So this is the chapter where the anime and manga come into fruition, so we get to meet Lucy :) You'll notice that there's a huge change in Fae because she's spent so much time in the guild which is to be expected as they kind of brought her out of her shell. I's always intended for her to be kickass and strong however I wanted there to be character development. Anyway, enjoy!

My eyes were drawn to the front doors as they were kicked open in complete Natsu style, his voice bellowing out over the entire guild hall thanks to his massive lungs. "We made it back alive!"

"We're home!" Happy cheered, greeting everyone with his wide grin as everyone turned then called out their various greetings. I sat up a little straighter at the table I was reading at with Levy, chuckling to myself at Natsu's rather dramatic entrance. My attention then turned to a blonde haired girl around our age as she stepped into the guild hall after Natsu, wearing a white and blue shirt with a pleated skirt of navy, making me arch my eyebrow curiously.

"Wonder who that is." Levy said as she glanced over the top of her book.

"No idea, but Natsu never brings home a girl. That's Loke's forte." I noted with a glance over to my shoulder to Loke who sat in his usual spot with two girls hanging off him. He looked up upon hearing his name and gave me a smirk so I smiled back at him warmly before returning my attention to the stranger. She was pretty, with deep brown eyes which contrasted rather intriguingly with her golden blonde hair which was pulled back into a small side ponytail with the rest of her locks hanging down her neck, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around the guild hall.

Suddenly I heard a crash and looked around to see Natsu had already kicked someone in the face, eyes blazing in rage as he cracked his knuckles. "You lied about that Salamander! I'm gonna kick your butt!" He yelled as his victim sat up quickly from the wreck of the table that now lay in splinters, the girl shrieking in horror.

"Don't get mad at me, I'm not the one to blame here! I just passed along a rumour I heard!"

"It was just a rumour?!"

"You wanna fight?"

"Let's go!" Natsu practically shrieked and I groaned, closing my book and tucked it into my satchel as I pinched the bridge of my nose, my fingers combing through the long tassels as Natsu dove straight into the fight, dragging anyone and everyone in with him.

"Now, now Natsu, I think you need to calm do-AAAGGHHHH!" Happy, who had tried to be diplomatic, was suddenly kicked backwards by a stray knee and I leaped into action, springing from the table where Levy continued to read, completely oblivious to the fight around her as I raced over the table then jumped into the way of Happy, catching him in my arms then grunted at the impact as I was thrown backwards a few paces. "Wow, that was tense…thanks Fae."

"Don't mention it Happy." I smiled at him then ducked under a leg that had swung our way by accident, keeping Happy tucked in my arms as I balled one fist and punched the idiot who had almost hit us in the jaw. "Watch where you're fighting, punk!" He dropped to the floor and I lifted my chin as I walked away, expertly dodging flying drinks, tables, chairs and limbs as I made my way to stand somewhere safe.

"So Natsu finally made it back, huh?!" Gray demanded, getting up from his table and I watched as the poor girl shrieked again, seeing that he was rather underdressed. "It's time we settle things once and for all!"

"Gray, your clothes?" Cana suggested and I giggled quietly as Gray spun around from where he was stomping over to where Natsu was brawling.

"I don't have time for that! Come over here and fight me Natsu!" Gray yelled, kicking a chair out of his way as Natsu held one of the guys in an arm lock with his fingers shoved practically up his nose. I winced away from the disgusting sight. That's just gross.

"Not until you put some clothes on!" The soft clunk of wood against wood made me look around to Elfman as he walked casually over, arms folded across his thick chest as I ducked under another swinging fist and punched outward, not even looking where my fist landed to send two of the guys flying backwards.

"It's not even noon and you boys are whining like spoiled babies. I'm a real man! You want me to prove it to you?" He demanded as the girl slapped a hand to her face.

"I can't believe he's encouraging them." In answer both Natsu and Gray swung around and balled their fists, powering them both into Elfman who was thrown into the air as the girl gasped in shock. "They knocked him out that easy?" As I jumped backwards with Happy, my back brushed against hers and we both turned to look at one another in surprise so I smiled.

"It's about the only time they work together without complaint when they're taking someone down. Hi, I'm Fae, it's nice to meet you." I introduced, shifting Happy into one arm to shake the girl's hand as she sighed with seeming relief.

"Lucy, nice to meet you too." She smiled at me warmly, gripping my hand firmly but now domineeringly.

