A/N: Semester finals are over and I am proud to say that I did really good (even with so much procrastination). I want to continue to get good marks in my classes (esp. AP) and I'm trying to search online for junior scholarships now, so I have to really focus on the essays and AP stuff and whatnot.

For now...happy reading!

Decoding

Laxus Dreyar was entirely too many things: too hot, too rich, too manipulating. And he has his sights set out for a certain, unsuspecting Heartfillia.

Chapter Thirteen

Party Animals

Lucy stood in front of her full-length mirror and tugged at her attire. It was a simple black skirt that came down mid-thigh with a black camisole to match, and then she threw on a light, beat-up red leather jacket. The Aguria heiress' party was just an hour away and in truth, she was nervous. All of the parties she's ever been to were formal and very business-esque; she could only wonder and fear what a gathering of teens inside a mansion with, no doubt, plenty of alcohol will ensue.

She eyed the pink device resting at the corner of her bed warily. The party had slipped her mind a couple of days ago and she'd forgotten to mention it to her bluenette friend when she had the chance—Angel had insured her that she was allowed to invite anyone else she desired if it would make her feel better—and as she hastily texted Levy of the party just a few minutes ago, she feared it was too late to ask.

The pink cell beeped once, indicating that she received a text.

"The party sounds fun! I wish I could go, but ... I kind of have already made plans with Gajeel-san...

-Levy M."

Lucy widened her eyes in disbelief. Immediately, she messaged back.

"Gajeel? The rude biker? HOW?"

While she waited anxiously for a reply, she pulled her blond hair in a high ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way.

"I met him again at that one coffee shop by Fairy Hills Library and asked him out for coffee since he did save us and all. I wanted thank him properly ... NOTHING MORE I SWEAR!

-Levy M."

Even through the text, Lucy could clearly see that her friend was flustered. However, she'd never peg that guy to be someone who would enjoy sitting down with a cup of coffee in a small coffee shop, nor did she even expect him to take Levy's offer, but that just proved that looks can be deceiving... Lucy sighed; this just meant that her bluenette friend wouldn't be joining her. A part of her wanted to bail and just stay home, but the other didn't want to hurt the sweet heiress' feelings. Angel did claim that she was her first friend, too...and she was not about to turn that down.

"Alright, but be safe...If that biker tries anything, run!"

She was aware that she was being overprotective, but sometimes she worry for Levy. The cute and petite girl always seem to attract attention from colourful individuals—as evident in Jet and Droy, who both proved themselves to be the bluenette's very own cheer squad whenever she would encounter a problem that was remotely difficult and needed a few minutes of thinking. Those two were odd, but, they were nice. With Gajeel, however... Her phone beeped again.

"I will, Lu-chan! And I promise I'll go to the next party you invite me to~ see you at school next week!

-Levy M."

Lucy messaged back a 'see you' before flopping face down on her small bed and racked her brain for anyone else who would be free to come with her. The Strauss siblings were out of the equation, and Erza would flip at the mere mention of a large gathering with people she did not know and very likely would give the blond hell for it. Lucy shuddered, not wanting to be at the end of the redhead's wrath, and thought of her male friends. She knew Gray wouldn't mind, but as she recalled from Natsu, he was out (although unwillingly) visiting his cousin Lyon with his family.

So, she had hoped her flame-head best friend would be able to save her, but it turns out that he had accepted one of the many odd-jobs around the city and was needed today to paint someone's house. Thinking about that, Lucy cringed and felt bad for the customer more than she felt for herself at the moment. Natsu was prone on destroying at least one thing at every job.

But never mind that; with the rest of her friends occupied (or otherwise unwilling), she was left with one person who would probably be more than happy to come along as long as there were guys and alcohol. Lucy debated to herself for a while before giving in and reaching to dial her phone.

It rang for a few seconds before someone on the other end picked up. The voice on the line was a bit croaky, "Yeah?"

"Cana? T-This is Lucy...I know it's a bit of a short notice, but, will you like to...go to a party with me?" Lucy asked her waitress friend. Today was Cana's day-off and she suddenly felt like she shouldn't have disrupted what looked like the older girl's plan to sleep all day. Her worry was short-lived, however, when she could practically feel the female on the other line energizing up.

"Cana Alberona never turns down a party! Hold on, I'm coming over!"

. . .

"So our little Lucy is finally growing up and ready for the big world, huh?" Cana was grinning when they stepped off the subway. The brunette had wasted no time in coming to Lucy's apartment on Magnolia Street; all dressed up and ready to go. Her comment made Lucy blush prettily.

"I told you, I'm just going as a favour for a friend..."

The brunette snorted and followed along, folding her arms behind her head as she walked. "Where are we going, anyway?" she looked around the area, "This subway stopped at the rich people district... Don't tell me, you really snagged yourself a hot boyfriend with a mountain of money?! You sly dog, you!"

