[Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Fairy Tail world, which is trademarked by Hiro Mashima.]
CHAPTER 11:
Hidden in the crowd, Natsu watched them. He watched as Loke moved his body with hers and as she draped her arms over Loke's shoulders. He watched how he had slipped a hand to the small of Lucy's back to keep her pressed against him and how Lucy would throw her hands over her head and let them trace the sides of her body. He watched all of it, from the close misses of their lips to the soft whispers he would place into her ear that would make her laugh. His eyes wouldn't leave the movement of her body, spellbound by the fluidity of her limbs and the pull it had on his senses. The hunger raged through him as he caught the scent of her pleasure, and he felt his fingertips tingle with the heat of fire that wanted to escape into the air. He balled his hands into tight fists and let the pain of his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands calm him. Just as he was able to will his legs to move, he watched as Lucy grabbed Loke's hand and pulled him away from the dance floor. Natsu followed, his eyes locked on the soft blush that warmed her skin and the twinkle in her eyes.
Lucy fell out from the crowd that surrounded the group's table, her hand still firmly holding Loke's hand as she pulled him from the crowd and led him to the table. Natsu stepped out from the crowd soon after, and he was happy when she released Loke's hand. The feeling soon disappeared once Loke closed the gap between them and placed his hand on the small of her back.
"This band is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed with glee. She reached over the table and took one of the many cold alcoholic beverages on the table and took a number of small gulps. She sat at the table and scooted over to allow Loke room on the bench. "Mira really outdid herself this time!" The group agreed with her, smiling and chattering happily.
Loke draped his arm over Lucy's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, a move not gone unnoticed by their friends. Erza shot Lucy a questioning glance, which she either missed or ignored. When Loke grabbed Lucy's mug from her hands and took a sip, the group of friends flashed a curious look at Natsu to watch his reaction. They caught the heated stare down between Natsu and Loke – rather Natsu's heated look and Loke's signature smirk.
Juvia leaned over to Gray and whispered very softly, "Juvia is confused by love rival's behavior. Is she now in love with lion man? I was sure love rival was in love with the pink haired one." Gray only shrugged, keeping silent as he observed the trio over the rim of his mug as he drank.
When Loke leaned over to Lucy and whispered softly so that those around the table couldn't hear. "You know, we could always leave and have a little fun on our own, love. The kind of dancing that I want do wouldn't be appropriate in public," he flirted with her. He held back the grin when he saw Natsu's annoyed expression, knowing that the dragon slayer's ears could easily pick up his words.
Lucy chuckled lightly as she hid her blush behind the mug that she took back from Loke. She punched Loke in the arm, which caused him to drop the arm around her shoulder. "Behave," she mouthed out to him. Lucy turned to Natsu, who took the empty seat on the other side of her, and she slid a full mug of alcohol to the dragon slayer. "Hey! I haven't seen you all night. Are you having fun?"
He shrugged. "It's okay, I guess," he responded. "This isn't really my sort of thing. I could go for one of Cana's drinking competitions, I think. You know, something more lively."
"Hell yeah! Bring it!" exclaimed Gray as he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it into the crowd behind him.
"And, the perverted stripper is game!"
"I think that would be a splendid way to enjoy some much needed carousing," agreed Erza.
Lucy waved a pointed finger at Natsu, but she kept a smile on her lips. "Oy," she teasingly reprimanded him. "We leave for our job tomorrow, and I don't want to deal with a hungover motion sick Natsu."
Natsu made a show of pouting. "Oh, ye of such little faith," he smiled at her. He knew he had won when she just shook her head with a laugh.
Loke smiled as he looked down at Lucy. "I'll get the first round," he offered as he stood. "Would you like anything, love?" When Lucy shook her head, he started towards the bar.
"I'm going to go help the pathetic playboy with our drinks," Natsu offered as he quickly jumped up from his seat and dashed towards Loke.
"Love rival must please explain the situation between herself and her spirit," offered Juvia as soon as Natsu and Loke were both out of earshot.
"Huh?" Lucy blinked as she stared around the table, quickly realizing that all eyes were on her.
"What's going on with you and Loke?!" translated Gray.
"Um. Nothing?"
Erza played with her empty mug. "It doesn't appear to be nothing. You and Loke seem very close tonight."
Happy nodded in agreement. "It's weird, Lucy."
Lucy shook her head at the group. "Everything's the same as always. All of you are imagining things. Stop it before you cause trouble." She turned her attention towards the bar, her eyes following the orange-haired spirit and the pink-haired dragon slayer as they waited by the bar. She remembered her dream, and her energy swirled around her in response to the thoughts that readily appeared. Lost in her thoughts, she ignored the glances her friends shared as they felt her magical energy. As she heard the silence shift to a safe conversation about missions and guilds, Lucy drummed her fingers to the beat of the music as she watched her two closest comrades from afar.
Loke drummed his fingers on the bar as he listened to the music. He stood in silence as Natsu stood beside him. The two hadn't exchanged any words, only a few tense sideway glances as they waited for their table's large order of drinks. When the two large trays – covered with multiple glasses filled to the brim with alcohol – appeared, Loke smirked as Natsu quickly gathered the two trays into his hands and moved towards their table. He had left Loke with nothing to carry, and Loke was certain it was a poor attempt at showing off his strength. Shaking his head, he turned back to the bartender with a new order and soon headed back to the table with his hands full.
