His lips made his way up my neck.
"I swear, this is the last time," I said through gritted teeth.
His smirk imprinted on my skin. "You know that's not true," he whispered in my ear.
I tangled my fingers into his dark, unruly hair and pulled, forcing crimson eyes to glare back at me. "Promise me, Gajeel." His smile turned dark and he pushed me further into the mattress.
"You know I don't keep promises, and neither do you"
I sighed. He was right. I don't. I never have.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Waking up in his bed.
In the beginning, it was just a drunk act. Both got too carried away to realize what was going on when it was over. I never did one night stands. Never made out with a stranger or go to a random bar in a random town. But that night, after another failed mission in a town a few days out of Magnolia, I just wanted to be somebody different, in a place where nobody knew who I was. Or what a failure I was.
I remember it was raining that night, and I still put on a tight, short skirt and a top that barely covered anything. Not that there was much to cover anyway. I let my hair loose. All i wanted was a good drink and maybe a good fuck. Something to get me out of this headspace.
I picked a bar off of the alleyway. Cigarette butts and empty beer cans littered the gravel and the sound of erotic noises came from behind the near by dumpster. I wasn't ID at the door, which was surprising since I seemed like a 12 year old most of the time. In fact, it didn't seem like there was any security or bouncers at all. Looking around the dimly lit room, my eyes crossed over patrons of all kinds. Many fit into the "Biker" scene with black leather and long hair. Blonde, tall legged women hung against many of the men's arms. Their breasts pushed against their arms, hoping for another free drink.
The bar itself ran against the far right wall. The back wall of it contained shelves with various liquors and bottles. Graffiti or stickers covered any open spots not hidden by glass. Two bartenders stood in between the hard wood bar top and a lower counter behind them. The lower counter consisted of mugs and glasses, as well as kegs full of various beers.
Turning to my left, the room was filled with various sized tables and chairs. Some hightops, some low. And in the farther back corner, were two billiards tables. Both being used. The room smelled of stale beer and cheap cigarettes. Music pulsated from an old jukebox in the corner, where a couple was currently in a heated kissing session. I felt myself let out a breath. And for the first time in a while, I actually felt calm.
No one seemed to have noticed me as I walked through, ducking arms and other patrons. I made my way through the throng of people and scurried up to a free stool in the corner of the bartop. I leaned myself forward, stretching to get a better view of the elixirs, even though I knew what I was going to drink.
One of the bartenders closest to me sauntered over. He was tall and slanky. Didn't seem like the type to work here. But maybe he has magic that makes him stronger than he looks. His green eyes looked down at me as he was polishing a glass.
"Now what's a little thing like you doing here?"
I stopped from rolling my eyes.
"I'm here for a drink. Hopefully you have something?"
His smile was cat-like. "We don't serve fruity drinks here. There's a bar-"
I cut him off. "I'll take a scotch. Double, straight."
His mouth thinned, and without a sound, he reached up and pulled a dark bottle off the shelf. He poured the amber liquid into a glass and produced it on the counter top with a 'thump'. I kept eye contact as I grasped the glass and brought it to my mouth. With one swig, it went down my throat and into the bottom of my stomach. I enjoyed the lingering burn and warmth it produced.
I brought the now empty glass back towards the bartender and placed it with the same amount of 'thump' on the bartop. Neither of us broke eye contact as I said, "Another." His mouth lifted in one corner. He poured another double and pushed the glass toward me. He then turned, and went to help another customer.
This glass, I sipped. As much as I wanted to drink, I would rather do it methodically. The less I throw up, the better. While nursing my glass, I glanced around the room. It seemed like your typical dive bar. These were my favorite places if I wanted to be incognito. Before I finished my second drink, another glass with a darker liquid was placed in front of me. I looked up at the same bartender, and before I could open my mouth, he said, "It's from another. The one across the bar."
My eyebrow raised in confusion. That's obtuse. There were many people across the bar. Seems he didn't want me to know which specific one. I picked up the glass and brought it to my nose. It was fragrant but not harsh like most liquors I've had. It didn't seem to be poisoned or toxic. Luckily, I did train myself in how to decipher poisons.
I was about to bring the lip of the cup to mine when a thought hit me. Doesn't this mean i'm down to fuck whoever bought me this? Isn't that like a secret club signal lovers use? I felt my hands start to sweat. Was I prepared for whatever the outcome is going to be? My left hand gripped the edge of my skirt. I could do this. What harm could there be? I don't have to do anything I don't want to.
I took the plunge and swallowed the liquid. It was thin, like water. But the taste was extraordinary. It was sweet, like honeysuckle. With just the slight amount of acidity from the alcohol. I felt warm, without the burning after effect. The smell gave a calming effect over my body. I let out a sweet sigh. I could feel my cheeks heat up.
This drink was fantastic. I never had anything like this in my life. And somehow, it was in this little bar down a darkened alleyway. I placed the glass back on the countertop, near the bartender. He picked up the glass.
"How was it?"
I let out another sweet sigh and rested my cheek in my hand.
"It was absolutely wonderful. What was that? I've never tasted anything like it before."
Before he could answer, a deep voice next to me did for him.
"Gihihi. It's called Fairy Dust. Funny how someone so small could handle that."
I turned my head to the voice next to me and there he was.
He was massive. At least, compared to me he was massive but he was still bigger than the average man. His form cast a shadow over me. My eyes trailed up his body, and came to be fixed on piercing red eyes. His hair was messy but pushed back. Black locks cascaded past his shoulders and down his back. Light reflected off of what seemed to be small metal pins that arranged themselves on his forearms. More adorned his face. He was definitely in shape. HIs muscles rippled down his arms that were exposed from a black vest he wore. He rested his elbow on the bartop and the other on his knee. He looked down at me with curiosity.