"Jeez, it's so noisy in here." Loke drawled and I glanced his way as he smirked over at us, his eyes taking in Lucy's rather appealing form before he was struck on the head with a glass, making me splutter with laughter as he scowled and his girlfriends both gasped and demanded to know if he was okay as he stood up. "I'm gonna go fight, but only to protect you two." He winked at them so I rolled my eyes as I glanced over to Lucy who marked a giant cross on Loke's picture in some magazine she was carrying.

"Well he's definitely off my list. What the heck is wrong with these people? There's not one sane person in the whole place!" Lucy announced so I laughed with an arch of my eyebrow, making her spin around and hastily try to correct myself. "Except you of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or anything!"

"It's okay really, don't worry, I'm just teasing." I promised as Mirajane walked over to us.

"Hello! Are you new here?" She asked Lucy who turned around. Her jaw went slack and her voice went up several pitches like a fan girl, staring at Mirajane with a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"It's Mirajane…in the flesh!" Mirajane smiled as Lucy took a deep breath to get herself back under control then pointed to the rabble as they continued to battle it out, getting all their frustrations out on one another. "Um, don't you think we should try to stop them or something?"

"Wanna try?" I offered her with a chuckle but she paled drastically and bit her lip with uncertainty.

"It's always like this around here, I just tend to leave them alone. Besides-agh!" Elfman suddenly flew out of nowhere and slammed against his sister, crushing her into a broken table though she somehow managed to keep smiling. "It's kind of fun don't you think?" She rasped before slumping.

"Agh! Don't die Mirajane!" Lucy was suddenly powered into by Gray who…is he naked?! Oh that is just too gross! I quickly closed my eyes with a yell of horror and covered Happy's eyes too just for safety, turning away as Natsu whirled Gray's underwear around with a victorious grin on his face.

"Give me back my underwear, jerk!" Gray yelled as Lucy yelled, covering her eyes quickly as I stood beside her in a similar state of disgust. That's going to scar me for a while. Gray seriously needs to sort out his stripping habit because it's becoming a little too much to deal with. Gray's eyes suddenly turned to Lucy and he faced her with a serious expression on her face as she recoiled from him further. "Excuse me miss but could I please borrow your underwear?" Okay, that's just wrong on so many levels.

"Gray! Go get your own underwear!" I yelled as Lucy smartly bat him away with a table leg, however Loke then chose this moment to play the 'hero' and swept her off her feet, panicking her even further. No wonder I was so terrified when I first met these people, I've only just realised how menacing they can appear.

"These guys are so insensitive, a woman has needs." As Elfman powered his fist into Loke's face I caught Lucy over my shoulder having dove forwards, pulling her away from the danger zone with Happy still tucked under my arm as he wailed, pressing his eyes tightly shut.

"Real men fight with their fists Loke!" But then Natsu sent a flying kick straight to Elfman, throwing him back for the second time that day.

"I told you to butt out Elfman!" At that point I had reached the bar where I gently set Lucy down on her feet, reaching out to catch her elbow and steady her as Happy then jumped onto the bar top, hiding behind the both of us as Lucy groaned.

"Are you alright?" I asked her worriedly and she shook her head before nodding.

"Yeah I'm fine, just…I wasn't quite expecting this." She admitted and I chuckled, telling her that I was the same when I first arrived.

"Ugh, it's so loud. So much for having a drink to relax." Cana muttered before spinning around in her seat and lifted a card between her fingers, glaring out at the brawlers as it glowed brightly and a sphere of magic appeared before her. "That's enough you guys, I suggest you knock it off."

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Gray demanded, preparing an ice attack as Elman began to roar, changing his fist into a rock arm with his own magic whilst Loke activated one of his rings, preparing a twister attack as he narrowed his eyes at everyone.

"You punks can be such a nuisance."

"I'm ready for ya!" Natsu answered, his fists already alight with flames as I leaned back against the bar and faced the fight with an arched eyebrow.

"They always fight like this?" Lucy questioned shrilly, holding Happy up as a shield as he purred happily.

"Uh huh."

"You don't seem worried!" She answered, shrinking back but then peaked out as I chuckled.

"There's no need, just wait and see." I promised her with a wink, jumping up onto a seat then leaned back to relax and watch the show. Just as expected, a huge foot slammed down on the floor with a vibrating boom, causing everyone to freeze in place as the master appeared before us.

