Loke woke up the following morning. He woke up in high spirits – he couldn't help but grin like a lovestruck fool. The previous day, he discovered his past and the answer to the recurring dreams he had been having. And the best part? He found the one his heart had been calling for – he had found the love of his life, again. Picking up his phone, he sent a quick message to the object of his affections.
Loke: Good morning beautiful 😊
It didn't take too long for Lucy to reply. It seemed that she was already up.
Lucy: Good morning my love 3 You're up rather early.
Loke's heart immediately warmed from that one sentence.
Loke: I couldn't sleep anymore. I'm just too excited and wanted to see if I could see you today.
Lucy: Aww...miss me already? Lol. I'd love to see you too, but I gotta go to work for a few hours. Maybe after? I should be free at noon. We can get some lunch and then do whatever after.
Loke: Ah reality...not the same as our previous lives huh?
Lucy: Well...we still did have to work back then...
Loke: True...but I do miss being able to freely pop in and visit you...
Lucy: Well, you can't do that anymore now, can you? Lol.
Loke: No, I cannot
Lucy: Don't frown... I'll see you later, okay? Can meet me in front of my workplace, Fairy Heart, at noon.
Loke was surprised that his girlfriend worked at the most well-known magazine company in Magnolia, but he should have known. Lucy from their previous lives always aimed high, so he shouldn't have been that surprised.
Loke: Alright, sounds good. Don't work too hard 😉
Lucy: Lol, I'll try. I'll see you soon!
After her last text, Loke figured she probably went to finish getting ready for work. He didn't want to bother her and make her late either. He put his phone back on the nightstand and laid back down in his bed. Loke stared at the ceiling, wondering what he could do for the next few hours. It was still too early in the day and nothing was open right now, not for another 2 hours or so. He couldn't sleep anymore either. His stomach rumbled, giving Loke something to do now; he chuckled to himself.
"Well, I guess I'll go make myself something to eat."
He got out of bed and went to brush his teeth and wash his face. When he was done, he made his bed and then went to the kitchen to prepare himself some breakfast.
After having eaten and cleaning up his dishes, Loke was now currently in his living room reading a book he had recently picked up. It was one of the latest releases from one of his favorite authors, Makarov Dreyar. He loved all his books and when he saw that there was a new book from him, Loke couldn't help but purchase it. Makarov was a best-selling author in Magnolia, in all of Fiore to be exact. His books always topped the list of Magnolia's monthly top 10 reads. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall across from where he sat – it was just past 10:45 AM. He stood up, giving his arms and legs a good stretch. He placed a bookmark into his book, marking where he left off.
"Such a good book," he murmured to himself as he placed the novel back onto the coffee table.
He went to his bedroom to get dressed. He settled on black jeans paired with a black top and a white denim jacket. He glanced at himself in the mirror and felt that his outfit was lacking something. He rummaged through a small drawer that housed his accessories and found a medium-sized silver cross-shaped pendant attached to a silver chain. He put the necklace on and examined himself once more in the mirror. Satisfied with his appearance, he quickly applied some gel to his hair, styling it in a messy, but well-kept manner. He then went downstairs and put on a pair of black casual dress shoes before stepping out of his home. He got into his red sports car, started the engine and drove off to his destination.
Loke decided to wander around Magnolia Central Mall to kill some time until noon. He arrived at the mall a little after 11:15 AM and didn't want to look like a stalker of some sort waiting in front of Fairy Heart. The magazine company wasn't too far from the mall; in fact, it was just a block away. As he was wandering around the mall, his eyes suddenly caught sight of something shiny – it shone brightly under the mall lights. He made his way towards the item that caught his eye. It was a beautiful gold necklace with a star-shaped pendant outlined with diamonds all around the edges. Paired with that necklace was a stunning pair of pearl-drop earrings with a golden star as its centerpiece. He knew right away that these would be perfect for his girlfriend. He went into the jewellery store to make a purchase.
Noon arrived shortly and Loke was now in front of Magnolia's top magazine company, Fairy Heart, waiting for Lucy. He had a small pink bag in his hand, debating if it was too soon to give a gift to his girlfriend. Even though they technically have known each other for a long time, in this world, they have only known each other for a few days. They may share a connected past, but their present selves were not exactly the same as their past selves. In the midst of his internal struggle, a female figure approached him.
"Hey, been waiting long?" she asked.