"Canaaaa!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed, patting Lucy's head in a childish manner. "Just tell me how long the walk is."

Lucy glanced down at the invitation in her hands for the address. She had told the Aguria heiress that she was on her way when she reached the subway station, and now she calculated that it would take around 15-20 minutes to get there on foot, which isn't too bad. Cana, however, sighed and pouted about the vast distance between her and the alcohol. Lucy shook her head; how is is that a 18-year-old could consume so much of that stuff? She was about to pull the complaining brunette along when a sleek, expensive limo stopped next to them.

The door swung open, and a tanned, older man with shoulder-length silver hair greeted them. "Good evening, Heartfillia-san. My name is Brain and I am Aguria-sama's personal chauffeur. Aguria-sama had requested that I take you and your companion to the Manor."

To Lucy, she felt that it was absolutely unnecessary and an inconvenience for the Aguria driver, but she appreciated that her friend was so considerate and always looking out for her. If only everyone was like that...

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Cana pulled the blond into the back seat that the driver had opened for them, not wanting to miss the opportunity to get to the party faster. As they settled it, she sighed with admiration. "Being rich sure is nice."

Money corrupts good people, Cana, Lucy thought to herself.

The limo ride was short, and soon the girls found themselves in front of a over-extravagant mansion accompanied by large, luxurious fountains and stone sculptures. They headed (or rather, Cana dragged her) up the front steps where a buff guy in a suit, sunglasses, and earpiece stood guarding the front door. He stopped them to ask for a background check, but Brain came and explained that they were the heiress' guest. The security guard nodded and let the girls through.

It only surprised Lucy a little bit that the mansion was literally turned into a club—a very high-class one at that—with music pumping loudly in the background and no less than a hundred people were there, whether they were from Fairy Tail or not. The Aguria Heiress was very influential, perhaps almost as much as Laxus Dreyar.

"Oh my..." Cana breathed in with excitement and threw her hands up, "Cana's hoooome!"

A few girls dancing on the side noticed the brunette and grinned. "Oh, you're gonna have a blast here!" they said, not seeming to care that they didn't know Cana at all and pulled her into their circle and offered her a drink. The brunette took it graciously and threw her head back to look at Lucy, beckoning her to come along. The older girl seemed to fit in just fine; it was her scene after all.

Lucy pulled a small smile and told them to go along without her because she wanted to find the host first.

"Shoot me a call if you need me!" Cana shouted before disappearing within the crowd of dancing teenagers.

The party played on as Lucy tried to plow through the mass and took random left and right turns before stopping in front of what looked like the giant living room. She spotted Angel sitting on top of a grand piano towards the center of the room, leaning down talking to a dark ginger haired guy. When the heiress looked up, she smiled and waved for Lucy to come over.

"Lucy-san! I'm so glad you came!"

"Hello..." she greeted meekly, growing embarrassed when the people in the room stopped what they were doing to look at her. The guy Angel was with wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a saucy wink.

"Hello to you, cutie."

Lucy's shoulders went rigid, wanting to shove the forward male out of her way but she didn't want to upset the heiress if he was a friend. Instead she turned to face the guy and smiled, the corners of her lips ticking with irritation. "Please unhand me," she said as sweetly as she could. She was surprised when he chuckled softly and complied, holding his hands up in a surrendering motion.

"Cobra, don't make my friend uncomfortable," the heiress told her friend as he rolled his eyes. She faced Lucy apologetically, "he's a bit forward, but he means no harm. Thank you for showing up, Lucy-san. It means a lot to me."

Lucy blushed. Angel was so nice to her and she couldn't believe she almost didn't want to come to the party because of her own past-experiences. It wasn't even as bad as she thought, either; everyone here seemed to be having too much 'fun' to play status. They were just regular people for the night.

"I wouldn't miss it," she said.

Angel was about to say something else, but another guy came and pulled her away and whispered something in her ear. She listened and after a moment looked back at the blond with guilt. "Sorry, there's something I have to go and take care of. Will you be alright with Cobra for a bit?"

"Sure," Lucy piped, even though in the inside she wasn't sure if she wanted to spend time alone with a guy who just tried to hit on her. She watched the heiress go and sighed. What am I suppose to do now? She didn't know how to act in these kinds of parties, after all. If Cana was here with her, she would be able to liven up a conversation or something.

"Well, since Angel's gone and all, wanna have some fun?"

Cobra was smiling next to her. She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Dancing, drinking, making out," he counted off casually, "we do some cool ass drinking games, too."

None of these sounded too appealing to Lucy. Especially not the 'making out' option, she grimaced with distaste, eyeing Cobra. He was attractive enough, but she definitely wasn't going to do that with him or anyone else here, for that matter. "I'll pass."