"WOULD YOU FOOLS STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN?!"

"He's huge!" Lucy gasped, dropping Happy to the ground in shock and he cried out before spreading his wings and flying a circle to then hide behind my shoulder again, quite happy to use me as a shield as I continued to smile.

"Oh I'm sorry master, I didn't realise you were still here." Mirajane said sweetly, making Lucy do a double take.

"Did you say master?!" I was about to explain things to her when Natsu's laughter rang out, his fists placed against his hips in a victory stance as he stood completely oblivious to the foot that was descending upon him, courtesy of master Markov.

"Talk about a bunch of babies! Looks like I've won this round you guys!" The last of his sentence was cut off as Markov squished Natsu into the ground, making me splutter with giggles and laughter, kicking out my feet as my skirt fluttered from my movements.

"You asked for that one Natsu." I called out to him before springing elegantly from my seat and walked over him as Markov turned his attention to a rather panicked Lucy. "You're an idiot Natsu, you know that right?" I said as I lifted him off the ground and sat him upright and made sure he was still in one piece as he groaned.

"I totally won that…right?" I sighed in defeat, not bothering to try and see if his head was still intact. To be honest I don't think it had ever been fully functional. Master Makarov was a little annoyed at some of us because of the recent pile of complaints he'd received from the magic council, but then he gave this awesome speech about how we should just ignore the council and follow our hearts because our instincts know better than to follow the rules. Our master is the greatest.

So after things had settled down I made Gray put on his clothes then helped clean up the mess, however I was surprised to find that when I looked up, Natsu was gone and so was Lucy. "Hey, where did Natsu go?" I asked Mira as she pottered around behind the bar.

"Oh he went out to Mt Mokabe to find Macao who's been gone a long time and Lucy followed him. Aren't those two just adorable?" She giggled as she cleaned one of the mugs.

"The cutest." I answered distantly, though my thoughts were elsewhere. Natsu has only just got back and he's already gone out again? He just doesn't know when to quit but that's just what makes him Fairy Tail, we're all the same.

"Don't look so glum princess, that face of yours is too pretty to be so down." Loke said as he slid to my side, his arm easily slipping around me and I lifted my head, waking from my worried state to blink at him. "How about you and I hit the town and I'll put a smile back on those fine lips of yours?" He suggested and I found myself smiling slightly at his words, knowing full well that he was only flirting with me.

"Would your girlfriends be joining us if I accepted?" I questioned him smartly as I pushed his arm from around me and stood up straight, making Loke chuckle.

"I'm sure we could escape them for a while." He offered but I just shook my head, reaching up and began to fiddle with my hair.

"You're terrible Loke, you should know by now that it's useless trying to flirt with me. Most of the time I don't realise what you're doing and upon the occasion that I do, I always turn you down. Why keep trying?"

"A guy can live in hope." He answered easily, lifting his hands in a shrug but then his two girls took this as an invitation and quickly slipped their arms around him with tiny giggles whilst sending me tiny glares which I easily brushed off. I was used to it by now. Whenever Loke and I did hang out together just the two of us, we were usually tailed by his gang of girlfriends who would shoot murder into my back even if we were just taking a walk and talking.

"Well, you keep on hoping." I said, patting him gently on the shoulder before walking away and giving a wave over my shoulder. "I'm going to find Romeo, he's probably upset about his father being missing." I didn't look behind me as I knew that I would only blush if I did as I could feel Loke watching me as I walked away.

I knew where to find little Romeo as he often went to a special place when he was upset. He'd climb up the oak tree in the park, the one I had adopted as my favourite. I stopped and bought ice cream for the both of us then carried it over to the tree, climbing the hill before calling out. "Romeo? Oh Romeo? Wherefore art thou Romeo?" I called up with a smile before seeing someone shift in the tree. "There you are, come on down and talk with me, I bought you your favourite ice cream."

Romeo came down in a sombre silence, jumping down from the tree and hung his head sadly in an attempt to hide his tears. "Hey, there's no need to be so worried. Your dad is as tough as old nails and Natsu has gone after him to make sure he's okay." I said to him as I sat down on the ground and held out the chocolate ice cream for Romeo which he took mechanically.

