Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima and Kodansha would chase after me if I dared to make a claim of ownership for "Fairy Tail." Until I learn how to run faster than them, they still hold the rights to it.
Life is like a box of chocolates...
You Never Know What You're Gonna Get
a Fairy Tail fanfic
by Rhov
It was Valentine's Day, and to go along with tradition, Lucy prepared a box of chocolates for the most important man in her life: Natsu. She wrapped it neatly and looked pleased at the gift.
"Alright! Now to give it to Natsu. I wonder if he'll blush. He's sorta cute when he does that." She looked down to Plue. "Ready to go?"
"Puun!" he nodded.
Lucy walked out into the cloudy February morning only to bump right into a tiger-stripped tie.
"Morning, princess!"
She quickly backed up a step. "Loke! What are you doing here?"
"I came to rake in the chocolates. I always get a huge haul every year." He leaned right into her face. "I decided to give you the honor of giving me my first box of chocolates." Then he held his hands out expectantly.
She clutched the box to her chest. "These aren't for you, stupid playboy lion. Go to your other girlfriends." She stomped away from him, but slowly she loosened up. She felt bad treating him like that. "Maybe I should have made him something too. And something for Gray. I was rather thoughtless, only making chocolate for Natsu."
She balanced along the low wall of the canal, and Plue followed behind her, shaking slightly. She waved to the boatmen shouting for her to be careful. When she got to the Fairy Tail building, she stopped so suddenly that Plue ran into her ankles. Seeing what was up ahead made her fragile heart break.
Right in front, apparently trying to be discreet from the noisy crowd inside the guild hall, Lisanna was bright pink and holding a gift behind her back.
"Hey Natsu?" she said happily. "Remember when we were kids and I'd give you chocolates."
"Oh yeah!" he laughed carefree. "They were always really good, especially the ones with nuts."
"Well... I..." Too embarrassed to speak, Lisanna held out her present.
"Lisanna!" Natsu whispered in shock. "Are these for me?"
She nodded happily. "Happy Valentine's Day, Natsu."
His face turned pink, and he tried to hide down into his scarf. "Th-thank you," he stuttered.
Lisanna looked pleased by his cute reaction. "How about we eat them in the park?"
"Y-yeah," he said, and slowly his confidence returned. "Come on, I know a really good place. We should go before Lucy or that ice bastard show up." He laughed in a good-natured way. "They'll just tease us or try to steal the chocolate."
He took Lisanna's hand, and she blushed at the contact. The petite mage followed the grinning dragon slayer away toward one of Magnolia's parks.
Plue looked up sadly to Lucy and tugged on her boot. "Pu-puun?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said softly, her head lowered. "I... I'm okay. Should've known, right? Lisanna and Natsu were always so close." She sniffed a little. "I guess I should be happy for him, though. He's still my friend and teammate. I know he'll always be there for me. That's... enough."
She turned and walked out to the field outside of town where the mages practiced their magic. It felt a lot colder in that direction, so she figured Gray was there.
"I'll give my chocolates to Gray. He has protected me so many times, and I have to admit," she said confidentially to Plue. "Gray is rather hot! Don't tell him I said that, though."
Plue shook his head. "Puun puun!"
She saw shards of ice on the ground, and soon she heard voices. Around an icy wall, which had apparently been erected to give privacy, she saw the half-naked Ice Make mage and Juvia sitting together. He laughed as he took out a chocolate and tried to make Juvia eat it.
"Oh no," she insisted with a blush. "These are for Gray-sama."
"Ah, come on! Open wide," he teased.
"Juvia made them for Gray-sama. Juvia can't eat them all."
"I won't give you them all. I'm gonna eat them right here. I just want to share a little. Come on, just a nibble," he smiled, pushing the candy to her mouth.
Flushed red, Juvia opened her mouth and bit off half the chocolate. Gray smiled at her compliance and ate the other half.
Juvia swallowed hard. "Gray-sama ate it after Juvia ate it! That's... an indirect kiss!"
"Huh?" he asked, but slowly he realized what she meant. "Yeah, I guess it is. Then how about this?" He took another chocolate, bit into it, then offered the other half to her. "It's only fair. An indirect kiss for me, now an indirect kiss for you."
Poor Juvia looked ready to faint. Shaking with a racing heart, she slowly leaned closer to his hand and took the chocolate. It tasted divine to her. She thought about how Gray's lips had been on this candy, and now it was in her mouth.
"And now," Gray said, taking another piece of chocolate. He put it between his teeth and held on. "You take half too," he explained.
Juvia looked ready to cry in happiness. This was a dream, the best dream in the world. She leaned forward to the offered candy. Her teeth took hold, but her lips touched Gray's. He bit into his part, and the other half to the candy fell into Juvia's mouth. Still, their lips remained together. Cautiously, Gray wrapped his arms around the rain woman. The chocolate melted away fast, they both swallowed their pieces down, and then Gray's tongue sought her out, ready to taste how the chocolate mixed with Juvia's mouth.
Lucy turned away blushing brightly. She stepped softly so they would not hear her, and Plue followed her example, tiptoeing away from the romantic scene.
