In vibrant blues and metallics, the constellation "Pegasus" gleamed from the aged astronomy map laid out on the large mahogany desk in front of Lucy. Carefully, she traced the painted image with her fingertips as memories of her mother flooded her mind. How many nights had she sat in her mother's arms, looking up at the night sky and listening to her stories about the magical winged horse? No matter how old she got, she knew her love for both her mother, and the stars, would never fade.
"Exactly how many maps were stolen?" Gray asked the curator who stood across the desk from the two mages in the main hall of the Snowdrop Village archives. The cavernous building had just closed to the general public, leaving the three of them alone to discuss the details of the robberies.
The no-nonsense woman looked at him from over her glasses. "Three over the past two weeks. And I can tell you, it's raised quite a few questions for us!"
"This is amazing," Lucy breathed, still in a reverie over the map. "The colors are so vivid! And look at how the gold on this lettering shines! I would never have guessed this map is over a hundred years old."
"That's one of the main questions," said the curator. "This is one of our most valuable maps, yet the thieves stole the one right next to it instead, which is far less valuable! The other two maps aren't our most valuable either, and our vault has remained untouched. Why aren't they stealing from our most prized collection?"
"Hmmm." Gray frowned and rubbed his chin. "There are two possibilities."
Lucy shot him a glance. "Wow, he already has two theories?" she thought, amazed at how quickly his mind worked.
"Either they're starting out with the small stuff to test the security system before moving on to the pricier items, or…" he trailed off, squinting at the map splayed out on the desk.
The curator nervously clutched the pearls that hung around her neck. "OR?"
His navy blue eyes focused back on the curator. "Or, it's not about money at all."
Lucy and the curator looked at each other in surprise.
Gray turned to Lucy. "Based on the maps that were stolen, can you think of any sort of pattern?"
The blonde studied the map. "Let's see…they were of the constellations Crater, Draco, and Hydra," she mused. Although they were minor constellations with silver keys instead of gold, they were still highly prized among celestial mages like herself. Of the three, Lucy had only once encountered the key for Hydra, which at the time had been too expensive for her to purchase. Unable to bargain down the seller, she bought the more affordable key for Lyra instead. Unfortunately, by the time Lucy had earned enough for Hydra's, someone else had bought it, and she sometimes wondered if she should have just saved for Hydra's key first, considering how infrequently Lyra's musical abilities had come into play on her missions.
A thought popped into her mind and she bit her lip. "Nah, that's silly, it couldn't be!" she thought.
"You've thought of something," he said.
Her eyes widened. "You can tell?"
"Yeah, you always bite your lip when you've got an idea." He gave her a slight smile. "So what is it?"
She shook her head. "It's nothing, really!"
"Come on, Luce, you're one of the smartest people I know!" He tapped her forehead with his forefinger. "I'm sure that whatever you've come up with has got to be good."
Her cheeks reddened in surprise at his playful gesture. "Um, well," she swallowed, trying to ignore how the touch of his finger still lingered on her forehead, "I was just thinking that these constellations are also the names of popular music bands."
"They are?" His eyebrows shot up. "Hold on…I think I saw a poster on the bulletin board in the lobby about a concert at the Snowflake Festival! Maybe the bands will be there!"
The duo raced across the marble floors to the lobby where they found the bulletin board encased in glass behind the front desk. There, an electric blue poster stole center stage from the standard announcements of local book clubs and town meetings that now had to struggle for attention.
"ONE NIGHT ONLY! YOUR FAVORITE BANDS WILL ROCK YOU LIKE AN AVALANCE AT THE SNOWFLAKE FESTIVAL!" The large type blared over a garish drawing of a yeti tossing an oversized snowball off a mountaintop at a village below.
"That is so unrealistic," grumbled Gray. "You can't form a perfectly round ball like that out of the snow around here! The consistency is too light! You gotta use a denser ice!"
"Will you focus?!" Lucy poked him on the shoulder as she scanned through the names of the bands listed on the poster. "Let's see…there's Crater! And Draco! Yup, Hydra…PICTOR!" She grabbed his arm in excitement. "Pictor is a band named after a constellation!"
Gray turned to the curator who had finally caught up with them. "Do you have a map of the constellation Pictor?"
"Yes," she gasped, catching her breath. "It's in the east wing."
"Then, we'll wait there tonight," he said. "With the Snowflake Festival the day after tomorrow, they'll most likely come for it within the next 24 hours. And I have a plan to catch them!" He grinned at Lucy. "Ready to hear it, princess?"
She smiled and cocked her hip at him. "I'm all ears, ice boy!"
