Heya! So, I've had this little ficlet(?) here sitting in my drafts on tumblr for almost...about 6 months? Maybe? But it's based off a prompt I saw circulating around tumblr so...this was the result!

Mind you, its been forever since I've written any fic-type of writing so for those that are a stickler for grammar: sorry! :p

Prompt: 'You are the super cute barkeeper in the club I always party at with my girls and you always wink at me and make my knees go weak but I don't know if it's just me or if you wink at everybody' AU

Tonight the music held a life of its own, a tempo that beat a steady rhythm that compelled many patrons of the club to present themselves on the dance floor. Though few would find themselves lingering along the border of the dance floor, the bass thudded in sync to each heartbeat, luring every soul alive to give in to the urge to bump and grind to the tempting allure. This was a ritual, as old as when humans first knew how to create music and many who were under its spell abandoned themselves to their baser instincts. Their offerings of sweat, laughter, and flashes of skin were a custom of every establishment, though every club harbored their own set of rules and regulations, all adhered to one sacred law: that every patron, no matter what their gender or occupation, was to pay homage.

Lucy knew without a doubt that she would be required to pay this currency. She just wasn't sure if the cost would be worth keeping the foundation of her propriety intact.

Lucy Heartfilia could only imagine what her father would say if he saw her enter such a debase establishment. Then again, Jude Heartfilia would have disapproved of absolutely anything that would besmirch him or his business; to learn that his only daughter and sole heir to the Heartfilia Konzern Company had ventured into a nightclub(and not just any nightclub, but the nightclub according to her roommate) of colorful renown, would have caused her father to die of shame! Though Lucy knew the bitter reflection of her fathers terse and cold attitude towards her daughter's life choices was hard to accept, she learned a long time ago that pleasing her father would only lead to her own ruination.

Hence why Lucy stood in line at the famous club for a simple girls night out with her roommate.

The club, curiously named "The Mermaid Heel" was simply known to its patrons as "The Heel", was a club unlike any the heiress had ever seen before. Though all were welcome, the Heel held a special fondness towards the female populace that granted them easier access through their carefully guarded doors. It was rumored that for many seeking relations of a…sapphic origin, it was a welcome refuge from the stifling conformity of societal constructs. As far as Lucy knew, the rumor was baseless and unproven; nevertheless, she could not help but notice that many of the guests tonight held many females and this seemed to confirm the rumors that circulated around The Heel's origins.

The owner, an attractive middle-aged woman with a tongue sharp enough to cut and hair just as dark, who was simply known as "The Madame", held a stern disposition concerning the affairs of her establishment and often let it be known that her rules were absolute. Though the Madame's appearance was often a rare occurrence, the club's management was passed onto her second in command, an enigmatic yet cool beauty named Kagura Mikazuchi. A stoic and silent beauty, Kagura oversaw the proceedings of the clubs business, from the security and well-being of the customer's needs to the stock of liquor and other such entertainment requirements. There was no expense too minuscule for Kagura to overlook, and if there just so happened to be any vagrants that threaten to disrupt the carefully constructed haven for the many patrons that sought solace at Mermaid Heel, a swift and decisive action was delivered without warning or mercy.

Lucy had a rather flustering experience while witnessing Kagura handle one particularly bothersome patron; she saw only in passing while waiting in line to enter the club, but she would never forget the scream of the individual that flew out the door and land in a heap a few yards from the club opening. It was an experience that left the blonde reeling; there was no adequate way to describe how she felt, though something akin to abject disgust came pretty close!

Well, putting that aside, she thought as she was finally allowed entry into the famous Mermaid Heel. It looks like they're having a show tonight.

Indeed, tonight seemed to welcome a healthy gathering that frolicked to the center stage of the club's interior; this evenings entertainment was a local band of rather mediocre origins, their punk regalia & draconic aesthetic drew many of their fans to the club, yet there was still hope they would provide some fare for the guests of Mermaid Heel. It was fortunate that The Heel esteemed reputation drew forth a large crowd, though the promise of half-priced shots of alcohol and catchy yet ebullient music were a deal breaker to those that sought to get their kicks.