Loke snapped out his thoughts and looked up from where he was sitting. In front of him was Lucy, the woman he had just met and yet, has known forever and was and now deeply in love with. He smiled.
"Not long," Loke answered, "arrived a few minutes ago actually."
Lucy smiled and her eyes caught sight of the small pink bag Loke had in his hand. "What's that?"
Loke glanced at the bag in his hand, blushing slightly. "Oh…it's uh…something I got for you…"
Lucy blushed and looked down shyly. "You…didn't have to get me anything…"
Loke looked at his girlfriend and smiled. He stood up and handed the bag to her. Lucy accepted it and looked at him, silently asking if she could open it. He nodded. She pulled out a light blue box from the bag and opened it. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched when she saw what was in it.
"Oh Loke…" she said breathlessly, "you shouldn't have…"
She was stunned with the choice of jewellery Loke had got for her. It was beautiful and she had no words to say to show him how much she loved it. She put the box back in the bag and stepped closer to him, placing a tender kiss on his lips.
"Thank you, Loke," Lucy said, smiling, "I really love it."
Loke smiled. "I'm glad. I saw the set at the jewellery store and immediately thought of you."
Lucy smiled and took Loke's hand into hers. "Well, I'm all yours now. What would you like to do?"
Loke thought for a moment. "How about lunch? I'm sure you're hungry."
Her stomach rumbled in response, leaving Lucy blushing. Loke chuckled.
"Lunch it will be then," he said, amusement in his voice, "what does my princess feel like?"
Lucy placed a thoughtful finger to her lip, thinking of what she wanted to eat. "How about some Thai food?"
"Hmm, haven't had Thai in a while...I'm game," Loke answered with approval.
"Great!" Lucy said excitedly, "unfortunately, there isn't one near here. Just in the mall, but it's pretty good. Are you okay with that?"
"Anything is fine by me as long as I get to spend some time with you," Loke said as he looked at his girlfriend lovingly.
Lucy smiled. Her heart swelled with love for the man standing beside her. "I feel the same way."
He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Well, shall we go, princess?"
"We shall," Lucy replied, smiling, as the two of them began to make their way towards Magnolia Central Mall.
After getting their food, the pair found a quiet booth in the corner to eat their lunch. Lucy had ordered some mildly spiced chicken pad Thai with an iced tea, while Loke decided on some spicy coconut rice curry with beef, also with an iced tea. Lucy's stomach rumbled again, and she swore Loke had heard it (he had raised an eyebrow at her earlier), despite the noise surrounding them in the food court.
"This looks so good!" Lucy said once she had settled into her seat, "you'd be surprised with how good this is, even though it's mall food."
Loke laughed. "I'll take your word for it."
Lucy picked up some chicken and noodles with her fork and began to eat her lunch. Loke gave his food a little stir and then picked up a spoonful of rice, curry, beef and a bit of vegetables and put it in his mouth.
"Wow! This is really good!" Loke said after he swallowed. He was impressed.
Lucy winked. "Told you."
"I think they should open up a restaurant," he stated, "they definitely don't belong in the mall."
Lucy took another bite of her food. "I don't think they plan to. They seem pretty happy here."
Loke glanced at the Thai place and saw how happy the employees were; they seemed right at home where they were. "I guess you're right about that."
The two of them continued eating in silence. They were both just finishing their meals when Lucy spoke up.
"Hey...can I ask you something?" she asked.
Loke had just finished eating and put his spoon down on a napkin. "Go ahead, shoot."
"Do you have a last name now?" Lucy continued, "I know back then you didn't have one as you were a spirit."
Loke chuckled. "That was a random question."
Lucy cheeks warmed up, a shade of pink faintly dusting her cheeks. "Sorry...I was just curious..."
"Fair enough," he said and smiled, "and if you must know, it's Carlyle. Loke Carlyle is my name."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Carlyle? You mean, Carlyle as in... Carlyle Enterprises?"
Loke nodded. "Yes, I am the son of Grayson Carlyle, current CEO and president of Carlyle Enterprises."