His plan had gone off without a hitch. After several tedious hours of waiting in the empty archives the two mages easily nabbed the culprit. It turned out that the thieves were really just one teenager collecting maps of the constellations his favorite bands were named after, in an attempt to impress his friends. Between getting tangled in Lucy's whip and thrown in Gray's ice prison, the boy gave up immediately.
No battle. No mess. No problem.
With no damages to pay for, Lucy and Gray were guaranteed the full amount of the reward money that had been printed on the mission's flyer. Not only that, the grateful curator was so relieved at how well they had taken care of the archives that she gave them a little extra money as a tip. And since they only had to split the reward 50/50, it was an even bigger jackpot than Lucy had expected!
The blonde couldn't help but break out into a happy dance while she waited in the lobby for her friend to sort out the final details with the curator. Five months' worth of rent was in her hot little hands, which meant she could spend more time on her writing instead of looking for work – at least, for a short while anyway. It was the largest amount of money she had ever earned on a mission, and it was all thanks to Gray.
She turned to give him an appreciative glance from across the lobby. Though she could only see his profile, she could tell he was listening intently to the curator's words. It dawned on Lucy at that moment how unlike Natsu he was in almost every way. From his cool composure to his smooth strategy, the ice make mage was the complete opposite of the brash, fiery Dragon Slayer. There was no doubt in her mind that had she come on the mission with Natsu, she'd have more bruises and fewer jewels than she did at that moment.
Gray gave the curator one last bow. As he turned toward Lucy, she could see a satisfied grin toying at the corner of his mouth, and his navy blue eyes flashing with pride – a way too dangerous combination for his already handsome features. She could almost feel the confidence from a job well done radiating like an aura around his body, and the invisible touch sent goosebumps all along her skin.
"When did he get so mature?" she thought in alarm, clenching the bag of jewels in her hand tighter at his approach. She gulped, wondering how the self-assured, fully clothed version of her friend could make her more nervous than the half-naked stripper he usually was.
He stopped in his tracks and frowned at her. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing!"
"Then why are you looking at me all weird?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I'm not looking at you weird!" She looked away from him to prove her point.
"Yes, you are." He studied her for a moment before scratching his head. "Maybe you're constipated? Natsu mentioned something about that the other day."
"I AM NOT CONSTIPATED!"
In a shower of sparkles, Loke magically appeared next to them. "I'm glad to hear it! After all, we can't have a constipated Snowflake Queen, can we?"
"Loke!" Lucy smiled in relief at the welcome change of subject.
"Hey man, good to see—" Gray was interrupted by Loke slinging one arm around the back of his shoulders and the other around Lucy's, hugging the two mages together in an unrelenting grip.
"Another successful mission with my best girl and my best friend!" sang Loke, squeezing the two so tightly that their foreheads almost touched. "Don't we make a wonderful team?"
Gray struggled to break free of Loke's arm. "I don't remember YOU doing anything on this mission!" he growled.
"Loke, I can't breathe!" Lucy gasped.
"Oh, sorry!" Loke relaxed his arms, allowing Gray and Lucy to escape his clutches. "I'm just so happy to see my two favorite people together!" he grinned. "So, now that the mission has been accomplished, what's next on the agenda?"
Gray rubbed the back of his neck and glared at Loke. "We're heading for Sweetwater Cabin. That's where all the Snowflake Festival competitions are happening tomorrow."
"I hope they have room for us," Lucy stifled a yawn. "I could really use a fluffy mattress right about now!"
"Oh? And what exciting activities do you have planned for said fluffy mattress, pray tell?" Loke leaned towards her with a devilish grin.
Lucy swatted his arm. "Stop it! You know what I meant!"
"Such abuse I suffer at the hands of my owner!" Loke clutched his heart in mock-pain. "Gray, do you see what I have to put up with?"
"Hmph!" Lucy thrust her clenched fists down and pouted. "You're lucky that's all I've done, considering what you pulled on my date with Hibiki!"
"Ah!" Loke bowed low. "My deepest apologies, my princess, I was only trying to protect you," he chuckled, pulling out an envelope from his suit jacket pocket as he stood back up. "Please accept this humble gift as a peace offering."
Lucy snatched the envelope from his hands. Ripping it open, she pulled out what appeared to be two tickets. "Loke!" she gasped, reading the cursive script printed on them. "I can't believe this!"
"What is it?" Gray peeked over Lucy's shoulder to take a look.
Lucy showed the tickets to Gray. "Vouchers for a two-night stay at Sweetwater Cabin!" She turned to Loke and pressed a hand over hear heart. "How in the world did you get these?"
The celestial spirit's blue sunglasses flashed as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. "I just happen to have a female acquaintance who works there," he said, matter-of-factly.
"I'll bet you do," Gray snorted.