At least that was Lucy Heartfilia's thought while she squeezed past a group that gathered near the bar station. As she heard the band begin their opening, the crowd surged forward towards the stage, catching the blonde off guard and nearly causing her to lose her balance. How rude! The struggle to keep herself from being simply crushed by the mass of enthralled bodies was difficult, yet Lucy managed to squeeze by towards a calmer section of the floor. The exertion alone caused sweat to perspire from her brow and body, despite how frigid the club's temperature was kept, Lucy felt the presence of so many bodies to be stifling, the heat nearly suffocating her.

With one last stretch, she managed to press past a couple (one seemed to exude an abnormal amount of heat, while the other was surprisingly cold to the touch) before breaking from the crowd entirely. Away from the crowd, Lucy took a moment to gather her bearings, taking several gulps of cool air away from the crowd before she cast her gaze towards the bar. It was a moment after scanning the crowd, she finally sought who she was looking for, and with gentle apologies and polite 'excuse me's' past the thinning crowd, the blonde approached her friend.

"It sure is crowded tonight huh?"

That's a bit of an understatement.

Though the remark was voiced loudly over the cacophony of noise, the astute observation was met with a slightly pained expression from the blonde. Lucy spared a small smile that did little to temper the unease she felt. Oh don't get her wrong, she wanted to enjoy the evening revelry, and she most certainly deserved it. That wasn't her just bragging, it was simply a fact.

To be fair though, Lucy's idea of fun would have been spent curled on her sofa with a book and some warm hot chocolate, with soothing music playing in the background, just a simple means of escape. Really, who wouldn't find that appealing? Food was readily available, one didn't have to worry about what to wear, and best of all, the noise level wasn't ear shattering.

But her roommate had invited her out to The Heel, in celebration for finishing their finals before summer break, and for the life of her, Lucy just couldn't say no (never mind that she could be quite…persuasive when she wanted).

With her finals finished and the remainder of her tests finished, Lucy could easily say with one-hundred percent certainty that the worst had been put behind her. The fact she had agreed to go out with a few friends to celebrate the triumphant battle of intellect between student and test was a testament of just how much stress her mind was under.

However, that wasn't why she felt so apprehensive while standing beside Erza Scarlet, her friend and roommate.

"It is," Lucy agreed absentmindedly while scanning the fluctuating crowd for their group. "Do you think they already set up a booth for everyone?"

"Evergreen had texted me earlier saying she reserved our spot by the bar," She paused. Digits tapped on the phone, presumably in response to the chime that sounded despite the surrounding roar of noise. Erza pocketed her phone before gesturing the blonde to follow her into the crowd in the direction of their group. "They're by the booths, let's go meet them."

Lucy merely shrugged and followed the path that the redhead made; she seemed to cut a pathway through the crowd without effort, though it was no doubt due to her fierce beauty and emphatic persona. Lucy recognized the twinge of envy that fluttered, merely acknowledged the source and allowed it to morph into admiration for her friend. She had long since known Erza Scarlet to have a particular exuberance for all things orderly and proper, as when she first met Ezra, her personality had come across as rather cold. Yet with a little bit of conversation, Lucy was able to warm up to the seemingly stoic female, peel away the hardened exterior to reveal a softer side that was as endearing as it was bemusing. Since then she knew that the gruff persona was merely a mask to shield a darkness that Erza dared not reveal to anyone yet.

In many ways, her confidence and abrupt attitude were an armor of sorts, though as Lucy later had begun to get to know the female, that armor was worn less often.

Everything would finally start falling into place, at least that's what her father wished. She squished the thought from her mind before it took root. Not tonight, she berated fiercely. The bitter turmoil she felt about her father and the choices she made for herself and her life would only ruin her good mood. She had worked her butt off and dammit, she was going to enjoy this night, with or without the weight of his approval hanging over her like a dark cloud. Recalling their recent fight over her choice of what University she had decided, one that was a rather far distance from the marble pillars and pearl white paint of her father's mansion. The posh glamour and grandeur of her father's estate set only to make Lucy feel trapped, a fluttering bird in its cage- pretty and spacious, with all the comfort she could ever require, but nevertheless a cage in its shape.

But that was the past now.

