"Move your ass, Natsu" Gray grunted as he kicked the pinkette out of the car they rented for the night. Natsu landed unceremoniously with his face on the grass. He should've followed Gajeel's advice to just walk to Jellal's house. Automobiles make Natsu sick.

"Wow, Jellal really did it this time" Lucy chirped when she saw lights flashing at the manor's windows. Gray kept his mouth shut, he almost forgot that only Natsu, Gajeel and him knows about the secret behind this party.

"Yeah… Who knew he had it in him" Gray mumbled as he watched Levy shut the car's door behind her. He noticed the deep frown on the woman's face as she stood beside Lucy.

"Why the long face, Levy?" Gray asked, raising a brow at the bookworm.

"Gajeel said he would join us on the way to the party. It seems like the geezer clearly went off earlier without me" her frown deepened upon remembering Gajeel.

"Speaking of Gajeel, shouldn't he be here by now? He left for like 5 hours ago" Lucy inquired.

"Knowing how dense that bastard is, he must've lost his way" Levy said bitterly

"Wanna call him?" Gray suggested, reaching out his phone to Levy.

"No way. And I'm not going to stand here to wait for him any longer" Levy said with finality as she pulled Lucy with her and headed to the manor.

"W-wait, will Natsu be okay?" Lucy asked, somehow worried at Natsu's current condition.

"He'll be fine. We'll catch up soon once he's good" Gray assured Lucy, and soon the two left.

Gray sighed at the two of them as he watched them disappear into the crowd. His attention shifted when he heard a loud groan from the pinkette who was lying pathetically on the grass.

"Oi Natsu, Levy took Lucy away already. Get your ass up already and ask her out"

In a flash, Natsu was already up on his feet.

"Right! I should go there now! I need to get Happy's food already! I'll make you go out with me, Lucy Heartfilia!" Natsu said enthusiastically as he darted towards the manor.

"Lovesick people everywhere. Sometimes, I wonder if Natsu's goal is to really get food for Happy…" Gray thought. But his thoughts were shattered when he heard sounds at the car's compartment.

"What the fuck?" Gray cursed as he cautiously approached the rear of the car. His mind began to form wild imaginations. What if someone is tied at the back of the car? That the guy with whom they rented the car is actually a kidnapper that forgot to take his victim out of the compartment?

Carefully, Gray lifted the car's compartment. His heart was beating fast, what if his suspicions were true?

In a blink of an eye, he felt something wrapped around his torso. If he was thinking straight, he would've thrown that thing on the ground. But apparently, his mind stopped functioning when he discovered what was latched onto his body.

"Gray-sama!"

One wouldn't need to be a genius or become Mavis Vermillion to know who the hell that was.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?!" Gray yelled, dropping Juvia on the ground after a few moments of complete silence. His face was red in embarrassment and thank Mavis that it was dark, else the bluenette would have seen the flustered look on his face.

"Juvia wants to go to the party with Gray-sama! That's why she locked herself in the car's compartment!" she said gleefully. Gray ran a hand through his hair.

"You are mad! What if I didn't hear you there?! You would've suffocated and died without me knowing!" Gray felt an immense anger growing within me. He was scared at the thought. It never happened, but the thought scared him. And that angered him. He nearly lost her if he was ignorant.

"But Juvia only wants-"

"Oh you want to be with me? Fine! I'm here! But don't expect you'll ever get what you want from me, woman!" Gray said, clearly frustrated. Without another word, he walked away, leaving Juvia at the car. He paused briefly when he heard a sniffle, but his mood got the best of him and continued walking.

He was furious. But each step he took, he felt guilt tugging at his chest. He was so stupid. He shouldn't have said that. He really shouldn't have said that. Gray was only able to say those words because he was frustrated and scared. But that doesn't justify the words he just said to her.

"Gray, you stupid asshole" Gray cursed himself as he turned back, and sprinted back to where the car was parked. He hoped she's still there, though part of him was quite sure that Juvia must've left already.

And he was right. The moment he got there, Juvia is already gone. And he had no idea where she went.

Gray is in desperate need of her right now. He wanted to tell her that he didn't mean what he had just said.

He thought of what he's going to say or do. The more he thought of Juvia Lockser who he had only met for less than a year, and yet was able to make a fool out of him already. And the more these thoughts raced in his mind, the constant attempts of the woman to woo him, her not-so-silent proclamations of love to him, the more he realized one thing,

That he was just another lovesick person after all.

xXxXxXx

Mirajane went down the motorcycle the moment they parked. She abruptly removed her helmet and hit Laxus with it.

"What the hell is that for?!" Laxus demanded as he barely caught the helmet Mirajane threw at him.

"I almost died!"

"Died? You look very much alive to me. In fact, you even managed to have the strength to hit a full grown man with a helmet"

"That's not what I meant! Curse you and your driving!" Mirajane seethed. Laxus shook his head, chuckling. He went down and hung the helmet back on the motorcycle before turning to the white haired woman.