Loke smirked at him. "Just mention my name to the receptionist and she'll take good care of you!" He turned to Lucy and took her hand, giving it a quick kiss. "I look forward to seeing you crowned Snowflake Queen tomorrow, my dear! Adieu!" With one final wink at her, Loke vanished into thin air.
"You know, sometimes he can really get on my nerves," Gray grumbled.
Lucy waved the tickets high in the air. "Come on, let's go! I can't wait to see our room!"
By the time Lucy and Gray entered the lush lobby of Sweetwater Cabin, the sun was setting in the sky in blazing pinks and oranges that shone through the panoramic windows, giving the wood paneled interior of the lodge a warm, welcoming glow. Adding to the homey feel, the scent of freshly brewed hot apple cider wafted through the air while the crackling blaze from the roaring fireplace helped thaw out their chill from walking in the snow covered woods. Spying a smartly dressed maid placing fresh scones and muffins for arriving guests at the tea and coffee service counter, Lucy felt her tummy grumble. If the pastries were any indication of their in-house menu, she was definitely ordering room service!
At the mention of Loke's name, the receptionist at the check-in desk blushed wildly. "Ah, Loke's friends!" she tittered, "Yes, all the arrangements have been made. And may I say, you are lucky to know him! Only such a gentleman as he could get a reservation here during the Snowflake Festival!"
"Really?" Lucy handed the vouchers to the young woman. "I had no idea this festival was so popular!"
The receptionist nodded as she took down the last tasseled key hanging from the wall of hooks behind her. "It's actually our biggest event of the year! In fact, we have been booked solid for weeks!" She handed the key to Lucy. "Your suite is located on the third floor, you'll find it at the end of the hallway to your left. I'm sure it won't disappoint!"
"Wow, a suite!" Lucy beamed at Gray who was leaning back against the receptionist desk with his elbows on the counter. "Loke really does have style, doesn't he?"
He shrugged. "I guess." His navy blue eyes looked bored as they glanced around the lobby. "Some of us don't need flashy clothes to look cool, though."
She placed the key in her pocket and smirked. "If you're trying to use that as an excuse to strip, I'm not buying it."
He crossed his arms and glared at her. "Haha, very funny."
"I hope you enjoy your stay!" the receptionist bowed. "If there's anything you need, just ring us here at the front desk. Oh, and congratulations!" she called as they walked away.
"That was weird," he frowned as they entered an elevator. "What's she congratulating us for?"
Lucy stretched and yawned. "I have no idea! Frankly, I'm more worried about whether I should order room service or go straight to bed once we're in the room!"
"That depends," he gave her a wry grin. "Are you more hungry or sleepy?"
She smiled back at him. "Yes!" she giggled.
He shook his head. "Ask a silly question…" he chuckled.
The elevator slowed and stopped, chiming once before it slid open its wrought iron doors to the opulently decorated third floor. The pair exited and turned left as the receptionist had indicated, passing an occasional door on either side of the hushed passage, each bearing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob.
When they reached the end of the hallway, they found themselves faced with an ornately carved wooden door embellished by two golden cherubs painted on the outside. The pair of cupids gazed at each other adoringly amongst a field of roses and butterflies that were deeply etched into the honeyed oak that gleamed with a fresh oiling. At the top, completing the scene, were two pure white doves, each carrying a rose in its beak, hovering above the angelic couple and showering them with petals.
"You gotta be kidding me," Gray said as Lucy used the tasseled key to unlock the door. "Whoever designed this place needs to seriously lower their sugar intake."
She turned the gold inlaid doorknob. "Well, I think it's cute! And it'll be a nice change from sleeping on the cold, hard floor of the archives like we did last night, that's for sure!"
Swinging open the door, Lucy took two steps in then stopped abruptly with a gasp, causing Gray to bump into her from behind.
"Hey, why'd ya stop?" he asked before his jaw dropped at the sight before him.
As though swimming in a sea of wine, the suite in front of them throbbed in every shade of red imaginable. A crimson couch sat by a brick fireplace whose blaze cast a rosy glow across the room, while ruby curtains hung from oversized windows that framed a table for two bearing a candlelit dinner. Not to be outdone, scarlet robes hung from a rack outside the bathroom door, which was painted with blushing roses similar to the ones carved on the entryway. But nothing made their pulses beat faster than the crowning touch that beckoned to them from the center of the saccharine suite - a heart-shaped bed, bedecked with a frilly garnet bedspread and two cherry pink heart-shaped pillows with the words "Just Married" embroidered on them in white.
Lucy covered her mouth with her hands. "Don't tell me this is…"
"…the honeymoon suite," Gray finished with a groan.