. Then, a cheeky grin spread across Lucy’s face.
“Just wait ‘til Sorcerer Weekly hears about this!”