CHAPTER FOUR
As Lucy gets ready, she thinks about the look on Laxus' face when she left him on the second floor of the guild. He looked…hurt? Was that the right word? Distressed? Aggrieved? Every time she closes her eyes, Lucy sees the way his eyes flashed when they talked about Natsu. Why does he care so much?
Lucy sighs heavily as she sets down her mascara and reaches for her rouge. Using her fingertip, she dabs the deep red color on her lips. She purses her lips at the mirror and smiles, satisfied with her makeup. Her eyes are dark and alluring, the chocolate brown of her eyes shrouded in dark shadow and eyeliner. She walks to her drawers and pulls out a new lingerie set, a black babydoll with floral lace and a mesh dress. She slips it on with a giddy smile and after tying the strings to her strappy heels around her ankle, she poses in front of her mirror.
"If Natsu doesn't want to make love to me in this, I don't know what the hell else to do." Lucy pouts at her reflection. She moves around her room to tidy up and light some candles, casting the room in a soft glow. With one last look in the mirror, she fluffs her loose hair out and spills it over her shoulders before smoothing down her bedsheets and stretching out on her side to wait for Natsu.
Five minutes later, he falls through her window and lands on Lucy in a painful heap.
"Natsu!" She pinches his side as he shakes his hair. "How many times do I have to tell you to use the door?"
"Sorry Luce, I—wow…you look…wow." Natsu's cheeks turn pink as he gazes down at Lucy. She smiles demurely, internally cheering at his reaction. Will she finally lose her virginity tonight?
Lucy drops her voice to a seductive whisper. "Do you like it?" She rubs her hand up his bare arm and arches her back a little, pushing her breasts out as she watches his eyes trail down her body. "I got ready just for you."
His onyx eyes flick back up to hers and he smiles, bending down to rub his nose against her cheek. "You didn't have to do all this for me, Luce."
Lucy's chest rises and falls in anticipation as she sneaks her hand down his chest and dips lower, lower, lower. She hooks her fingers in his pants and gives the waistband a soft tug.
Her lips are just spreading in a victorious smile when Natsu's hand catches her wrist.
"Natsuuuu," Lucy whines, her blood thrumming hot. "Don't tease me."
He grabs her arms and pushes them roughly to her sides. Lucy's breath catches at his aggression, her body tingling in anticipation. But instead of kissing her, Natsu pulls back and sits on the other side of Lucy's bed.
"W-what are you doing?" Lucy's voice cracks. "Don't you want me?"
"I… there's something I need to tell you, Luce." Natsu looks down, his salmon hair falling over his eyes.
The heat vanishes from Lucy's body and is replaced by dreadful cold. She frowns and tries to crawl towards him, but Natsu raises his hand between them.
"Natsu, what's going on?"
He lifts his gaze and Lucy just knows she's going to hate what comes out of his mouth.
"I slept with Lisanna."
Her ears are ringing. There's no way.
"You…what?" Surely she heard him wrong.
"I had sex with Lisanna." He rubs his palm against his face and looks at Lucy with regretful eyes. "The night I left, she came over, and it kind of just happened."
Lucy felt like someone had taken an ice cold poker and shoved it through her heart. A throbbing pain blossoms in her chest and tears fill her eyes.
"You had sex…with Lisanna." And just as fast as despair claimed her, so does anger. "You slept with Lisanna?! Was this before or after you left me a fucking note saying you were leaving? How could you, Natsu! She was one of my closest friends and you just—you just…fuck!"
"I'm so sorry, Luce. I swear I can make it up to you, just please don't be angry. I'd just lost Igneel and I was just so upset and she came over and she comforted me and it felt like when we were kids again, and I'm sorry!" Natsu's eyes fill with tears as he reaches for Lucy.
Lucy recoils. "Don't fucking touch me!"
Natsu flinches back. "I'm so—"
"Get out of my apartment! I don't want to see you! We're over!"
"Luc—"
"GET OUT!"
"Fine." Natsu hangs his head and crosses the room to the front door. "I really am sorry, Lucy. I love you."
"Out," Lucy says through gritted teeth.
Once she hears the soft click of the door closing, Lucy turns and heaves herself against her pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks, sobs ripping from her throat. She barely feels when Loke opens his own gate and wraps her in his arms.
"I've got you, Princess. I've got you." He rocks her back and forth and kisses her hair as she cries into his chest, uncaring of the makeup staining his white shirt.
It feels like forever before Lucy finally pulls away long enough to wipe the snot from her nose with the back of her hand. Loke pulls a handkerchief from his jacket and wipes at the dark tear tracks staining her cheeks as her sobs quieten to sniffles and hiccups. He tucks loose blonde strands behind her ear.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Loke rubs comforting circles on her back and Lucy's too distraught to care that she's nearly naked in front of her pervy lion spirit.
"I think…I think I just broke up with Natsu." Her voice is low, her throat raw from crying.
Loke's arms tighten around her. "What did he do?"
Fresh, hot tears spill down her cheeks. "He cheated on me." Lucy clutches Loke like a lifeline as she trembles and it's all Loke can do to keep from going after the pink-haired idiot and throwing him a cleverly aimed regulus punch to the crotch. "He slept with Lisanna. He slept with Lisanna and then he left me for a year."
Loke's hands grip the bottom of Lucy's babydoll, the material bunching in his fists as he growls. "I'll kill him."