Lucy couldn't believe it. Carlyle Enterprises was a big name in Magnolia. The company specialized in construction and entertainment. Almost all the big buildings in Magnolia were owned and constructed by this company, including the mall they were currently in. Anyone who wanted to enter the entertainment industry would become successful if they were represented by Carlyle Enterprises – however, they do not just accept anybody. They had to meet their credentials and expectations. After all, most of the city's popular TV shows, dramas and movies were produced and created by this company. She had heard that Grayson Carlyle had a son, but she had never seen him in public or during interviews and conferences. She expected that the son of the president and CEO to at least make an appearance during interviews or conferences. She has had the honour of attending his interviews and conferences and she has never, ever seen Loke at any of those events. Now that Lucy thought about it, Loke did bear some similarities to the president and CEO.
"I... uh..." Lucy was speechless. She didn't know what to say – she was not expecting this.
Loke grinned. "You were not expecting that were you?"
She shook her head. "But I've never seen you before. I've been to your father's interviews and conferences and never once, have I seen you make a public appearance."
"I uh...ran away from home..." Loke answered sheepishly.
Lucy looked at Loke, speechless. Then she laughed. "You did the exact same thing I did back in the past."
Loke rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah...I guess I did."
"Does...your father know you're back in Magnolia?" Lucy asked.
"He does...and he was not pleased that I was gone for 5 years. Same with my mother. I didn't hear the end of it," he answered as he cringed at the memory of his parents nagging at him.
"May I ask...why you ran away from home?"
"Same reason why you did it back then. To live. To be free. Plus, I didn't want to start learning about taking over the business at the time."
Lucy took a sip of her iced tea. "I understand. I remember feeling that way back then."
Loke smiled as he picked up his drink. Taking a sip, he let the cool liquid simmer down the heat and dryness in his mouth and throat. "But it was worth it. I got to experience living my life. A normal one, not one filled with riches and fancy parties and meetings."
"I'm guessing you left home with nothing but the clothes on your back and a backpack," she mused.
"Yeppers. I had to earn my own living. I didn't want to rely on my parents or my heritage. I wanted to do it all on my own," Loke said proudly.
"So, I'm guessing...you really did win that car from a scratch and win?"
"Yeah, I really did. No one bought it for me. That was just a stroke of pure luck."
Lucy laughed. "Do you live on your own, or at your parents' estate?"
"On my own actually," he replied, "I have a sweet single detached home, which I bought with the help of my parents. What about you? Obviously, you must live on your own."
Lucy thought back to the day where she found Loke waiting outside her house. "Yeah, I do."
She looked down at her drink and absentmindedly stirred it with her straw, a question on the tip of her tongue. She knew the lives of the luxurious. She once lived in one before.
"You want to know if I'm engaged or anything right?" Loke suddenly asked.
Lucy looked up, surprised, and nodded.
Loke smiled. "No, I'm not," and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, "my parents are not that way. They believe in real love and want me to find someone I love and someone that will love me for me, not for money. They do not believe in a marriage for convenience or one that benefits our family. In fact, they were glad I disappeared for years and never made any public appearances. They would have had many offers from prominent businesses offering their daughters' hand in marriage. And frankly, I'm not interested in any of that."
He reached out, grabbing Lucy's free hand on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I love you, and no one is ever going to take you away from me."
Lucy looked at the man across from her and smiled warmly at him. "I love you too."
Loke smiled and withdrew his hand. "Speaking of names, I was surprised that you wound up being a Heartfilia again."
Lucy laughed. "I didn't even think about that. Now that you mention it, it is funny I wound up being a Heartfilia again."
"Is your life the same as before?" Loke asked. He knew about the Heartfilia's in his present life. His family's company does business together with the Heartfilia's every so often.
Lucy shook her head. "Even though I am descended from a powerful and wealthy family, my life is not the same as before. I have a little more freedom this time as my older brother is meant to take over the Heartfilia Conglomerate and not me. I'm able to live my life as I please, but I am still required to attend formal events and all."
Loke's eyes twinkled in excitement. "I bet you look stunning at those events."
Lucy snorted. "Well, you missed out. You know Carlyle Enterprises and the Heartfilia Conglomerate are close business partners."
He smiled mischievously. "I'm sure I'll get my chance to see you at those events."
"Maybe," she teased.
Loke laughed. "Now it's my turn to ask, are you engaged to anyone?"
"No, I am not," Lucy answered and Loke's shoulder's slumped in relief, "but my parents do believe in marriage for the benefit of the company..."
"Oh..."
"However, they are also not opposed to me finding my own love either. They won't force me to marry someone I do not love. And... since the man I love is also the son of one of my family's main business partners, it seems everyone wins."