"Should've known," she smiled. "Even if I gave chocolate to Gray in a totally platonic way, Juvia would get angry."
She reentered town and walked around the streets aimlessly. Couples walked hand in hand. Some shared discreet kisses out in the open. All this romance was making her jealous. She was beginning to hate Valentine's Day. Lucy decided to go to the guild hall. She would share the chocolate with her friends if she had to.
When she entered, the room was surprisingly empty. She guessed most of the mages were away with sweethearts. Mirajane was there, and an area behind the bar had a huge pile of tiny boxes.
"Lucy!" she smiled. The bartender pulled out one of the boxes and handed it to her. "Everyone who comes in gets a chocolate. Happy Valentine's Day!"
Lucy thanked her and tucked the small present away to be eaten later. Then she saw Cana drinking away.
"Yo, Lucy!" she hailed and hiccuped.
"Ah, hello Cana. I guess you didn't give chocolates to anyone."
"Sure I did. Gave a chocolate to my best friend in the entire world." She held up her beer stein. "Mister Chocolate Stout! Him an' I are gonna be best friends all day long."
"That's... great," Lucy muttered as the lush guzzled her beer. "Hey, where's Levy?"
"She said she was going back home."
Lucy left and traveled to Fairy Hills, the girls' dormitory. She went to Levy's room but saw that she had left the door partly open. She heard muffled noises inside and what sounded like a struggle. A burglar? With a hand on her keys ready to call out help, the spirit mage sneaked up to the door and peeked through the opening. Lucy's eyes opened huge at the scene inside.
"Gajeel... ahhn!"
"You're sweeter than any chocolate, Levy. Now just lay there and let me eat you up."
Lucy pulled away fast and flattened herself against the wall. Her cheeks were as red as possible. She stood there for only five seconds before another moan from Levy convinced her to get away... far away! She ran out of the dormitory and kept running until she was at the bottom of the hill.
"I never, ever, ever want to see one of my friends in that position!" she exclaimed.
It took a long time for her cheeks to cool off and for the scene of Levy and Gajeel to fade away from her head. Still, as she walked home, determined to forget today ever happened, the picture of Gajeel's naked body smothering Levy kept replaying. She'd shake it out, but it kept coming back.
"Brain bleach! Brain bleach!" she mumbled, running her hand through her hair as if she could yank the image away. Seeing Natsu blushing so cutely was okay. Seeing Gray kissing Juvia was embarrassing but not too bad. But that!
She got back home and took a cold shower. Slowly, the trauma subsided. She realized she should be happy for Levy and Gajeel. She also made a mental note to warn her friend that she should make sure her door was shut completely.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw someone was already there. She shrieked and jumped back, clutching the towel higher. Loke sat on her couch. No, he slouched on her couch, and he looked really depressed.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "You're picking up Natsu's and Gray's habit."
The Zodiac Lion gave a sad shrug. "It's the only place where I feel welcome, but if you don't want me either, I'll go."
He sounded so pathetic, there was no way she could turn him down. "Just let me get dressed." She rushed to the bedroom, dressed as quickly as possible, and with her hair still wet, she came out to the living room. Loke was still there in the same dejected position. She sat on the couch beside him and placed a comforting hand on his back.
"I thought you went out for your huge haul of chocolates from all your girlfriends. What happened?" she asked, ready to listen and be a friend.
"I went around to the girls I used to date. They all either had new boyfriends, or they hated me for some reason. Every single one of them sent me away. Four of them slapped me." He rubbed his cheek as he recalled the sting.
"Maybe they found out that you like to date around," she frowned. "A girl wants a guy who'll be loyal and faithful."
"I'm loyal to you," he pointed out.
"But you still like to flirt with every girl you come across."
"That's just how I am!" he protested with a stubborn pout.
"I know," she smiled, patting his back. "Women will either hate that about you, or they'll come to accept it." Lucy stood up, walked over to the box she had been carrying all day, and handed it to Loke. "Happy Valentine's Day."
He looked up in amazement. "But you said..."
"I guess I'm like you," she interrupted. "All of my friends are already paired off. So it's just you and me today."
He smirked a little. "Are you sure you want a stupid playboy lion?"
She sat down beside him, opened the box, and popped a candy into his mouth. "How about you just be quiet and eat the chocolate I made?" she playfully suggested.
Loke took one chocolate, held it in his teeth, and presented it to her. "Share."
Lucy felt her face go hot. She remembered seeing Gray and Juvia do the same thing. Slowly, she leaned forward and bit the other half. Their lips touched briefly, just enough so she could feel the softness and the heat from his mouth. Then each bit their half of candy. Instead of forcing a kiss, Loke pulled back and smiled, pleased with his small haul that day.
"I know a good restaurant," he said suavely. "How about you and I have a Valentine's Day date? Some good food, good chocolates later... maybe a special dessert later tonight," he suggested with a wink.
"In your dreams, playboy," she chuckled, and shoved another chocolate into his mouth. "But I guess we can eat out for dinner. Just as friends," she insisted firmly.
"As you wish, princess."
The End