I felt frozen for a moment, until I realized where I was. I blinked a few times.
"Um. Hello?"
He nodded in response.
"Um. Okay. I'm gonna take it that you picked this drink for me?"
He gave me a half smile. "Seems like you're smart enough to figure that out. My question is, how the hell did you handle that so easily?"
I looked at him dumbfounded. Did he think that i was dumb and i couldn't handle my liquor? "Just because I'm small, doesn't mean I can't handle my alcohol. It wasn't that hard to drink."
"That's not exactly what I meant. This isn't just any liquor. This is hardcore stuff. It's quite rare. They say only 100 barrels of this were made. Legend has it that the divine fairies loved this drink so much, they gave it their blessing. But with each blessing, there's a curse."
My eyes widened. Who the hell gives someone they don't even know, a cursed drink? A smirk graced his lips. I feel like he was playing with me.
"What curse?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "No one knows. It's different every time. No two people have the same outcome."
I looked back at the glass and then back at him. "How will I know if I am?"
"We will just have to wait and see."
"I feel like your fucking with me."
His lip curled. "Maybe. But you won't exactly know. Not for a little bit anyway."
I wanted to hit my head off the countertop. Who exactly was this guy? What did he want with me?
"Hey! I'll take a beer and get her whatever she's having," his called towards the bartender. He barely gave a nod as he placed a full keg and another double scotch in between us. He lifted the keg and swung his arm out in a cheer. "To us!," he yelled. He tipped his cup back and took a few hearty gulps.
I looked at my glass and then back at him. "Who the fuck even are you?"
He wiped his mouth with his free hand and looked over. "Who's asking?"
I frowned in annoyance. "Me."
"And who's me?"
"I'm not telling you my real name."
"Well then neither am I," he agreed.
God damn it! I rolled my eyes and reached down to my purse. I grabbed a handful of jewels and tossed them on the countertop. Both the bartender and the weirdo looked at me. I hopped off the barstool and turned my back on them.
"Have a nice life. I'm out."
"Where the hell do you think you're going!?"
I waved my hand back in response. There were plenty of other places I could go. No reason for me to stay and be bothered. I exited through the same door, and stepped out into the cool alleyway. It felt several degrees cooler than inside the bar. I trekked my way back to the main street. Before I reached the sidewalk, a huge figure stood before me, and it was not the man inside.
"What's someone so small being out so late?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Like I've never heard that one before. I tried to step around him, but his figure followed my steps and stopped me again.
"Hey! I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me." He reached out and grabbed my arm. His grip was tight, and I hissed in response. This was getting annoying. What is it with men thinking they can do whatever they want with me?
"Hey ugly! Let her go." Of course he's coming to my rescue. Why can't people just let me do stuff on my own. My fist clenched. I barely heard what they said as they bickered.
"Hey! Will both of you just shut up." They both looked down at me.
The one holding me snickered. "What are you gonna do about it?" I looked up at him. I was so done with this. Maybe it was the alcohol or just my own self hatred. But I was so over this. I lifted my right left into his groin with as much force as I had. When he felt the impact, his grip left my arm and went right to his junk. I then brought my right leg again to his thigh and started to push. At the same time, I grabbed his arm and twisted my whole body. The momentum allowed me to flip him over my back and landed him right on the gravel.
The wind came right out of him and he seemed to struggle to breath. I twisted the arm and he let out a howl of pain. "Uncle!" he cried. I finally let go and raised my head. Down the alleyway stood him. With a look of admiration on his face. A few patrons of the bar also watched the scene play out. One whistled at my actions.
I started into the red eyes looking back at me. Something sparked between us. I can't remember what it was but a shiver went down my spine. I turned on my heel and left the alleyway.
I had only made it a few blocks down when I heard a voice behind me.
"That was some throw there short stuff."
My shoulders dropped and I turned toward him.
"What do you want now?"
"Gihihi. Oh don't be like that. I know you missed me."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah sure. I'm sure you say that to all the ladies."
"And it works every time."
I scoffed. "Tell me something. What is it that you want with me? We don't even know each other."
He took a few steps toward me. "We don't need to know each other to hang out. I can tell what you're looking for."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not looking fo-."
"You're looking for something to help you not feel shitty," he said, cutting me off. I bit my lower lip.
"I can smell it on you. Your scent has traces of regret and frustration. How can someone so small emit that much scent?"
I looked away. "It's not any of your business."
He chuckled. "I know it's not. That's not what I'm looking for. I'm not looking for your whole life story. I don't care who you are or what you've done."
"Then what are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for a good time. And I can tell that you're looking for an escape. I figure we can both help each other out."
I looked at him. This man, who supposedly gave me a cursed drink, and who I know nothing about, is looking for a one night stand? We don't even know each other. I have my fair share of sexual experience but those were actual relationships.
"I don't have any diseases if that's what you're worried about."
His voice brought me out of my thoughts. He stood only a few feet away; his hands in his pockets and him leaning against the nearest light pole. Funny that was one of the things furthest from my mind. I didn't even think about that until he brought it up. I crossed my arms. I didn't know what to do. I've never planned for this situation; and I plan for every situation.
"Listen. Why don't we go back to my place. I have a good amount of alcohol and we can just kick back. We don't have to do anything neither of us want. And if we fuck, then we fuck. Simple as that."
I took a deep breath in. Do it. If you don't like it, then you can leave. I exhaled.
"Fine. But if it sucks then I'm leaving." He gave me a cocky smile.
"Deal. Now let's get going shortstack." He turned on his heel and started down the sidewalk. I puffed out my cheeks at the nickname and started following.
"I'm not that short!"
He laughed.
I do not own Fairytale or any of the characters. Let me know what you think!