When he appeared from the crowd, Natsu was beaming with delight at the drinks safely delivered without a drop spilt. As Natsu passed out drinks, Loke slipped next to Lucy again. "I know you said you didn't want anything, but I thought you'd like something anyways," he offered, gently sliding a tall fruity sparkling drink and a small basket of fries her way. "No worries. It's not alcoholic."
Lucy smiled brightly. "Thanks, Loke!"
Natsu frowned, mentally kicking himself for not having had the forethought. He caught the smug look Loke flashed his way, and the desire to punch him in the face only grew in intensity. He took his seat next to Lucy as he held up one shot glass to her. "Just one drink, Luce," he offered with a smile.
Lucy tilted her head at him and laughed as she lightly shook her head at his charms. "Okay, okay," she agreed with a laugh. She joined the group as they held up the shot glasses, shouted in celebration to the opening of their game, and took the liquid quickly. It burned as it moved over her tongue and she was certain it had stained her cheeks with pink almost immediately. She laughed at herself as she folded her hands together on her lap. "I'm such a lightweight," she informed them, and she laughed as they all agreed with her.
Drink after drink, the group continued their drinking competition until they started to succumb to the haze of their consumption as the hours ticked away. Erza had quickly placed her head down in submission and had fallen asleep after two drinks. After having returned to the table after the first round of drinks, Levy was leaning sleepily against a slumbering Gajeel's shoulder, and he had wrapped an arm over her shoulder to support her against his body. Happy was joyfully passed out on the table, a small bubble in his nose inflating and deflating as he breathed. Gray had passed out on the bench with his lap on a brightly red faced Juvia, who was swaying in an intoxicated haze.
Natsu glared at Loke as they each took another shot. Loke kept an arm around Lucy's shoulder as she slept against him, her head on his shoulder. He wasn't quite sure if Natsu was glaring at him for the competition or for the fact that he was holding Lucy. Either way, he was too tired and too worn to care. Loke shifted, allowed the arm on her shoulder to move down her back, and gently leaned Lucy into his arm as he stood and allowed his free hand to move under Lucy's knees before pulling her into his chest. "You win," he relented as he stared down at the dragon slayer. "I'm going to take Lucy home. I think this party is done."
Natsu looked around. Save for a few people who were passed out on the floor and the few that seemed to be dancing in their sleep, the guild hall was near empty. He looked back up to see Loke had already made his way towards the doors, stepping over the passed out revelers that littered the stone floors. He took the last filled shotglass and tossed its contents into his mouth, allowing the alcohol to burn down his throat as he leaped to his feet and chased after Loke. When he reached the lion spirit, they were outside and the cool air alleviated the heat of alcohol that moved through his body. "I can take her home," he told Loke as he reached out to take Lucy from his arms.
Loke pulled Lucy in tighter and turned his body away from Natsu. "There is no way I'm going to entrust her to you when you can barely stand straight," he said, watching as his counterpart swayed unsteadily. "Go home, Natsu." He soon felt a hand strongly grip his arm and stopped him from moving. Turning, Loke lifted a brow at Natsu.
"I said," Natsu repeated as heat rose from his body, "I can take her home." His eyes flared against the lion spirit. "You're not even really here unless you're called upon like a glorified butler. I'm going to take her home. Let me have her," he hissed in a low tone, careful not to raise his voice in fear of waking the celestial mage. "You've been all over Lucy, and I won't allow it anymore!"
"You won't allow it?" he repeated with an incredulous sneer. Loke too kept his voice low, a dangerous tone slithering into the words he chose carefully. "Listen to me, you two bit bottom rubbing lizard," he paused as he stood taller and pulled Lucy protectively to his chest. Her contented sigh fueled the energy that moved through him. "Lucy belongs to me and the celestial world. You are nothing, and you best remember your place."
"My place?!" Natsu all about screamed as he tried to keep his voice low.
"I tolerate your presence because she wishes it," Loke responded, his tone dripping with condescension unknown to him, "but do not think that it means you have any right to her." He barked through clenched teeth as he struggled to keep a hushed volume, "Back off. Now!" He straightened to tower over Natsu, a thin light that radiated with the authority of the heavens glowing around him. His eyes hardened behind his glasses as the ground trembled under the weight of his energy. Loke let the sensation linger around him, feeling the pink haired man's growing magic crash against his own.
The flames burst on their own, engulfing Natsu as he pulled his arm back as he readied himself to throw the heated punch into Loke's face. The instance was quick, but the flames disappeared as quickly as they appeared when Natsu heard Lucy stir. He looked down at the sleeping woman's face, her eyes fluttering slightly with the threat of opening. His eyes twitched before they narrowed at Loke. "You and I aren't done here," he hissed through incensed teeth. The anger in his belly consumed him as Loke smirked before turning his back to the dragon slayer and walking away. Natsu tightened the fists by his side and the flames overwhelmed him, surrounding his body in a blinding rage he didn't bother to contain. The intensity of his rage grew with his lust, and he let it consume him with thoughts of removing the lion spirit from her side.