Loke laughed. "That's right... I guess everyone will win in this case."
Lucy smiled. "Anyways...what do you want to do now?"
Loke looked down at the dishes and cups. It seemed that had finished a while ago and hadn't realized it. "I don't know...do you feel like going for a stroll through the mall?"
"Sure, I wouldn't mind doing a little shopping if I see something I like," Lucy answered as she placed her used dishes and utensils onto her tray.
"Here, let me," Loke said as he added his used dishes and utensils onto her tray, placing his tray underneath. He stood up, trays in one hand and another extending towards her, "shall we?"
Lucy smiled and accepted the proffered hand. She stood up, wrapping her fingers snugly in between his. She slung her purse on her shoulder and grabbed the small pink bag with her free hand. Together, they made their way out of the food court, stopping near the cleaning station to deposit their trays on a rack.
They had only wandered through the mall for less than an hour and Lucy had already made quite a few purchases. Loke had 8 shopping bags, 6 in one hand and 2 slung over his shoulder, while his other held onto Lucy's hand.
"Lucy, if you get anymore, I don't think I can keep holding onto your hand..." Loke said exasperatedly.
"You don't have to keep holding my hand," she said as she attempted to free herself from his grasp, but failed in the end, "I'm not going anywhere."
He pouted. "But I like holding your hand..."
"I do too..." Lucy said and smiled, squeezing his hand, "and lucky for you, I think I'm done shopping for today. There's no other stores I want to go to."
"Thank God..." Loke muttered.
Lucy laughed. They had just passed by an arcade and play zone and when Loke had an idea; it had been a while since he last set foot in one.
"Want to go in there?" he asked as he used their joined hands to point in the direction of what he was referring to.
Lucy glanced in the direction her boyfriend had indicated. A huge grin was then plastered across her face. "I haven't been to one in ages! Let's go!"
Loke smiled widely. "I think this place has lockers where you can put your stuff in if you were shopping. I'll go see if I can get one. Wait here."
He placed a quick kiss on Lucy's cheek before venturing into the arcade play zone to inquire about a locker. While Lucy was waiting, she spotted an old friend of hers wandering nearby.
"Gray!" she shouted as she waved.
The male looked up and waved. He walked over towards her.
"Lucy! Long time no see!" Gray said and smiled once he approached her.
"Same here! How have you been?" she asked the blacked-haired male standing in front of her.
"I've been good. Been working a lot lately though," he replied, "we're so short staffed at the fire department. I finally have a week off now though."
"Nice! You deserve it," Lucy said and smiled, "anyways, what brings you – "
"Lucy!" Loke called as he made his way towards the pair.
Lucy turned to the sound of Loke's voice. The ginger-haired male approached them, his eyes on the dark-haired male. The man in front of him looked very familiar.
"Loke! Did you manage to find a locker?" Lucy asked.
"I sure did, beautiful," he answered as he wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist, and he looked at the dark-haired male near them, "what's going on here?"
Lucy looked at Gray. "Oh, this is an old friend of mine here and we're simply just catching up."
Gray introduced himself and extended a hand towards Loke. "I'm Gray. It's nice to meet you."
Loke reached out and shook Gray's hand. "I'm Loke, Lucy's boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Gray asked and looked at Lucy.
Lucy nodded. "He is my boyfriend."
Gray frowned. "Last time we met up, you were still single...that was like...a few months ago."
"Yeah well..." Lucy said as she scratched her cheek, "a lot can happen in a few months..."
"That it can..." Loke said in agreeance.
"I see," Gray said, "well good for you, Lucy. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks, Gray."
"Anyways, I best be – " Gray started, but then stopped.
"Gray, my darling! Where are you?" a female voice called.
"Oh no," he yelped as his complexion paled.
"Juvia?" Lucy asked.
Gray nodded. "Don't tell her you saw me, okay? I'll see you later, Lucy." He then turned to Loke. "It was nice meeting you, Loke."
Loke nodded. "Same to you."
Lucy giggled. "I won't tell her. Now go."
Gray nodded as he booked it as fast as he could. Not long after Gray left, a blue-haired woman appeared and approached them.
"Love rival," she greeted.
Lucy sighed. "For the last time, Juvia, Gray and I are friends. Just. Friends."
