A/N: I am sorry! I forgot to post for this chapter for a few weeks. If someone drops me a PM or a review to remind me to post if I haven't posted in awhile I'll definitely get chapters posted.
I do not own Fairy Tail
I wake up quite comfortable. I snuggle closer to the source of warmth and let out a content purr. The warm thing let's out a masculinent chuckle.
"Good morning. How do you feel?" Loke questions while propping up on an elbow. His eyes searching my face my face for any signs of distress.
"I'm fine. I just smell like pool water. Sleeping in a bathing suit didn't help." I look down at myself then blush furiously. I get up. "Thanks for your help. I'm going to take a shower."
I walk to the bathroom door and then turn around. "Oh by the way..." Loke's eyes snap up and gaze into my eyes a blush coating his face. "Oh my god! You were looking at my butt!"
"Would you rather I look at your boobs?" A devilish smirk on his face.
"Out! You pervert, go play with Natsu and get your hair lit on fire or something!" A very embarrassed blush covers my face.
"Yes ma'am!" Leaps form the bed and stands in front of me. My mouth goes dry because all he is wearing is a very tight t-shirt and his boxers. Realizing that I'm checking him out not so discreetly, I spin and head for the bathroom. But not before hearing, "Now who is the perv now?"
I slam the door and blast the shower to maximum hot. I jump in and stand there for a good five minutes then follow my bathing routine. "Damn pervert messing with my head."
"A very sexy pervert!" My inner lioness purrs in delight. "I mean did you see his abs? I certainly did. I wonder what he would look like shirtless?"
"Would you shut up?!" Embarrassment rising to the surface.
"Nope. I like him and we will have him or I will never leave you alone." I shivered despite the hot water flowing over me. She wasn't kidding and last time she did this was for catnip and she begged for weeks. I had to give in or lose my sanity.
"I like him too but, I don't know what to do." Hoping she would drop it.
"Silly girl. Just remind him of what's it's like to be a lion. He has seemed to forgotten." I groan at the task given to me.
"Do I have to? I can't do that around humans. And he only comes when Lucy calls him."
"You could just go make out with him. I think he would take the hint."
"Okay, remind him of being a lion it is!"
I quickly finish my shower and get dressed. When I come into the living room I see Loke and Gray talking quietly. I give them a quick smile and proceed to make a huge breakfast, knowing how piggy the boys can be.
The smell of bacon wakes Natsu up. He is at my side in a instant reaching for a piece of bacon. I hiss at him and smack him with the hot spatula.
"You have to ask nicely if you want some!" I glare at him and he bows his head in submission.
"May I have some bacon?" I raise an eyebrow. "Please?" He gives me a look of desperation then looks to the bacon.
"You may have any five you want."
"Just five?" He gives me the puppy dog face.
"Six but you have to wake up the others." I try to be a stern pride leader but can't resist the face. He flashes me a grin scoops up the bacon and trots off to wake the others.
"You have him whipped!" Gray says with a laugh. Loke sulks next to him looking slightly jealous of my attentions to Natsu.
"Of course I do. He and already established our place in the pride." Gray looks confused and Loke curious. "He submitted to me in our fight. Making me the alpha female unless someone challenges me in the pride.
"Like when Lillian challenged me on the job. She needed to be put her place for a long time anyway." Gray looks stunned and proceeds to question me.
"What do you mean you pride?"
"I am a lioness at heart and I'll act like one. A mountain lion or any lion as a matter of fact has a pride." My eyes flicker to Loke and see him with a thoughtful expression on his face.
I go on to explain Natsu's position. "By challenging me and submitting and I accepting it, he became part of my pride as a one of the kittens or a cub." A evil expression crosses Gray's face.
"So he is like your kid?"
"Kind of... All the lioness share the children in a pride."
"Hahahaha! That's rich! I can't believe him." Gray rolls around the floor, clutching his sides.