"Thanks." I paused a moment, waiting as Romeo sat down with me and despondently began to lick at his treat as I began to eat my own, vanilla. It had become my overall favourite and was my go to ice cream for any occasion. "He should have been back ages ago. What if he's hurt? What if he's…he's…I asked him to go!" Romeo suddenly cried and flung the ice cream away, making me blink before I smiled softly down at him.

"Hey, don't doubt your dad. He may not be as young as he used to be but that doesn't mean he's lost his stuff. He's a great wizard and you are his son. I bet you'll be even greater one day and he'll be so proud of you. Makarov thinks the same, that's why he hasn't sent anyone after Macao sooner. The master has great faith in your dad so you should too." I soothed as Romeo cried into his hands, my arm wrapping around him and I drew him closer to me.

He turned and clung onto me, sobbing into my shirt as I hugged him to me, calmly finishing my ice cream as he continued to cry until slowly he calmed down just as I finished my ice cream, giving me my other hand free to pull him closer, pressing my cheek to the top of his head. "You know the new guild member went with Natsu to find your father. Her name's Lucy. Between her and Natsu, your dad has no choice but to come home safe and sound. I bet he's just gone a little overboard with the Vulcan destroying. He'll be a real champ when he gets back and you get to be as proud of him as any other wizard boy can be."

"You…you really think so?" He asked, lifting his head to look up at me and I nodded my head with confidence, making him smile slightly and rub his eyes to get rid of his tears. "Thanks Fae, you're the greatest." He told me, making me chuckle as I let go of him and leaned back on my hands under the oak, taking in a deep breath.

"I know." I winked then lifted my head, sensing three boys approaching. When Romeo noticed them coming towards us I noticed a distinct change in him. His body tensed and I could smell his nervousness upon the beads of sweat that rose to his skin, making me frown slightly as he shrank back slightly then bravely got to his feet, clenching his little fists at his sides.

"What do you guys want?" He asked a little warily and I watched them carefully as the three boys smirked toothily, their eyes narrowed and I could sense their meanness in thick, sour waves. So, these were the bullies that Romeo had mentioned to me once. I was hoping I'd get to meet them someday.

"We saw you crying like a little baby, is that your big sister?" The tallest of them asked as he leaned forwards, hands on hips with an intimidating glare which Romeo did not back down from.

"Yes." Romeo answered and I looked to him in surprise before smiling warmly and quietly, touched that he viewed me in such a way. "And I wasn't crying! You guys are just stupid." Romeo answered but the three boys merely sneered down at him.

"You're a big cry baby and you know it. So if that's your sister then where's your dad you're always talking about? Didn't you say he was a great wizard? Where is he now?" The middle one interrogated, stepping closer and this time Romeo backed up a step, my eyes narrowing slightly. I didn't move to stop them as I wanted to see what Romeo would do by himself without my help. I knew him well enough he wouldn't want me interfering unless it was absolutely necessary.

"He's out on a quest slaying Vulcans, so you shut up about my dad! He's the greatest dad ever and I don't care about what you say about wizards, we're strong and I'm going to be one someday!" Romeo declared boldly and I silently applauded him.

"You'll never be strong. We're going to be knights and we're all going to teach you wizard respect! All you ever do is destroy stuff and make things worse. I bet your dad has already destroyed the mountains or even gotten himself killed." Romeo gasped and tears began to rise to his eyes so he pressed his eyes tightly shut to stop them from falling.

"Shut up! You guys are just dumb and won't ever understand what it is to have magic!"

"Like we want your stupid magic. We'll teach you what it is to fight without magic!" The tallest bully shouted and balled a fist, swinging it straight for Romeo's face. My feet were moving before my mind had even caught up to what I was doing. In the blink of an eye I was standing behind the three bullies and I had the taller one's wrist locked in my grip, lifting him off the ground as he yelled and struggled in the air. "Hey! Put me down! How did you move so fast?!"

"That's my little brother you were thinking of hurting. Did you really think I'd sit back and just let that happen?" I asked in a coldly calm voice, turning the kid around and gripped him by the front of his shirt, lifting him higher to my face as the other two stepped back in fear, staring at me as my eyes gushed with raging red. "When you mess with one member of Fairy Tail then you mess with all of us and we do not accept mistreatment of any one of our members."

"But…but…he's not old enough to be a member!" The bully answered with false bravado, making me smirk as I pulled him even closer to my face so that our noses were almost touching.

