Rhodes and Mira arrived at their doorstep for the second time.
They pushed open the white picket gate and stepped into the small courtyard.
A gravel path stretched ahead, a tidy little shed stood to the left, and a fenced-off patch of empty soil lay to the right, clearly prepared for a garden yet to come.
Flowerbeds lined the fence, already blooming with bright color. Roses, daisies, and morning glories climbed gracefully up the lattice.
Rhodes tilted his head. Some of these flowers weren't even supposed to be in season.
"Droy definitely had a hand in this," he murmured.
A few steps forward revealed more surprises: a clothesline to the left, a swing set and a wooden rocking horse to the right, and a barbecue grill tucked neatly beside the shed.
Rhodes stared at the rocking horse for a long moment. "Is this… for our future kids? Isn't that a bit premature?"
Mira laughed softly. "Maybe my dear brother and sister wanted to play with it themselves."
That image made Rhodes pause, and then grimace. "I can actually picture Lisanna on the swing and Elfman trying to ride that horse."
Mira sighed. "Did you notice Elfman's even bigger than before?"
"Yeah. I know he's been training hard, but," she threw her hands up, "why that hard? Does Evergreen really dislike him that much?"
Rhodes chuckled. "Look on the bright side. We only notice the change because we've been away so long. If we saw him every day, we might not even realize."
Mira crossed her arms. "Elfman and Evergreen, together every day? I'll believe that when I see it."
"Maybe someday," Rhodes said. "I saw Evergreen earlier, but not Freed or Bickslow."
Mira's expression softened. "Then I'll take that as a good sign."
With hopeful thoughts for her brother's love life, she took out the key Lisanna had given her and unlocked the door.
The first thing they saw upon entering was a new family photo hanging on the living room wall.
Elfman's and Lisanna's rooms flanked the first floor, while the kitchen and bath lay further in.
They climbed to the second floor and found a large shared bathroom, a small gym, and two empty rooms, clearly waiting for future use.
Their bedroom, as it turned out, was one floor higher.
When they opened the door on the third floor, they both stopped in pleasant surprise.
The room was larger than Mira's old one, furnished with care and similar style. The bed was bigger, the furniture new but familiar, and their old portraits and photos hung in their places.
Rhodes flopped onto the bed and sighed in contentment. "This is… actually really comfortable."
A new balcony extended to the south, complete with a little table, and to the north, an extra door led into their own private bathroom.
"Looks like we got the deluxe version," Mira said, smiling.
Across the hall was Rhode's new study. His old desk, notes, and books were all neatly organized, someone had clearly gone through great effort to preserve everything.
There was even one more small room beside it.
Inside was a little bed, a cradle, and an assortment of children's toys.
The couple stood in the doorway in stunned silence.
"Are your siblings trying to tell us something?" Rhodes muttered.
Mira's cheeks turned pink. "Apparently, yes."
They tidied up a few wedding gifts, unpacked their luggage, and decided to head back to the guild.
"Wait, Natsu didn't run away?" Rhodes asked in disbelief the moment they stepped inside.
At a nearby table, Natsu was sprawled out, limp as a noodle.
Lisanna grinned. "He tried to, but everyone caught him and dragged him back."
Honestly, betraying Natsu to the Council did make her feel a little guilty… but maybe if Rhodes cooled off after dealing with him, everyone else could be spared.
Better for one to suffer than for many, right?
"You traitors!" Natsu groaned. "You're all so disloyal!"
Lucy patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You'll be fine, Natsu. Good luck."
Natsu blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about, Lucy? You're coming too, of course."
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
Lucy froze. "Wait, what? Why?!"
Natsu looked at her earnestly. "We're teammates, right? No matter what happens, we'll face it together. Don't be scared."
Lucy's eye twitched. "Yes, my foot! Why are you comforting me?! You're the one who's in trouble!" She slapped his hand away. "I haven't agreed to go anywhere! And why aren't Gray and Erza going instead?!"
"Lucy-chan," Levy looked at her with pity, "are you trying to complain enough for a whole month in advance because you think you're going to be locked up?"
"Levy!" Lucy wailed. "Don't tease me right now! And why would I be locked up anyway?"
Rhodes held up a file with a straight face. "Perhaps because of public indecency?"
"Ah—!"
Lucy clutched her head, her face bright red. "Don't bring that up! How was I supposed to know that village was so conservative!"
Rhodes sighed. "I seem to recall telling you, back when you first joined the guild, to always investigate the terrain, local customs, and religious beliefs of the mission site beforehand."
"But that time Natsu dragged me straight from the bathroom! I didn't have time to investigate anything!" Lucy shouted, then froze, realizing what she'd just said.
Her hands flew to her mouth, cheeks burning.
A chorus of mischievous voices instantly rose around them.
"Oooooh~"
"So it's already developed that far, huh?"
"Natsu, that guy! Who knew he was so bold!"
Macao crossed his arms and sighed with mock solemnity. "Young people these days really are uninhibited."
"N-no, it's not what you think! I was wearing a bath towel!" Lucy cried.
"Oooooh~" came the second round of teasing.
Levy's own face turned scarlet. "Lucy-chan, that's… that's really daring of you."
"I told you it wasn't like that!" Lucy all but shrieked, grabbing Natsu by the collar and shaking him back and forth. "Say something, you idiot!"
Natsu raised a hand, perfectly calm. "Lucy's telling the truth. She was wearing a bath towel."
Mira covered her face with one hand, half laughing, half sighing. "Oh dear, oh dear… thankfully Lisanna doesn't have that kind of interest in Natsu, or I'd be worried."
Lucy spent a long time explaining, loudly, that yes, Natsu had dragged her out of the bathroom, but she'd changed clothes afterward.
It didn't make things much better.
Rhodes quietly picked up a fainting Wendy and handed her over to Mira for safekeeping. Then he looked at Natsu and said dryly, "Don't be so nervous. Taking you to the Council isn't for punishment."
Natsu blinked. "Huh? It's not?"
Rhodes crossed his arms. "No. It's because I promised Purgatory Dragon I'd let you meet someone."
Natsu immediately straightened, his eyes lighting up. "Who?"
"A red-haired girl named Flare."
That name tugged at Rhode's memory. It had come up before the wedding.
Flare of Raven Tail. Purgatory Dragon had told him she might have some kind of connection to dragons, and had asked Rhodes to introduce her to Natsu someday.
Of course, Rhodes got busy with… well, marriage, the Council, and an entire guild rebuilding his house, so the promise had completely slipped his mind.
Until today, when he'd threatened to "take Natsu to the Council" just to scare him, and suddenly remembered.
"Wait, you mean that Flare?" Mira asked. "The one from Raven Tail?"
Rhodes nodded. "She hasn't been with them for long, so her crimes shouldn't be too severe. If we don't go soon, she might be released, and then we won't know where to find her."