"Love rival will always be Juvia's love – " she started, but then stopped when she saw another man next to Lucy, who currently had an arm wrapped around her waist. She grinned widely, "I guess you are no longer Juvia's love rival now."
She squealed in delight. "Juvia will get my darling Gray to look her way for sure now!"
She skipped off in the direction Gray had gone earlier, humming happily to herself. Loke chuckled.
Lucy looked at Loke curiously. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing really," he replied, "it's just...this has happened before."
"Before? What do you mean?" Lucy asked.
"Back in our previous lives, there was a water mage that was totally into an ice mage," Loke answered, "come to think of it...those two from earlier do kind of look like them from our past..."
"You mean Gray and Juvia?" Lucy asked and Loke nodded, "now that I think about it...they do look like them. They even share the same names. Do you...do you think they got a second chance at life too?"
"Maybe..." Loke concluded, "but I'm not sure. I feel like it can't be a coincidence...I'm wondering if anyone else from our past lives got reborn into this world, just like us."
"I wonder about that too now...my memories of the past are still a bit hazy, but I do remember our old friends and such," Lucy said.
Loke nodded. The pair went silent for a moment before Loke spoke.
"Anyways, want to have some fun?"
Lucy smiled. She grabbed Loke's hand and pulled him towards the arcade and play zone. "Yeah! Let's go!"
They were in the arcade and play zone for nearly 3 hours. Loke and Lucy were enjoying themselves so much that they had lost track of time. What reminded them of the time was their stomachs rumbling, indicating that it was around dinner time.
"I guess we overdid it," Lucy said and laughed.
Loke glanced at their collection of tickets. They had to get two baskets to carry it. "I think we definitely did. There's got to be enough to claim the top prize."
"Only one way to find out," Lucy said, "let's go cash in our tickets. I think I'm ready to go now anyways."
Loke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"I'm all gamed out in all honesty," she replied and laughed, "aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am. Let's go see what we won."
Lucy took one basket and Loke took the other. They went to the prize booth. Loke began to feed his basket of tickets into one ticket counter and Lucy fed the other basket of tickets into another counter.
"How many you got?" Loke asked when a piece of paper printed from the machine he was at.
A piece of paper printed from the machine Lucy was using. "1210. You?"
"1150," Loke answered, "that makes...2,360. That's a whole lot of tickets! We really overdid it."
Lucy laughed. "We definitely did."
They went to the prize counter and gave the slips to the attendant. She went to the back and returned shortly with a massive stuffed panda – it was almost as tall as her.
"There you are," the attendant said as she placed the panda on the counter with difficulty, "congratulations!"
"Thanks," Loke said as he grabbed the stuffed animal, "here, for you."
Lucy grabbed the stuffed panda from Loke. "It's huge! I can barely see where I'm going. It's super soft though."
"Here, I'll carry it. We just need to get our things from the locker," Loke stated and took the bear back, "do you mind a little heavy lifting?"
Lucy raised a blonde eyebrow. "Heavy lifting? That bear weighs next to nothing and what I bought today won't even break sweat."
Loke chuckled. "No need to get so serious, gorgeous."
Lucy blushed. "Bottom line, I'm fine with carrying some things."
"I was only trying to be a gentleman," he added.
"I know," she smiled and gave Loke a peck on his cheek, "where are the lockers?"
"Not far from here. Follow me," Loke said as he headed towards the other end of the arcade and play zone.
Lucy followed her boyfriend to the lockers. He unlocked the lock, opening the locker. Lucy grabbed her shopping bags, closing the door to the locker behind her. She and Loke then proceeded to leave the mall.
"Did you drive to work today?" Loke asked as they made their way to one of the entrances of the mall.
"I had to take a cab today," Lucy said and frowned, "my car is currently at my family's mechanical shop."
"You're a Heartfilia, and you didn't have another vehicle you could have used?" Loke asked incredulously.
"I'm not one to flaunt what I have, Loke."
He flashed her a cheeky grin. "Neither am I."
Lucy laughed. She followed Loke into the parkade and then to where he had parked his car. He unlocked his car and opened the door to the back passenger seat, placing the obscenely large panda on the seat. He gestured to the opposite side of the car.
"It's open. You can put your things beside this bear. I'll give you a ride back as well."
Lucy nodded and went to the other side of the car. Opening the door, she placed her purchases and Loke's gift on the back seat, beside the giant panda plush. She then got into the front passenger seat and Loke got into the driver's seat shortly after. He started the car and left the mall, heading back to Lucy's home.