She had won her fight, leaving behind luxury and comfort to pursue a dream that her father had no hope of ever understanding. Perhaps he never would. Lucy had long given up on trying to earn her father's approval. As much as it hurt knowing that he would never accept her decision, Lucy knew that it was better to focus on making her own happiness the reality in her life. It was a fact that she solemnly accepted and had moved past since the beginning of her freshman year of college. It wasn't easy, but luckily she wasn't alone.

"Good evening, Mermaid Heel! Are ya ready!?"

The sudden cry of welcoming cheers that rose past the jovial noise level of the club cut past her solemn brooding. While bringing herself back from the swell of her thoughts, she peers over the redhead's shoulder and spotted the rest of their party. She couldn't help but blink as the lights in the club turned dim, causing the excitement of the atmosphere to accelerate to almost chaotic levels. As strobe lights began to flash and the scent of chemical fog that gently seep from the stage, it began to bring the patrons attention at the center stage. Lucy could briefly discern the figures that appeared upon the stage platform, each member going to their respective places before announcing their band name and song they would be playing.

Suddenly, despite the shrieking lyrics and aggressive thrum of instruments resonating, she heard several familiar calls of her & Erza's name, beckoning them towards the booths tucked against the walls of the club.

"Over here!"

Several figures waved their arms, the motion gaining the women's attention; Erza returned the greeting while heading towards the group. "Hey guys!" she greeted. "Sorry, we're late."

"We were wondering when you would show up! It took us forever just to find an available booth," replied a bespeckled woman that Lucy recognized as Evergreen. She vaguely knew the woman only in passing, yet it seemed Erza well acquainted with her. Evergreen's course greeting did not seem to phase Erza in the least, in fact, she seemed quite amused. "We already ordered drinks," Evergreen added with a huff. "I wasn't sure what you preferred." She gave a shrug. The others exchanged bemused glances between one another. Approaching their booth, Lucy's features tugging into what she hoped was a cheerful expression, she threw herself into the motion of enjoying herself and letting the thumping of the music drown out her dark musings. I'm here to have fun, she reminded herself, hoping the melancholy of her thoughts weren't shown on her face. Stop thinking about it. Enjoy yourself, you deserve it!

"It's fine Evergreen. Thank you for waiting," Erza squeezed into the booth next to Evergreen, settling herself comfortably next to the abrasive woman. "Though I suspect you did not have to wait long. Mirajane kept our reservation I assume?"

She scoffed. "For what it was worth."

"Juvia thinks after drinks we should go dancing." chimed in another woman who remained in the center of the booth, fidgeting excitedly.

"That's because you want to get close to that guy who is practically a stripper!"

Banter flowed easily between the women that enabled the blonde to relax; while they continued, Lucy turned away from their conversation, allowing herself to observe the company sitting at the booth she shared.

"Hey, Lucy!"

It was hard to see, what with how dimly the booths were kept compared to the main stage area, yet seeing the familiar face of Levy McGarden earned a relieved grin from the blonde. At least tonight won't be so bad, she thought ruefully.

"Hey, Levy!" she returned with a grin. "Good to see you. How did your finals go?"

Levy grinned. "Good to see you too! I received perfect scores on them all, naturally."

"Naturally," Lucy agreed. "Anything less than perfect would be considered sacrilege at this point."

"Hey!" Levy groused. "Look who's talking Miss Highest Test Score-!"

Friendly banter and laughter chimed within the group in steady succession, from topics of tests and finals to the general school gossip; it was then that the discussion within the group ventured into territory that when drinks were ordered by a passing server, escalated into inebriated silliness.

"Juvia proposes a toast," spoke a woman across the table with her glass raised, another classmate that Lucy knew that whom she saw in several of her classes. "To friends. Because without you, Juvia would never have known how to truly have fun."

Echoes of approval sounded within the group, the sentiment that each individual shared with their own glasses raised in unanimous agreement. "To friends!" With their proclamation made loud and drinks clinked, each took a sip of their chosen brew, enjoying this moment that tonight offered.

"To the dance floor!" Bellowed a very red-faced Erza, who shook the table with how hard she slammed her empty glass as if that alone would encourage the rest to follow her enthusiastic lead. Trepidation filled the blonde because knowing Erza and how well she handled alcohol consumption, refusal to her request would be met with hostile consequences. The rest of their group, thankfully, seemed to have no problem with the Erza's suggestion, and eagerly scooted from their booth to make their way towards the dance floor.