"His father is a member and he's grown up in the guild. He's as much a member as I am. How about I teach you boys a lesson on how we mages punish little pigs like you how to be better mannered and well behaved?" I suggested before dropping the boy to the floor as he trembled, my lips quirking into a smirk to reveal my fangs, causing them to quiver even further in fear. "Now run along little piggy, before I start to get hungry and don't you dare let me catch you picking on Romeo again, or you'll be sorry that I even decided to show you mercy. Scram!"

The three of them fled with a yell, racing for their lives as I ran a tongue over my fangs then closed my eyes, suppressing my inner demon before I exhaled, looking down to Romeo who beamed with clenched fists, laughing victoriously before looking to me. "Thanks Fae! You really are the best." He said to me and I gave him a warm smile.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for. Now, how about we get some a new ice cream cone? I think I can go for a second too." Romeo nodded his head eagerly so I took him back to ice cream parlour and bought him a large chocolate sundae with fudge sauce, cream, marshmallows and a large flake to boot. It worked in cheering him up and I sat there smiling with my simple vanilla sundae with toffee sauce and honeycomb pieces.

"That looks great Romeo, mind if I try some?" Loke's voice asked and I looked up in surprise to find him sliding into the booth with us, sitting next to me and casually leaned back with an arm almost habitually draping around my shoulders.

"Sure! Here you go." Romeo answered and pushed his sundae closer to Loke who took the spoon and took a scoop for himself, the sweet tastiness instantly putting a smile on his face. "It's my favourite, Fae got it for me to cheer me up."

"Is that so?" Loke questioned, turning his smile to me so I blushed and untucked my hair from my ear to hide my face as I nodded my head.

"Ice cream always makes me happy." I offered weakly. "Do you want some too Loke?"

"Sure, but please allow me to pay the bill." He said as he waved a waiter over with his hand, eyes still trained on me but I quickly looked at him with alarm.

"Oh no! I still owe you for when you brought me here. Let me buy them this time, it'll make me feel better if you do, otherwise I won't forgive you." I told him with a challenging look, a slight smirk on my lips as Loke arched an eyebrow at me in return.

"I don't know…what sort of gentleman would I be if I let you pay the bill?" He questioned me and my smirk deepened as I refused to break eye contact.

"A wise one." He laughed in answer as the waiter appeared at our table, waiting patiently as Loke sighed, still smiling.

"Okay, okay, you got me beat. I'll take the lemon meringue sundae please with a water." He ordered and I turned around with a smug expression, digging my spoon into my ice cream and made to place it in my mouth but then Loke's hand curled around my wrist and guided my own hand around along with the spoon before stealing my ice cream from me. My eyes widened and my jaw went slack as he enjoyed the sweet treat that was meant to be mine.

"Loke!" I yelled, snatching back my hand as he chuckled, taking the spoon from his mouth and dropping it back into my sundae.

"That one's just as good, but I think I prefer Romeo's." He decided with a wink at me, making me blush and quickly look away as Romeo watched us with a curious expression, peering at us closely.

"Well…next time ask. You know how much I love ice cream." I tossed back at him weakly as his own sundae appeared. Loke shared his with Romeo who made a funny face at the sour taste mixed with the extreme coldness due to it being freshly prepared, making me laugh quietly as Loke grinned, Romeo gripping his head before laughing with us.

Once the laughter had died down Romeo looked at the both of us and tilted his head to the side, a slight smile on his face as he then spoke. "So are you guys dating yet?" I almost spat out my ice cream, choking on it in my shock and Loke looked at me with concern as I coughed it down then shuddered at the coldness, my eyes tearing over as I gasped.

"Dating? We're not dating! Where on earth did you get such an idea as that?!" I panicked, glancing to Loke then ducked my head with a flush of embarrassment on my cheeks.

"It's just you act like you're together sometimes and you always blush when you're around him." My cheeks burned furiously as my stomach knotted with fluttering nerves.

"No I do not! You take that back Romeo or I'll find somewhere else for my ice cream to go!" I yelped, making Romeo smirk knowingly as he shrugged, turning to Loke instead.

"So are you? I know you have loads of girlfriends but is Fae one of them? Everyone back at the guild thinks you two look great together, I even heard my dad talking about it once. He said that Fae always worries about you whenever you're out on a quest all on your own and Levy said that Fae had stayed at your house once overnight…" I launched myself over the table and quickly shoved some of my ice cream into his mouth to keep him quiet, laughing nervously.