In a flash, Lucy grabs Loke's chin and forces him to look her in the eye. "You will do no such thing." Loke opens his mouth to protest, but Lucy's wide eyes stop him. "I won't lose you over something like this."
Loke smiles, grabs her hand, and brings it to his lips. "I thought you were going to defend him."
"I'd kill him myself if I didn't love him." Lucy looks down and wipes her cheeks. "I'm so stupid."
"You're not. Natsu's the stupid one for losing such a treasure."
"You're just saying that…"
Loke grips her chin much like she did him earlier. "No. I mean it, Lucy. You are the single most beautiful person I have ever met. So beautiful inside and out."
Lucy's lips quiver into a smile and she hugs her lion tightly. "I love you, my lion."
"I love you too, Princess." He kisses her temple and runs his hands down her back, rubbing her lingerie between his fingers. "And I've gotta say, I'm really loving this look on you."
"Pervert!" She pushes him away from her and kicks him off the bed. Loke only grins.
"There's my fiery girl."
Lucy pouts and sniffs. "Shut up and pass me my robe."
Loke bounces to his feet and disappears into Lucy's bathroom before emerging with her satin robe. "Sooooo…drinks? I think you could really use a drink right now. Maybe some dancing to cheer you up. I'm more than happy to be your partner." He wiggles his eyebrows as he hands Lucy her robe.
"I look like a raccoon, I'm not going anywhere like this." She slips her arms through the robe and ties the knot at her waist, dabbing at her puffy under eyes.
"A very sexy raccoon," he winks. He catches the pillow Lucy launches at his head. "You know, I seem to remember this spirit that we both know who loves doing your hair and makeup…"
"I don't think I want to go anywhere, Loke." She curls herself on her bed, knees tucked under her chin. "I just want to lay here and cry until I have no tears left to give."
Loke rubs a hand over his face and sighs, walking over to sit on the edge of her bed. "Princess, I can't imagine the pain you're in, but I don't think it's the best idea for you to stay cooped up here. You should hang out with some of your friends, have a girls night, tell them what happened."
"How can I tell them about this? It's Natsu and Lisanna. Lisanna! Mira's sister and everyone's friend and they all knew her before me, what if they take her side, what if—"
"Lucy, you know our friends aren't like that…What about Laxus? You two are close." Loke pushes his sunglasses up his nose, hiding the knowing glint in his eyes.
Lucy makes a frustrated sound. "Why can't you just stay here and keep me company?"
"I have a date!" He grips the lapels of his jacket proudly.
Lucy rolls her eyes and huffs. "Of course you do. Weren't you just flirting with me 5 minutes ago?"
"No idea what you're talking about." He smiles sweetly, but he sighs soon after. "But really, Lucy, I don't want you to stay here alone."
Lucy groans into her pillow and grumbles, "Maybe I will go see Laxus. He invited me to his new club."
Loke grabs Lucy by the shoulders and shakes her excitedly. "You should go! Let loose, have some fun! Forget about you-know-who for a bit."
"Why are you so insistent that I go out, Loke? I just had my heart ripped to shreds and stepped on, I don't want to see another man for at least 24 hours." Lucy rolls over, dragging her blanket with her and trapping herself in a cotton burrito.
Loke ignores her comment about men and gently unrolls her from the blanket. "Lucy, please. Do it for me."
Her sad eyes meet his and she finally relents. "Fine, but can you ask Virgo if she can bring me a dress? This is supposed to be like a high-end burlesque club or something."
"Wait, really?"
"Oh, now you're interested in spending time with your keyholder?" Lucy throws another pillow at him as she rises from bed. He catches it and grins as she sits at her vanity and cleans up her makeup, and touches up her eyeliner and lips.
Lucy's thoughts run rampant as she brushes her hair. She's all cried out, and only a hollow ache in her chest remains. She doesn't want to believe Natsu did what he said, but he would never lie to her—his apparent cheating notwithstanding—and couple that with the way he's acted around her since he returned from his training year…Lucy's deep hurt is rapidly turning into spiteful anger. She will go out tonight and have a damn good time.
Virgo pops up behind her with a gorgeous royal blue mini dress. "Brother said you were going to a club, Princess."
Lucy jumps from her seat and hugs her maid spirit. "Virgo!" She accepts the dress and holds it in the air. "This dress is amazing!"
"Let's see you in it, gorgeous." Loke calls from her bed. Lucy's eyes narrow at him as he nuzzles into her pillow, but she leaves him alone. He held her while she cried her eyes out, it's only fair she let him succumb to his baser lion instincts and scent mark her bed. Just this once.
Lucy disappears into her bathroom and comes back out with the blue dress tight around her body, snug and perfect in every way. Loke lets out a low whistle and loosens his tie. "I change my mind, I'll stay here with you as long as you stay in the dress."
Virgo stands to the side, smiling slightly at her keyholder. Lucy turns to her but points at Loke. "Virgo, he needs punishment."
"Lucy how could you!" Loke screams as Virgo smirks deviously and launches herself at the lion spirit, both of them disappearing in a shower of sparkles.
Lucy sighs deeply and debates whether she really wants to go out. She looks at herself in the mirror and remembers how excited and confident she felt only two hours ago and it's that thought that incentivizes her. She's young, hot, and a great catch. And she's going to have fun tonight.
She messages Laxus on her lacrima phone and asks for his club's address. He responds immediately.
See you soon.
And from here on out, no more Nalu. It's Laxus' time to shine.