"You too, Lucy," Erza grabbed Lucy's wrist and pulled her up from the booth and headed towards the crowd. Lucy yelped, catching her glass before it fell and spilled the contents inside before allowing herself to be dragged towards the music and the throng of dancing bodies. She knew Erza meant well, so Lucy offered no protest to Erza's impaired enthusiasm. So with that, Lucy prepared herself to join in with the mass bodies that swayed to the music and faced the crowd with a laughter and an open mind.

"Let's have some fun!"

"Y-yeah!"

Two hours into the night and Lucy was ready to leave the club.

Her special night intended to celebrate her success with defeating the academic hurdles thrown at her and her friends had proven to be beyond what her expectations were. Which was not to say that she didn't enjoy tonight, she did! But at some point, enough was enough. Even though she didn't have class the next day, she couldn't neglect her responsibilities to the school's journalism club. She still had her piece to write for their newspaper, after all, it would be what defined her career as a novelist.

Despite being slightly inebriated, Lucy knew better than to try to venture outside and wait for the taxi to eventually come to pick her up, not by herself. Though she was ready to go home, she wouldn't leave Erza and the rest of her friends behind. Plus, from her observation outside the crowd, they looked like they were having a lot of fun. She could wait until they were ready to go. Too tired to head to the dancefloor, the prospect of waiting at their group's booth held little appeal; the only choice left seemed to settle herself at the bar.

The bar acted as the focal point of the club when there were no live bands on stage; it illuminated a wide array of liquors the club provided, all high-grade and delicious, yet their potency earned their expensive price tag. Glass shelves where vast bottles liquor of every shape, size, and color were spread out and arranged under illuminated displays, giving the bar a certain aesthetic that Lucy admired for its tasteful artistic ambience. Lucy navigated the bar, being careful not to stumble into anyone before finding an empty stool to settle into. Being able to sit down after standing and dancing for so long brought a relieved sigh to her lips. Carefully slipping her heels off, Lucy pressed her thumbs into the arch of her feet, switching between each appendage until the tension is relieved.

"Rough night eh?"

The sound of glass gently hitting the counter brought the blonde's attention behind the bar towards the source of the voice that spoke to her. As Lucy raised her head up, a collision of blue hues framed by the gentle sweep of darkened lashes met her own chocolate colored eyes; such a connection shouldn't have made her heart leap in her throat and thud hurriedly in her ears, yet the young woman found herself helpless to her reaction towards the woman behind the bar; an inexplicable force created such a moment for the two to meet, though Lucy could hardly process such a moment without feeling woozy. She began to wonder if her affliction caused this reaction- this thrum of female desire to ignite a slow burn in her belly, or perhaps...

Lucy stopped the thought before she could finish it. She was not going to delve into questioning her sexual attraction while drunk, nuh-uh, no, absolutely not! As far as she was concerned, it was all the alcohol's fault (and by default her own), it was simply ridiculous to even think of such things!

Realizing that she was staring at the brunette without a word, Lucy cleared her throat delicately and gave a quick nod.

"Y-you could say that..." she breathed, a sudden flush staining her skin that was not entirely due to the past consumption of liquor.

Lucy shut her eyes, a hand pressed against her temple to help alleviate the mounting pressure of a headache that began to pound (and perhaps to bring her pulse to reasonable tempo). She was so focused on keeping the headache at bay that she almost did not see the woman pour something in the glass in front of her.

"Looks like y'could use a drink, sweetheart."

Despite the surrounding noise of the patrons and the thudding base from the center stage, Lucy heard her speak; though the tone sounded husky, like her throat burned with liquor and sex (she blushed at the thought) it was a soothing timbre that brought her comfort. Before she could thank her (or perhaps to rebuke the offer of alcohol) the brunette left.