"I'm sure you're mistaken Romeo, trust me, there's nothing going on between Loke and I at all!"

"Right." Loke finally said as I pulled back and sat down once again, glancing to him a little nervously. "You're right when you say I date a lot of women, Romeo, but Fae's not one of them. She's far too special and I care about her too much to treat her like that. She's a great friend, almost like a sister." I watched him as he spoke with a slightly gaping mouth, blinking at him mechanically.

What I found strange was how much his words hurt, more than they should. Shouldn't I be happy that he cares for me? Yes I should, but why does it bother me so much? I feel like someone's twisting my gut and it's making me a little sick. It was rather peculiar and I didn't understand why I was reacting in such a way.

Quickly I looked down as to hide my face but as Loke turned his smile to me he stopped and registered my slightly dull expression, his brow furrowing slightly as Romeo continued to look between us, his anticipation rising and he leaned forwards intently.

Loke's eyes fixated on me quietly and for a while no one else spoke. I considered moving the conversation forward however as I tried to think of something else to say, I felt a hand gently rest over mine which lay clenched in my lap, making me catch my breath slightly as I looked down to see Loke holding my hand and I followed his arm to gradually lift my eyes to meet his.

They were so soft and warm, gazing at me with deep affection which caused me to relax into him. He gently pulled me closer so I shifted towards him and smiled happily as I lay my head against his chest, warmed by his duffel coat as he placed one arm around me and rested his hand over mine as it touched his chest. "Right." I agreed with a nod, closing my eyes into Loke's solid and comforting presence for a moment or so before I pulled away.

Romeo groaned quietly in disappointment almost so quietly that you couldn't hear it but I caught it because of my superior senses. We finished our ice creams with a clear air around us, all three of us smiling until it was time to go where I paid for the ice cream then head over towards Macao's place to wait with Romeo for his return.

Whilst we were there I started cleaning up the place, washing the dishes, scrubbing the floors, dusting around the furniture and such whilst Loke kept Romeo company until finally at sunset I was done and I head outside to sit on the steps with the boys, feeling a little tired from all that work but happily contented all the same. Macao isn't the most organised of people and his place can get pretty messy sometimes, as if Natsu and Gray had just had a fight inside.

"When will they be back?" Romeo asked for what must have been the hundredth time since leaving the ice cream parlour. "I'm worried Loke, what if he's hurt real bad?"

"Then he'll get better. Your dad is one of the most stubborn men I've ever met. I doubt those Vulcans even came close to seriously hurting him. More likely he gave them the worse end of the stick." Loke said with a smile and as he spoke I lifted my head suddenly and sniffed the air, pausing before smiling.

"Well look who it is." I murmured then pointed ahead of me, making Romeo look forwards. His eyes widened and filled with tears as he stared at his dad who had his arm slung around Natsu's shoulders for support, Lucy walking beside them with a smile.

"Dad!" Romeo leaped to his feet and ran forwards, flinging himself into the air at Macao and tackled him to the ground. "I take it back! I can take the teasing, just don't leave me ever again!" Romeo sobbed as his father chuckled and held his boy close, sitting in the middle of the street as I walked over to Natsu and Lucy with Loke behind me.

"Great job Natsu." Loke praised and the two bumped fists as I winked at Lucy who beamed back at me.

"Next time you see those boys, you ask them something. You ask them if their dads can take on nineteen Vulcans all on their own, because your old man can." Romeo's eyes glittered with pride before he flung his arms around his dad's neck tightly, holding onto him securely as I watched the sweet, heart warming scene before me. Macao looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks for looking out for my boy Fae, I owe you one."

"It was my pleasure." I assured him, smiling down at them both before turning and walking after Natsu and Lucy with Loke. We got a few feet away when we suddenly heard Romeo yelling out to Natsu, thanking him for bringing his dad home before thanking Lucy too, making her blush and smile modestly as she waved back at them. I let the two of them run back to the guild with their latest achievement, hanging back slightly as I regarded Lucy carefully.

"She's a bit like you, I think princess." Loke said to me, standing casually as he slid his glasses back up his nose. "So how about you and I take a walk? It's a beautiful sunset and you look radiant this evening." He suggested to me, making me smile and blush as his easy charm flattered my humility.

"If you like, you don't have to if you don't want to." I told him but he simply gave me a nudge as we began walking along the canal front, the water gleaming like a river of gold.

