Unprofessional

Lucy let each finger of her hand drum on the table top while the other propped up her chin and its matching exasperated expression. She had gone past the stages of panic, embarrassment and anger, had finally accepted her fate and was now in the difficult, annoying position of trying to decide what to do. Stay or go. The empty chair opposite her gave no help at all.

"Can't believe that stupid jerk stood me up," she grumbled for the hundredth time. This, she re-iterated to herself, is why you choose to be single!

"Ma'am? Are you ready to order?" The server quailed as she turned her death glare on him, eyes glinting. "I-I'll give you a few more minutes," he stammered and fled.

The second he did the glare on her face collapsed into one of resigned sadness. Guess I better just go home, she thought and prepared to stand. She had sat through the pitying glances of the other patrons for the last twenty minutes, she guessed she could suffer them as she walked out. Why did their stares feel so much harder to face than a cult of black magicians?

She was just rising to her feet, eyes downcast, when she heard the chair opposite pull out.

"I'm glad that wasn't directed at me."

She gasped, and her eyes snapped up to the speaker opposite.

"You know, you're supposed to be nice to your server."

"Loke?" There was a slight tremble to her voice that she tried to get under control. The zodiac spirit stood opposite her, one hand casually on the back of the chair. He was wearing a white shirt and jacket, without a tie, top button undone. Lucy felt her insides give a little appreciative lurch.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to say, without tripping over her words.

Loke smiled at her, eyes soft. "That jerk stood you up. Can't let you sit and eat all alone."

"Actually, I was just going home…"

He tilted his head at her. "What? And waste that pretty outfit? C'mon. You spent time and energy on tonight, you should at least get to enjoy it."

Lucy felt a light flush settle across her cheeks. Loke sat himself down and plucked up a menu.

"I didn't say you could stay!" Lucy snapped irritably. The Leo didn't even look up from the card in his hand. Being ignored by him suddenly made her overly aware of the rest of the restaurant watching. She flushed a little redder, feeling more annoyed.

"Sit down Lucy." He nudged her chair out with his foot and cut her a look over the top of the menu. She found herself sitting with an irritated huff.

"This is totally unprofessional," she muttered, quietly seething.

"Hey." His gentle tone gave her a little start and she looked over to find she had his full attention. "I'll go back if you want me to." If anything, his serious face was even more attractive than his smile. She felt her chest flutter and crushed it down. "I just thought you might like some company."

She released some of her anger with a sigh and looked away.

"It's not that. I just don't think I should be having dinner with one of my contracted spirits." Particularly one that was so attractive to her.

He put the menu down. "We've had dinner before…"

"I didn't know you were a spirit," she snapped.

Loke winked at her. "We can make it a business meeting if you like." A piece of paper glittered onto the table and he grinned cheekily. "I'd like to make some changes to my contract and Aquarius has made some complaints…"

"You what?" she bristled and reached for the piece of paper. His hand covered hers as her fingers touched it and she felt her face flush as warmth tingled down her arm. She looked up at him, his eyes bright and soft.

"I thought that we could have a meal as friends."

The paper vanished under her hand, leaving the two together alone, like they were…she quickly drew it back and under the table, twisting the treacherous item in the fabric of her skirt. It had wanted to stay where it was, pressed to Loke's and she would not allow it. He continued as though oblivious to her internal struggle.

"You said we were friends. If Gray or Erza walked up and offered, then you would accept."

She noticed he didn't say Natsu but let herself smile anyway, let the evening start to feel okay again, let herself hope it wasn't a total waste.

"You actually going to talk to me this time?" she teased.

"I'll try," he tilted his head at her with a light curve of his lips.

He insisted on walking her home. She tried to protest but he reasoned that she would merely have to summon him again if she were in trouble, so he might as well walk with her. She caved. She enjoyed his company and now there were no secrets between them they could talk freely. He made her laugh, differently to the others in her team. She reminded herself sharply that he had been Fairy Tail's playboy and had a lot of practice in making girls feel good around him. She needed to be careful.

As they walked out from the lights of the restaurant their conversation ceased, as though the darkness covered it, muffling any attempts that might be made to break the silence. Like they were covered in velvet. It felt strangely intimate, walking but saying nothing, as though they were both waiting for something. They walked side-by-side but a few inches apart; an almost calculated distance she was constantly aware of. A slight tilt to the pavement and she would momentarily sway closer, crossing an invisible boundary, awareness prickling up the bare skin of her arm, before she pulled herself back.

He didn't seem to notice, keeping his eyes straight ahead. She kept her distance anyway. She was mentally questioning her definition of friend. With Natsu or Gray she would not have hesitated to link arms…

She was so busy in her tumultuous thoughts that she didn't notice the raised cobbled and tripped.

Loke caught her arm without a sound, steadying her against his side.

"You all right?" he asked softly, almost a whisper, and she knew she must not look up at him because his eyes were almost certainly doing that bright, dancing thing that made her stomach swoop. Lucy felt her face heat up a little, glad that the night would hide it for a change.

"I'm fine," she managed, withdrawing her arm casually. "Thanks for the catch."

She started to walk on, but he didn't follow. She glanced back at him and stopped. He was giving her that smouldering look, a question on his face. Her heart sped up in her chest.

"Loke?" she asked, it coming out almost as a squeak. This was it! Something was going to happen!

The spirit tilted his head in what felt like slow motion and pointed off to the side.

"Isn't this your place?"

She stalled, gawking, mentally choked on her own idiocy and quick-walked back to him.

"Erm. Yup. That's mine all right. Miney mine. Yup. Good spot." She forced a laugh, dying inside. You moron Lucy. He just watched her. "Anyway," she lifted a hand to touch her hair, "Thanks for this evening. I really enjoyed it. It could have been a total waste, but you saved it." She gave him a genuine, thankful smile and could have sworn he blushed.

"I enjoyed myself too," he replied, suddenly coming across as awkward. She had an overwhelming urge to invite him in for coffee, but her team had told her that that apparently didn't mean what she thought it did.

"Well, good night. Make sure you go back through your gate soon. Don't want you getting stuck here again." She winked at him playfully and turned to go.

"Lucy!"

"Hmmm," she looked back at him. He looked startled at his own outburst and gave a little self-deprecating laugh.

"It's nothing. Good night."

She smiled. "Night."

He watched her retreating back with an ache in his heart. Why ruin a nice evening with a slap across the face? She reached her door and he let his breath out in a hiss. Who cared about a slapped face?

In a few steps he was alongside her.

"Lucy."

She turned and as she did he gathered her face in his hands and pressed his lips fleetingly to her own.

He heard her gasp a little as he drew back and looked down at her, desperate for her to understand.

"Night," he whispered and disappeared back through his gate, leaving Lucy stunned, two fingers pressed lightly to her lips.