Natsu walks in the room and grins. "Oh I see that you are jealous! I'm sure Caroline would be willing to put you in your place." Natsu grins and looks to me. "What do you say? Iceberg for brains would love for you to mother him."
Gray pales and takes a step away from me. I grin and scoop up Happy. "I don't know, Happy is such a great kitten! I don't think you could compare to him." I say with a completely serious expression.
"Haha Gray! I make a better kitten than you!" The boys all argue about who is the best kitten with Loke looking on in amusement.
"Can you set the table? I'm going to get the food on the table." I say to Loke. Seeing his nod, I go to the kitchen and bring all the food to the table. Lucy and Erza walk into the living room see the boys fighting. Lucy simply shakes her head and walks to help Loke fill the glasses with orange juice.
Erza however, joins in the argument that she would make the best kitten. Happy argues that he was my first kitten out of them all so he is the best. I just rolls eyes and pray to God that Luke doesn't show up.
I place the last plate of eggs on the table and call to the squabblers. "Breakfast is ready! Go wash your hands." Happy and Natsu rush to the table ready to dig in. "Didn't I tell you to wash your hands?"
They spin around and sprint to the sink and furiously wash their hands. Chuckling at their antics I sit down and lay the napkin on my lap. We all sit down and have a great meal and talk between mouthfuls.
"How much longer is the room rented for?" I question.
"Two more days. The job was listed as a multi day assignment but it looks like we get a couple of free days. Why?" Erza response.
"Well I noticed a mountain about an hour from here and it turns out at the top is a lake. And I was interested in going up to see it and go swimming." I say while picking at my food in a sign of nervousness.
"I also heard about this lake. It apparently has a great amount of fish." Erza looks to Happy.
Happy's eyes go huge. "I want to go!"
"When are you interested in going? I'm game whenever you are." I bounce slightly in my chair. "Please say now! Please say now!"
"If it's alright with everyone else I would like to leave in a hour." Erza states in her matter of fact voice. She gets a twinkle in her eyes. "We can have a picnic! Loke will you're welcome to join us as well."
"I'd like that! We will have to race to the top." Loke says with an evil look in his eyes.
Base of mountain...
"On your mark, get set, go!" Yells Lucy. I quickly transform into my lioness form and race up the trail. I quickly pull ahead of the others taking the less traveled path.
Natsu's screams in anger. "That's not fair! You're cheating!"
He his cut off from further complaining by a loud lions roar. Loke had transformed a huge African lion. And when I say huge I mean twice my size at least. He trots up to me and drops into a play stance swishing his tail. Hearing the others catching up I return the play stance then race past him. We run up the mountain dashing between the trees.
Loke and I reach the summit and flop down in the sun. I relax my tired muscles and shift back into human form, quickly followed by Loke.
I stretch in the green alpine grass. "That felt good. I haven't done that in awhile." I say while placing my hands behind my head.
"I need to do that more often. I can't remember the last time I did anything like that." Loke says while gazing at the sun.
"Not even at home?"
"Nope. I had no one to do it with." He look over to me hazel eyes bright with excitement from the run. "I shunned my other half most of my life. It's gotten to the point where he doesn't even talk anymore."
"That's horrible! But, kind of nice not having a voice complaining 24/7 about needing excessive amounts catnip." I shudder slightly at the memory.
"Catnip? Do I even want to know?"
"No." I look at him dead serious. "It's a tale of great pain and misery. Where I almost lose my sanity. Ending up with me very very drunk.
"But in the long run she will always get what she wants." I narrow my eyes. "Maybe I'm just a softy. However, I need her and love her because she is part of who I am. But in the long run, despite what a pain in the ass she is, she is worth it. I am not a complete person without her"
"I suppose you are right. It's hard to remember what he even sounds like." A sad look enters Loke's eyes.
"I can help you wake him back up, if you want." I look at him and smile.
"I'd like that." He leans a little closer to me and his eyes flicker to my lips. I hold my breath and lean in eyelids fluttering closed.
