The building was nothing like Levy expected it was going to be. With a name like Phantom Lord, she pictured a lot more black and some type of almost satanic decor mixed in. Instead she got a pretty modern looking building with a huge crowd of slightly overdressed individuals that spanned almost a block.

Seeing the line, Levy though she might spend her birthday celebrating outside but to her surprise Lucy marched straight to the front doors.

"Umm, Lu?" Levy said eyeing a group of girls that were giving them the stink eye.

Lucy looked uninterested, she made a show of adjusting her ample cleavage, but with the tight dress she was wearing it didn't require much effort.

"Relax birthday girl. It's all part of the plan."

The bouncer stopped them with a look. He was a curious man, tall, buff with dark skin and wise looking eyes. There was a scar at the edge of his left eye which made him look even more intimidating but the ridiculous nametag clipped to his shirt dampened it.

Pantherlily it said.

"Is that really your name?" Levy heard herself say. The man turned to look at her.

"Most people call me Lily."

Lucy stared with wide eyes and a raised brow. Levy shrugged. The bouncer, Pantherlily, seemed almost amused but his steely gaze set a blush on Levys cheeks.

She was getting nervous now, the last thing she wanted was to make a show and never even make it through the door. Lucy cleared her throat.

"Lucy Heartfilia." She gestured to the clipboard Pantherlily held in hand. The man glanced at the clipboard and just like that gestured inside. Levy almost felt bad, she caught the eye of a pretty girl who's stare was cold as ice.

As they made it through the bass of the music filled their ears, Levy was already ordering her hearing aids. They walked just on the of the dance floor, Levy wasn't sure what they were doing but for the time being she was content to follow and observe.

"Are you some kind of celebrity I dont know of?" Levy yelled above the music to Lucy.

The smile Lucy gave her was pained, and it wasn't a face she had ever seen before but she hid it with a scoff.

"Hardly. If I was a celebrity I'd be able to pay rent on time."

"So then how'd you get on the list?"

"Ugh, Natsus cousin works here. I asked him if he could pull some strings, you have no idea what I had to promise that idiot."

Levy was surprised. She didn't know Lucy and Natsu were so close.

"Just as long as you didn't promise him food." Levy muttered. Natsu was a world record holding competitive eater. A fact that kept the kitchen staff at Fairy Tail up at night.

Finding an empty slot Lucy hustled to the bar ordering two drinks Levy didnt know the names of but liked enough to order three more. They found a table and talked, and laughed. Levy could tell Lucy was trying to make the experience as fun for her as she could. She could also tell the blonde was itching to go on the dancefloor.

It was a small debate in her mind. Should she go enjoy a dance or two? Or stay confined to the table? She gazed out on the floor, seeing everyone enjoying themselves, some too much for her taste. In her head though, now six drinks in, the probability of her being there was going up.

And that when she saw him, leaning against the wall on the other edge of the room, staring at her. It was unnerving, and at first she was sure she was imagining things, but when she looked at him again his whole body was facing her no mistake.

She couldnt see very well from so far away but looked familiar somehow. He was tall, taller than her, but then again who wasn't? And the light seemed to be catching on his face. She could tell he was handsome and her cheeks quickly reddened.

Who was this guy? And why was he making her so jittery?

"Lucy, do you see that guy over there? Don't make it obvious."

She made it obvious.

"That creep in the corner?" Levy nodded. Lucy mumbled something she couldnt quite hear over the music and her slightly garbled drunken speech.

Something along the lines of, "Not really, but hi."

Then she proceeded to wave enthusiastically at the stranger much to Levy's embarrassment.

"Lu, stop that. Stop that! What are you doing?"

He was still staring. If the music and the dark lighting weren't so impeding she could have sworn he was laughing.

The stranger was wearing a simple black t-shirt and black slacks, a strange choice for clubwear.

Did he work here?

"Let's go!" Her face was red, and her body was electric.

"What? Where?" Lucy looked worried.

"To dance."

She needn't say more. Lucy was up and over in no time, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the floor.

Levy felt the music in her bones, something she wasn't sure if she liked in her buzzed state. But the dance floor seemed like a good place to be in the moment. Anything to get that stranger out of her mind. So she focused on the music, the beat, and submerged herself in the crowd of people enjoying most of the strangers whom she was dancing with.

Somewhere along the line her eyes drifted to the corner expecting to see the tall figure still standing there.

He was gone. Of course he was, expecting someone to stay in obe spot the whole night was ridiculous. Still her eyes wandered hoping to catch a glimpse.

"Looking for something?" She felt a hand around her waist and she was spun around. A tall lanky man with blue hair and a face tattoo smiled at her, she could smell the alcohol on his breath and the cheap stale cologne he probably thought made him irresistible but it made Levy almost gag.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing here? Doesnt seem like your type of scene. "

Levy tried backing away but the man held her waist with both hands, trying to make her sway to the music.

"I don't- I don't know you, can you let go?"

"How rude of me! The names Bora. What's yours?"

She didnt know what else to do but to answer his question.

"Levy."

"Such a beautiful name." He pulled her in close, whispering in her ear. Was that supposed to be sexy? He said some obscenities, things Levy had occasionally read about but certainly did not want to experience herself. She pushed him back with more force than he thought she was capable of.

"You creep! Stay away from me!"

No one heard the commotion due to the loud pounding music and he took advantage, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her back.

"You little-"

Levy punched him straight on the nose. A crowd has finally seemed to catch on, some girls applauded Levy for the hit, she looked around embarrassed.

"What the fuck?" Bora yelled, holding his now bleeding nose.

"What the fuck!" The yelling was childish, screeching, the tone of someone so spoiled they'd never been rejected in their life. Levy was at a loss, she could fight or run. Where was Lucy? Bora was approaching again she got ready to throw a well aimed kick, she might have been tiny but her pride wouldn't let her get pushed around.

Thankfully, she didn't need to do much.

"Step back shortie."

It was the stranger. They made eye contact for a few seconds but it was enough to send shivers down her spine.

He was considerably taller with long black hair tied back, his face was full of piercings which might have put off most people but they seemed to match him perfectly.

But what interested Levy were his eyes.

They were red. Predatory almost. And they looked at her with suck interest sparks flew everywhere inside her.

She was right, he was handsome and possibly dangerous.