When they arrived, they found some strange men in black suits patrolling the area. Lucy got out of the car and the men in black suits bowed, their right hand over the left side of their chests.
"My lady," one of them said before rising.
Loke got out of the car next and went to stand beside her. The men in black whipped out their guns and Loke's eyes widened in surprise. He put his hands up, indicating that he was neither a threat to Lucy nor to the men before them.
"It's okay. He's not an enemy. I'm fine," Lucy said calmly to the men in black, "thank you for patrolling the area while I was away. You may all go home now."
"Ma'am!" they all said in unison and bowed once again before taking their leave.
Loke watched as they climbed into a massive black, and rather heavy looking, vehicle and drove away.
Lucy turned to her boyfriend and apologized. "...Sorry about that, Loke. I forgot to mention to you that I have personal bodyguards that go where I go and, also watch over the area when I'm away from home..."
"You do?" Loke asked, perplexed, "I didn't see any of them today...well, aside from just now."
Lucy laughed nervously. "Well...the men my family hired are rather skilled in the art of camouflage...they were in the mall with us..."
"Really?" he asked. He didn't really like the idea of that; how can he have any alone time with his girlfriend then?
"I know what you're thinking," Lucy said as if she had read his mind, "I can send them away if need be. Although my father wouldn't be thrilled with that, but he'll have to deal with it. I get that he is trying to protect me, but to have bodyguards following me everywhere is a bit much if you ask me."
Loke couldn't help but agree with her father. Lucy was the only daughter of one of Magnolia's most wealthy and powerful families and anything could happen to her. "I can understand your father's sentiments."
"Plus, I can take care of myself," Lucy added proudly.
Loke raised a curious eyebrow. The Lucy he knew from his past was more than capable of taking care of herself, but the Lucy in the present day? He wasn't sure. "Magic doesn't exist in this time, you know."
Lucy snorted. "I know that. If you must know, I've taken plenty of self-defence classes. I also do not leave without a means to defend myself."
She raised her skirt and revealed a sheathed dagger strapped to the side of her upper thigh. Loke's eyes widened at the sight. He did not expect to see that. And to his added surprise, he found that hot.
"Have you ever had to use it?" Loke asked and frowned as Lucy lowered her skirt. He was liking the view.
"No, it's a last resort," Lucy said, "I'm skilled enough at hand-to-hand combat and I also carry some pepper spray in my purse. The dagger is only to be used if I'm really stuck and need to inflict some non-life-threatening damage for me to get away and call the police and my father. And thankfully, I've never had to get to that point. Usually, my family's men take care of it. Or I do."
"I take it you had to defend yourself a few times?" Loke asked.
Lucy nodded. "I sure have."
He had to admit, he was impressed. "You sure are something."
Lucy smiled proudly. "I'm a lot better at kicking ass than I was before."
He moved closer to her and enveloped her in his arms. She looked up as he looked at her, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses and an amused smile gracing his lips. "I do not doubt that."
He tilted his head down and captured Lucy's expectant lips with his own. They have kissed many times in their previous lives, but to Loke, it felt like it was their first time. It felt the same to Lucy as well. A rumbling sound was heard, distracting them from their shared moment. Lucy looked at Loke with an amused expression, his cheeks tinting a shade of pink.
She giggled. "Hungry?"
"Yeah…" Loke replied and chuckled, "I suppose I should head home and make dinner...I'll...see you later?"
Lucy nodded and Loke gave her a quick peck on her cheek. His hand lingered on her cheek before he slowly turned around to head to his car. Lucy grabbed his wrist, making him turn back around.
"What's up?" he asked.
She was looking down at the ground, debating if she should ask him. She didn't want him to leave just yet. Looking up, she asked, "Do you…want to stay and have dinner together?"
Loke's eyes softened and he smiled. "I'd love to."
Lucy broke out into a huge grin. "Great! I must tell you, I'm a great cook."
"So am I," he also said, "I'll have to cook for you next time."
"It's a deal," Lucy said and smiled, "come on, let's head inside."
She reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers through his and together, made their way inside Lucy's house to prepare and enjoy dinner together.
A/N: Ta da! Chapter 4 is complete and officially up =) I'm actually surprised the emoticons stuck too lol. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'll start working on the next chapter of Star Crossed soon