"Come on, live a little!" he motioned to another room where a couple of people, mostly guys, were playing games like pool and drinking. "Don't be so boring."

There seemed to be a streak lately with people calling her boring. Lucy Heartfillia was many things, but one thing she wasn't was a bore. She could have as much fun as anyone here...it was just that she was not accustomed to this type of scene. But she wasn't about to let the smirking male in front of her know that.

"I live plenty," she retorted, crossing her arms, "and I'm fun enough to knock you off your socks."

"Then prove it," Cobra chuckled, handing her a drink.

She took it and allowed him to lead her to the game room. I'm going to regret this later, aren't I?

.

.

.

"Drink! Drink! Drink!"

She found herself chanting along with the rest, urging the individual (who lost again while playing one of the many drinking games Cobra has brought to the table) to take another shot. They were currently playing 'The Name Game' where one has to immediately think up a name starting with the first letter of the previous surname called. Lucy has gotten the penalty cup a few times for messing up on the games, and she was already feeling a little bit buzzed.

It was nothing compared to the guy across from her, however, who's had well over ten shots and counting, all from losing things such as Around the World, Beer Pong and Flippy Cup.

Her hand brushed against her jacket pocket and she remembered that Cana was still in the house somewhere. It has been a while, and she decided that it would be best to call her friend to check up on her. Taking out her pink phone she tried to scroll down her contacts list for Cana's number, not realizing that the round was starting again and she missed her turn.

"Drink up, 'Fillia!" Cobra poured the usual Magnum Grey Goose and mixed it with some other brand of alcohol in a cup and shoved it in her face. "Ya lost!"

Without her knowledge her finger slipped and pressed a random button as she pouted and took the cup, stuffing the device back in her pocket. It was nice of Cobra to reduce the amount that she had to consume and so she sucked it up and took it in one swing.

"Alright! Anyone up for a round of Tower?"

. . .

Laxus was driving back from the gym where he had boxing practice when his cell started to ring. Lifting the phone to his ear, he expected the person on the other line to speak.

"—te—you—" He furrowed his brows in annoyance when no one did. There was only music and a few muffled talking. "—up Lucy!"

Heartfillia?

He pulled the phone away from his ear and his suspicious became clear. The Heartfillia had butt-dialled him, and judging from the noise, she was at some gathering with a lot of people. The Aguria heiress did tell him about a party she was hosting, and if he remembered correctly, it was today.

In fact, it should be going on right now.

But that was none of his concern.

As he was about to set down his phone, it started to ring again. This time, however, it was Angel who was calling. "What."

"Hey sweetie!" She was laughing in the other line; Laxus could hear the same loud music playing in the background. "Aw, you don't sound very happy."

"Do you need something, Aguria?" he was growing impatient.

"I'm hurt that you didn't show...after all, your cute 'toy' did and she seems to be having a blast. Anyway, she's completely plastered and I'll give her about ten minutes before she lets lose with one of these nice gentlemen she's drinking with. 'Kay, see ya!"

The line went dead and Laxus stared at it blankly. The Heartfillia didn't concern him, he tried to tell himself.

Taking a sharp U-turn, he headed the opposite way he was going.

. . .

Everything around her was starting to become hazy. Was it just her, or is the room spinning in a circle? She couldn't tell any more.

"Va...hat time is it?" she slurred, giggling on Cobra's shoulder. At least she thinks it was the dark ginger haired man.

"Like...nine? I 'unno," Cobra cocked his head, looking down at the drunk blond and laughed. She had no alcohol tolerance whatsoever. A couple of shots and she was totally done. But, she was smart and good at everything they played, he'll give her that.

Nine... In the back of Lucy's mind, where it was still sane and hasn't been influenced by alcohol, she knew it has been well over two hours since she came. But who did she come with again? Natsu? No, definitely not him. Cana...? Yeah, Cana! Her party animal friend!

She was just lounging on the luxurious sofa with Cobra right now, taking a break from the drinking games because she was too dizzy to continue. She could see the others indulge themselves back in a game of pool, laughing and drinking some more.

"I t-think I should find Cana," she told her companion on the sofa, trying her best to get up. "Help me?"

"Sure, whatever. What she look like?"

Lucy pursed her lips cutely and racked her brain for a face and description. "She's 'bout yey high," the blond lifted her hand all the way above her head and giggled, "and like, veryyy pretty. B-Brown hair...mmm, big party animal! And," she emphasized her chest area, "big boobs!"

That made Cobra roar with laughter. He pulled the pretty blond back down and to his lap. "Why don't you just stay here with me? Your friend Cana sounds like she'll be fine by herself," he whispered huskily in her ear. Lucy frowned.

"Buuut Cana!"