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with." He said and I felt the fluttering return to my stomach as I reached up and began to plait my hair over one shoulder, my eyes fixated on the ground as we walked together.

"You shouldn't flirt with me Loke, you're making me feel all embarrassed." I admitted, running my fingers through my hair before plaiting it all over again. "Besides, your girlfriends all hate me enough as it is, I don't like to give them cause for their dislike."

"I'm sorry, I guess it's just habit now." He chuckled as he walked beside me, hands in his pockets as he looked down at me before then looking ahead. We passed through the canal side market and I happened to look up as they were packing away at the weapons stand. I stopped in my tracks and stared at a pair of katana as they lay proudly in their wooden case, one of the blades bared for viewing.

They were beautiful and I instantly loved them. One was a black hilt with a white ribbon pluming from the pommel and white slashes in small triangles down the hilt whilst the other was the opposite, predominantly white with black slashes and a black ribbon. This one was out in the open and the sharp blade seemed to shine effortlessly in the light almost like a torch.

"What's caught your eye?" Loke asked with amusement upon seeing my expression and looked back to follow my line of sight, spotting the swords. "Could you use them?" I nodded my head silently, still transfixed by them but when the white blade was sheathed and both of them locked away I was awoken from the enchantment and looked away. "Do you want them?"

"With a price like that? No thanks. I'd sooner be broke buying ice cream." I dismissed, continuing to walk forwards however I cast a wistful glance over my shoulder back towards the stall. In my lack of attention I felt my foot suddenly slip over the edge and I gave a sharp cry as I fell to the side however Loke's quick reactions had him swiftly catching my wrists and with a firm tug pulled me securely into his chest. "Thanks Loke, sorry, I should have been paying attention."

"Always glad to be of assistance, princess." He winked at me before letting me go, however he placed me on his other side so that he stood between myself and the water as a precaution, making me blush slightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, you never need to ask something like that." I told him with a smile which he returned a little weakly before looking down to the ground distantly.

"What's…what's your star sign? When's your birthday?"

"Oh, I was born on the fifth of August, so my star sign is Leo." Loke inhaled sharply and jerked slightly, making me frown slightly but I quickly dismissed it, though I made a note to myself to keep an eye on him. He's acting strange all of a sudden. "What about you?"

"I'm…I'm Leo too." He answered a little distantly so I didn't press him to tell me when his birthday was, instead I halted as he came to a stop, looking down at his feet with a sad, vacant expression. What's gotten into him? This isn't like Loke at all. What's brought on this sudden change?

Deciding not to question him I inched a little closer to him, looking at him worriedly before I stepped around to face him fully and slipped my arms around his waist underneath his coat, jolting him awake as he blinked down at me but I didn't let go, only held him tighter as my cheek rested against his chest, my ear listening to the quickening of his beating heart before it settled into a steady rhythm as he relaxed.

His arms wound around me and I smiled into him as he rested his chin on the top of my head. "Your jacket is so cosy…" I murmured quietly to him and in answer he tightened his arms around me as the sun continued to set. His hair was a flaming orange as I tilted my head to gaze up at him, the light shining on my own hair and filling my orbs with a golden tint.

Feeling brave I rose up onto my toes slowly, taking a deep breath before I brushed my lips against Loke's cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin whilst his distinct scent filled my nose, causing me to want to breathe him in as much as I could, to surround myself in his addictive smell until I was drunk on its intoxicating nature.

My lips lingered momentarily against him before I drew back, giving him another smile before I pulled away, his eyes staring at me widely as I blushed. "I'm always here if you need me Loke, don't forget that I'm your friend too and you can tell me anything. I won't judge." I promised him in a quiet voice before my eyes slid past him to where a group of his girlfriends stood, eyes blazing murderously at me.

"GET HER!"

"AGH!" I screamed upon instinct and flung myself back, recoiling as they all charged at me with their fists held aloft and their battle roar ringing through the air as Loke suddenly awoke from his trance. "I'm sorry! It's not what you think!" My wail fell on deaf ears and I ran for my life, being chased through the streets before I managed to slide into an alley where I caught my breath, watching as the blood lusting brides to be went charging past, thankfully oblivious to the fact that I'd given them the slip.

Once I was certain they were gone, I stuck to the shadows and made my way back home as fast as my feet could carry me.