Chapter 07: I'm Just a Teenager Boy with a MustacheFanfic by: Geraint(Nero's POV)
It's been more than two years since I last set foot in the Fairy Tail guild, and now I'm finally back—though not because I missed anyone.
Truth be told, I've never really cared much about joining a guild. My real passion? Chasing down delicious recipes across Fiore. Unfortunately, good food doesn't come free, and to fund my culinary adventures, I occasionally have to take up guild quests—especially the ones that offer ridiculous payouts.
This last quest? A breeze. Thanks to the overpowered magic I inherited from Lolibaba—specifically Fairy Glitter—I had no trouble wiping out the enemies. They didn't stand a chance.
After wrapping things up, I caught wind of a rumor—a whisper of a legendary secret recipe passed down through the generations. Naturally, I chased it. Four months of wandering town to town on foot across Fiore, following every scrap of gossip. In the end, it turned out to be just that—a rumor. But it wasn't all for nothing. Along the way, I gathered tons of simple yet mouthwatering recipes from all kinds of local restaurants. A fair trade, in my opinion.
Yaaawn.
I stretched and let out a long yawn. Man, I'm beat. I could sleep for a week straight.
These days, I use the hidden chamber beneath the guild—the place where they used to keep Lumen Histoire, or Fairy Heart—as my personal room. Somehow, being there feels... comforting. Maybe it's the lingering presence of Lolibaba. In that space, I never feel alone. It's the closest thing to home outside Tenrou Island.
Arriving at the Fairy Tail guild, I pushed the doors open and walked in. As expected, the place was lively—too lively, if you ask me. All eyes turned to me the moment I stepped inside.
I spotted Uncle Makarov sitting on the counter, sipping something that looked like… orange juice?
"Nero! Why did that quest take you so long? Your grandmother was worried sick!" he barked, frowning.
I shrugged lazily. "Finished the quest early as usual. Took my time hunting for recipes. Anyway, here's the report." I pulled a stack of papers from my bag and handed it over.
He grabbed it and started reading. Within seconds, his expression twisted in disbelief. "Th-this..."
"Just the things I managed to gather about the western continent. I didn't go deep—I'm not suicidal." I yawned again. "Anyway, I'm hitting the sack."
I turned around and headed toward the stairs leading to my secret underground room.
"This kid…" I heard him mutter behind me.
The Next Day(Erza's POV)
I walked into the guild and immediately noticed Master at the counter, chatting with Gildarts. He looked like he was nursing a massive headache.
Concerned, I approached. "Master, is something wrong?"
He flinched. "Oh—Erza. No, no. Just… Guild things." He cleared his throat. "Right, Nero came back yesterday. He should be out soon."
"Really? Why did that quest take him so long? I was worried," I admitted.
He sighed. "Apparently, it turned into a recipe-hunting expedition."
...
Of course it did.
"Well, I'll wait for him."
A few minutes passed. I was standing near the request board, watching the guild bustle with life, when an annoying voice called out to me.
"Well, well, what's this? Are you here early to settle our score?" Mirajane strode toward me with that arrogant smirk.
Mira wore her usual tomboyish outfit—a gothic, overly revealing ensemble that screamed "I fight dirty." Her long white hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and she had that wild look in her eye again.
Behind her stood Lisanna and Elfman.
"Onee-chan, please don't start a fight again," Lisanna pleaded gently.
Elfman said nothing, arms crossed. Just watching.
"I'm not here for you, Mira," I said flatly. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Huh? So you're ignoring me now? That pisses me off. Let's fight!"
"Fine. I'm bored anyway."
We lunged at each other.
"Take this, you armor freak!" Mira's roundhouse kick landed clean on my side, sending me crashing into a dining table.
"Ugh!" I groaned.
I stood up immediately, dusted myself off, and charged in. My uppercut connected with her chin, launching her into the air.
We were back at it—tearing the guild apart like the old days. Tables flipped, chairs shattered, and the poor bystanders scrambled to escape the collateral damage.
Mira and I locked hands, pushing against each other with full strength.
Suddenly—
"Hey Nero! You promised to cook for us when you got back!" Natsu shouted from the entrance.
"That's right!" Gray added, shirtless as always. "You said we could taste test your new recipes."
I turned my head and saw them—Natsu and Gray—walking in casually… flanking a very sleepy-looking Nero.
There he was, holding a mug of coffee, wearing blue pajamas, and yawning like he hadn't slept in days.
"You guys… I literally just woke up…" he grumbled.
"Nero!" I called out.
"Stay focused, Erza!" Mira growled.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, she twisted her body and tossed me—straight at Nero.
Crash!
I landed on him, knocking us both to the floor. The coffee mug shattered. His pajamas were soaked.
I froze.
"Nero…" I whispered, panicked.
He stared down at his ruined clothes, then at the shards of his mug. His gaze slowly rose to meet mine, eyes glowing with barely contained fury.
"That was dangerous, Erza," he said, his tone low and terrifying.
"No! Wait! It wasn't me—it was her!" I pointed to Mira, who was still standing smugly with her arms crossed.
"What's the matter, Erza? You look pale," she sneered.
I clenched my fist, fury bubbling.
"She's the one who threw me! I was trying to stop her from destroying everything!"
Nero stood up, brushing coffee off his chest. He approached Mira and stopped just a step away, surveying the damage around him.
"Are you the one responsible for this?" he asked, voice calm.
"Yeah. Got a problem with that, blue-haired boy?" Mira snapped.
A heavy silence fell over the guild.
Nero's eyes narrowed.
"I understand you're going through puberty, so I'll give you one chance to apologize to everyone and help clean up the mess you made."
Everyone in the guild let out a collective sigh of relief. Maybe things wouldn't escalate.
"Mira, do it!" Macao whispered urgently. "That's the only way out. Trust me!"
But Mira just scoffed. "Why should I listen to some wannabe chef with a mustache? You want a fight? Bring it!"
She threw a punch straight at Nero's face.
Peeeeewww!
Her fist stopped mid-air—repelled by an invisible force—and she was sent tumbling backward across the floor.
"What the—!?" Mira gasped.
She tried again.
Peeeeewww!
Same result. This time, she rolled into a pile of broken chairs.
"Onee-chan!" Lisanna cried out.
Everyone watched in awe—and fear. Mira was powerful, but she had no idea what she was up against.
Nero approached her calmly.
Mira staggered to her feet, panting. "Y-you… you bastard!"
Without warning, Nero grabbed her by the waist, lifting her off the ground. Her butt stuck out in the air.
"W-what are you doing?! Put me down!!" she screamed.
He raised his hand high.
"I don't go easy on people who attack me. Girl or not, if you cause trouble—there will be punishment."
SLAP!
"OW! What the hell!?"
SLAP!
"Not the butt! NOT THE BUTT!"
SLAP!
"STOP IT! I'M SORRY!"
SLAP!
"Uwaaaah!"
SLAP!
Her cries echoed through the guild like a sad little ghost's wail.
Eventually, her struggling stopped. She just lay there, sobbing, face flushed and butt red.
"Nero…" I said, patting Mira's head gently. "You really went too far this time."
"I guess you're right," he replied, wiping his hand with a napkin. "But I'm not apologizing. She deserved it."
"You know, Nero…" I paused, staring at him.
Something felt off.
His blue hair was still messy from sleep, but now… he had a black mustache above his lip.
I blinked.
"Wait… Who are you?"
Nero gave me a half-smile.
"Don't mind me. I'm just a teenager boy… with a mustache."
(To be continued.)