"—Will be fine," he interjected, leaning in close to her flustered face. Lucy didn't know what was happening, but she felt that something in this picture wasn't completely right. She gently pushed on the male's chest. "C...obra..."

Suddenly, she found herself jerked away from the advancing male and into another muscular chest. Her world spun with the whiplash, but seeing a familiar head of disarray spikes, she smiled and clung on to the figure. "Naaatsu!"

"You're a load of trouble, Heartfillia," Laxus grunted, clearly displeased. "Do you even realize what the hell you were getting yourself into?"

"Mhmm!" Lucy was really, really happy for some reason. "Cobra's a ni—hic—nice person! I...think..."

Said male took it as his cue to leave when the powerful Dreyar gave him a menacing glare.

"See ya 'round, babe."

"Bye!" she waved, unperturbed by the close proximity of the blond president like she would have been if she wasn't completely drunk and knew who he was. When she turned back to Laxus, she shot him a cute, lopsided grin. "Natsu! I didn't know you whood come!"

Laxus rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her across the room.

"Where're you taking me? I was havin' fuuuun!" she tried to throw up her hands but only one succeeded. The sleeve of her jacket slid down her shoulder when she flapped her arm around in protest. "This Natsu is mean..."

"You have two seconds to stop whining before I change my mind and let you go on about the activities that you'll regret tomorrow, Heartfillia."

Lucy pouted, "Natsu doesn't call me Heartfillia...you're not Natsu!" She leaned against him for a second to close her eyes, trying to get rid of the light-headedness that she was feeling. Looking at the male carefully this time, she gasped, "You're Laxus!"

"Wow princess, you win the grand prize," Laxus commented, clenching his jaw when he saw others eyeing the drunken girl that was just oozing sexual appeal at the moment. He forcefully lifted the unwilling girl up in his arms and pushed past the sea of boozed people. Her complaints turned into giggles as she kicked her legs around with glee.

"Yaaaay! I get to be 'arried like a princess and oooooh, Laxus, wait!" Lucy fumbled around until she pulled out her ringing phone that has been vibrating against her side. "Luch here! Oh, Caaana! I'm leaving, so bye!" she looked up at Laxus with confusion lacing her tone. "No he's not a, not a pervert... I think... Yesssss, my class president. I'll be fine!"

Laxus let the girl ramble on in her conversation with her friend as he stepped into the big living room. People who saw him immediately parted to make way.

"It looks like you came after all."

The voice belonged to no other than Angel Aguria. "Lucy-san sure is lucky to have someone looking out for her," she smiled slyly.

"I don't like sharing my toys."

"Ha! Well, you were right about one thing. She is interesting—I think Cobra's into her," Angel laughed. "You know, the one she almost kissed." Giving him a wink, she spun on her heels and waved behind her. "But since you're leaving with her, my entertainment is gone. Party's over."

Indulged in her drunken stupor after her phone call, Lucy didn't hear much of what the two were saying. She only seemed to realize that her ponytail had fell out at some point and her golden hair was fanned out around her. Static lifted up a couple of hairs and she played with the individual strands.

When she—they—reached outside, the contrast of the crisp night air from the stuffy party made her calm down and her eyes travelled to Laxus's chiselled face. He looked angry. A wide smile across her flustered face and she giggled.

What she said next almost made Laxus drop her in surprise.

"You're really hot when you smile!" she said happily, her eyes drooping in a sleepy trance. But then she frowned. "I don't like your mean plotting s'miles...but the real ones! It'sh nice."

Oh, she was so drunk.

"And your hair," her hand reached out to pet his hair just as he set the drunk blond into the front seat. She gasped dramatically. "Soooo sooooft."

"Buckle yourself up," Laxus choose to ignore the other comments as he settled in the driver seat and started the car. But before he could move it to drive, she slid her whole body across and reached over to snuggle up on him.

"Heartfillia—"

"Y'know, you're not so bad..." she pecked him softly on the cheek before promptly falling asleep.

His car was suddenly a few degrees hotter even though the AC was on. "You're giving me the opportunity to have my way with you," Laxus said, looking down at the peacefully sleeping girl while letting out an amused chuckle. "Idiot."

. . .

Natsu was waiting in Lucy's apartment with Happy when he saw the car pull up from the window. Immediately he hopped down from the building from the second floor. Clearly, he was used to this.

He had an uncharacteristically stern expression marring his face as he saw Laxus carry his best friend out of the expensive car. Walking up to the male, he nodded once in regard before taking Lucy in his arms.

Laxus stayed silent during the exchange and was about go back into his car when Natsu spoke up.

"Hey you..." there was a small pause where they merely looked at each other silently. He had his doubts about this guy, after all. Natsu cracked a grateful smile, "Thanks for calling me and bringing Lucy back safely."

The blond male only gave him a small smirk before driving away.