"I made it!" Natsu screams interrupting the moment. I growl in anger and lean away from Loke. I open my eyes to see Loke's hazel eyes trained on my face and annoyed look on his face.
I laugh and give him a quick peck on the cheek and stand up to tease Natsu about being so late. "How come it took you so long we have been getting old up here!"
"But, you don't age." Natsu's face contorts in confusion.
"I have a few more years till I'm done growing! I'm only seventeen, unlike the old fart over there who is older than dirt!" I say slightly indignant.
"I may be old but I'm not that old!" Loke exclaims in mock anger.
"Not important you stopped aging centuries ago." I say in a dismissive tone. "I still am growing for the next four years. So Natsu, I have been getting older waiting for you."
I pretend to look like a dignified princess but end up laughing when Natsu confused look focuses on me. "I'm not an object I still have to grow up like a normal human. And I'm not entirely immortal." I explain gently.
Loke's voice interrupts me sounding slightly terrified. "What? I thought you had the same lifespan as a celestial spirit." His eyes wide.
"Oh I do it's just if I get stabbed in the heart or somehow mortality wounded it won't transport back to the spirit world and get better. I'll just die, being part human has its drawbacks." I say with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal, humans die all the time and I'm half.
"Caroline you are never allowed to fight ever again." Natsu says all protective.
"Natsu, you can't tell me I can't fight if you are going to. You can die more easily than me." I say knowing this is going to give me a headache.
He opens his mouth to list the reason why I can't fight. I dart forward and ruffle his hair. "I'm faster stronger and have a ton of friends on speed dial." I say while jingling my keys. "I'm going to be fine."
We are interrupted by a very devastated Erza. "I didn't win! I demand a rematch."
"Maybe next time I'm a little tired from my run."i grin "As a consolation prize you can have Natsu for five minutes!" I let him shove him away from me and Erza looks at her prize.
"No thanks." She turns away and sits on a sun warmed rock. She and Natsu proceed to get in a verbal argument about how great a prize he is that quickly ends with an unconscious Natsu.
The others quickly arrive and we strip into bathing suits. Gray continues to strip out of said bathing suit and Loke clamps his hand over my eyes.
"Gray, your clothes." Loke's voice full of exasperation.
"What?" A pause from Gray. "Shit! Lucy give me your bathing suit."
"No go find your own!" Lucy hissed in anger.
"Fine! Geez a guy loses his pants and thus how he is treated...Found um! You may uncover her eyes now."
Loke pull him hand away from me and I find him in navy blue trunks and swim shirt. I practically drool at the sight but quickly turn to the lake blush staining my cheeks.
Half way I am pulled over a shoulder and carried into the water. "If you drop me than you're coming down with me."
"Doubt it." Loke says then drops me into the water. I grab his hand as I fall and pull him down. We come up laughing and are quickly engaged in a splash war with Natsu and Lucy. I use my diplomatic skills to recruit Gray and Erza to our team and we win victory.
After about an hour later we return to the hotel and eat a nice meal that was sent up by room service. I get ready for bed and change into my pjs.
"Happy are you coming to bed?" I question.
"Aye! Give me a minute to get ready." Happy walks into the bathroom.
"Why is Happy sleeping with you?" Leo inquires. His brow furrowed in confusion.
"I...umm...well." I shift from foot to foot. "My inner lioness refuses to sleep wasn't exaggerating when he said I can't sleep alone. But he assuaged my friend in her sleep
Not that she cared but I'm still mad at him so Happy promised to sleep with me."
"You could have asked me." He says leaning forward waggling his eyebrows.
"I don't know about you zodiac but us royalty find sleeping with random attractive men to with you inappropriate." I say in my, haughty 'spoiled princess' tone.
"You find me attractive?" A gleam in his hazel eyes.
"Any sane person would. But I have a reputation to uphold." I say in a dismissive tone. My eyes soften though. "Thanks for the offer though. I'll find you if I need you."
He stands up and walks over to me and gives me a peck on the cheek. "Goodnight, Caroline." And with that he disappears in a flash.