He put a hand over her forehead and grinned at her.

"Calm your blood. You're still alive and I swear I'll keep it that way" He said cooly as he walked ahead of her. Mirajane can feel her face get hotter.

"That asswipe thinks he's so smooth" Mirajane muttered as she followed the taller man ahead of her.

As soon as they got in the manor, loud music boomed in their ears and the strong scent of alcohol wafted through the air. Mirajane scrunched her nose. She should have stayed outside.

"What now?" she turned to Laxus. The man seemed to be confused, and rather unprepared at her sudden question.

"What?"

"So, your idea of going out is to go somewhere and do nothing, is that it?" Mirajane said, raising her brow. Laxus frowned at this. He knew that Mirajane isn't liking this at all, but he wasn't any different either. What would he want them to do anyway?

Before he could even reply, Mirajane disappeared from the sea of drunk teenagers. Laxus rolled his eyes.

"Way to go"

When she walked away and got the blonde out of her tail, Mirajane walked her way through the crowd, not even knowing what to do next.

"Look who's here!" She rolled her eyes upon hearing that annoying voice again. She always considered that hearing that voice call her name is a form of insult to her.

"Fucking Sting" Mirajane thought when she saw the blonde walk towards her. He had that usual smug grin, his overly gelled hair and annoying aura that was radiating on his body. The only difference is, he had Lucy Heartfilia wrapped around his arm. Though she looked rather unwilling.

"Didn't know you'll go at the party" Sting said

"And I didn't know that there are pests infesting a manor as big as this" Mirajane shot back. Her eyes then darted to Lucy.

"Just a little advice, Lucy. That guy's an asshole. Stay away from him" Mirajane said and Lucy looked down, without saying another word.

"Yeah, you can anything you want, Mira. But the question is, will she stay away from me?" Sting grinned cockily, not noticing the glare Lucy shot at him. Mirajane didn't need to do anything, for she knew that Lucy can already handle it from there.

"Besides, at least I know how to care for someone. Unlike you who doesn't know how to treasure anyone at all" Sting said, Mirajane was about to say something but decided against it. Lucy was ready to snap at the man, but Mirajane sent her a stare. Soon enough, the blonde woman found herself being dragged away by Sting.

Mirajane knew that Sting's words were a load of bull. But still, it was enough to let her thoughts of Lisanna surface in her mind. She treasured her siblings a lot, she just wasn't strong enough to keep them with her. And that left her scarred for the longest time.

Without second thoughts, she took a tequila shot and chugged it down. As fast as she can, she snatched another shot again. Who knows how many shots she already took? She can feeling the effects of alcohol stirring in her already.

xXxXxXx

"Hey, hey, what the hell are you doing?" she heard someone say in a very commanding tone. She turned and saw Laxus who was raising a brow at her.

"I'm getting trashed, man. Isn't that what you're supposed to do in a party?" she said as she took another shot and walked away. Laxus followed her, a little worried of what the woman might do once she's already drunk.

He trailed her to the stairs, up to the second floor. He disgustingly looked at the couples making out and rubbing themselves with each other on the way. When they turned in a corner, a drunk woman threw herself at him.

He was surprised of course, and examined the woman clinging onto him. She had dark wavy brown hair and purple eyes, and was she even trying to wear clothes?

"Kiss me" she rasped, Laxus can smell the alcohol on her.

"Oh no, no" Laxus said, carefully getting her off of him. He searched for someone else he can throw this woman with. Alas, he saw another drunk man sitting at the couch just behind her. A guy who looked wasted, that the bun on his head was already a messed up.

"You kiss him" he whispered at the lady and slightly pushing her to the direction of the man.

"Okay" she said passively as she planted herself against the other man. Laxus nodded, thinking that it was best to already leave. When he began to walk away, the man pulled his sleeve,

"Thanks, man" he said through ragged breaths.

"No problem" Laxus muttered as he searched for Mirajane again. He looked for her everywhere and she wasn't there.

Soon, the mob of teenagers were now assembling at the dining room, all of them whistling and cheering. Laxus went down, hoping that whatever is going on down there, it better not be her.

As soon as got there, his hopes went away. The usually snide, smart and anti-social woman he knew was there, sexy dancing on the table. He watched her remove her coat, and wave her hips seductively as she made a show.

He wanted to beat the hell out of those men who were eyeing her. Laxus won't lie, he found her incredible hot while dancing that way. But he detested the thought that other men could see her that way. He felt like the only one who can see her like that is him, and only him. A spark of jealousy and possessiveness grew in him, as he glared at the men around the table.

His thoughts disappeared when he saw Mirajane hit her head rather hard on the chandelier. She collapsed and everyone stepped back, not even intending to catch her. But Laxus didn't hesitate to push them away.

The bastards even cheered when she fell.

He caught her in his arms just in time. Laxus checked if she was conscious, he saw her move a little and decided to pick her up. He carried her away from the crowd to somewhere secluded, somewhere quiet and safe.

After all, he just promised her that he'll protect her.