Quietly, Lucy observed the woman move, raising the glass to her lips to sip carefully before blinking in surprise. Ice cold water slide down her throat, bringing a wonderful relief that nearly brought a groan to her lips. As the minutes ticked by, Lucy noticed several things about the bartender. The woman seemed to glide from one end of the bar to the next, filling drink orders and chatting with patrons with an ease that left Lucy reeling. She seemed to ooze a catty playfulness wherever she traveled, with a grin that spread with an ease that brought deep chuckles from her throat, all the while carrying a flirtatious air that was infectious as the woman who charged them the alcohol they sought, all delivered with a wink. She was certainly in her element with the surrounding pulse of live music and shimmering light that illuminated the club, which made Lucy start by her immediate attraction to the barwoman.

She was beautiful.

Realizing the truth of her admission brought another flush to her cheeks. God, I must be losing my mind...

Eventually, the brunette meandered back to Lucy, leaning against the counter with the ease of someone used to the posture, her presence seemed to fill the surrounding space between them despite how open the bar was. Hip cocked, her right hand placed with ease upon her hip as she observed Lucy with an expression that she found to be one full of amusement.

"Look's like y'got your color back."

At the woman's drawl, Lucy flushed again. At this rate, her skin would look sun-burnt if she didn't get herself under control! Desperate to distract herself before she made a fool out of herself, the blonde cast her eyes to the first thing that landed on, which was the bartender's chest. Now, Lucy wasn't by any means self-conscious (she was quite well-endowed thank you) but seeing just how...volumptuous her breasts were, and so brazenly displayed at that, that Lucy caught sight something she had not noticed. A small square plaque of gold pinned to the woman's right breast, the metal polished & pristine with four blackened letters that were embroidered unto the metal.

Cana.

So that must be her name.

"Ah y-yes, thank you- for the water, I mean." she stammered the reply, realizing she had been staring quite pointedly at her chest. How embarrassing!

Luckily Cana seemed unbothered by Lucy's staring. In fact, she seemed to be more amused, which somehow brought more depth to her blue irises. Shifting herself upright, Cana reached for a glass and cloth and began cleaning without looking away from the blonde.

"You must be Erza's roomie, am I right?"

Startled, Lucy raised her gaze to look at Cana. "Yes," she answered, her confusion coloring her tone. "How do you know Erza?"

"She and that other chick- the one with the glasses- come here quite often," Cana shrugged, her tone nonplussed. "She's mostly on the dancefloor, but sometimes she'll hang by and chat with Mira-" she nodded over her shoulder, indicating another woman at the other end of the bar with long silver colored hair and gentle disposition. "-they both seem pretty close, so they talk about whatever's goin' on in her life." She then paused, turning to her task of cleaning another glass, leaving Lucy caught in her thoughts.

That Erza came to the Mermaid Heel was no surprise to the blonde, it was quite obvious the red-head made herself familiar with this place; though what surprised Lucy the most was that she came accompanied by Evergreen. Of course Evergreen was perfectly polite to Lucy, but when in the company of Erza, she couldn't help but notice how strained she acted towards the red-head. Maybe she was reading into things, but Lucy couldn't help but feel there was something more to their abrasive relationship.

Deciding not to delve too deeply into that pot of hot water, Lucy raised her glass and finished the remaining liquid inside. Her headache was gone, yet she still felt slightly warm from her earlier consumption. It still seemed too early to call it quits, from a brief glance at her phone screen reading 10:18 p.m. the atmosphere of the Heel was still caught in the throes of abandoned inhibitions. Stifling a sigh, Lucy rested her chin on the upturned palm of her hand, her head tilting to the side while she stared out towards the crowd.

The sound of liquid pouring into her glass brought her out of her trance, she blinked dazed eyes toward the bartender who seemed to have finished her task.

"Lemme know if ya need anything," she said with a wink just before answering a call from another patron. "Yeah yeah!" she called out. "Keep ya shirt on, I'm comin'..."

"Ah thank you-!" Lucy stammered quickly, her skin flushing anew at the obvious flirtation. Taking the glass between her hands, Lucy sipped, grateful that Cana refilled her cup with water.

Again her eyes wandered to the brunette and watched her interact with the patrons, especially the female populace who seem eager for Cana to spare them a passing glance, a saucy smile or coquettish flutter of her beautiful lashes. Her husky laughter was infectious, bringing a smile to any who heard her behind the bar, including Lucy. Cana turned her head in her direction, catching her eye before giving her another frisky wink.

Flustered, Lucy glanced down at her hands that cupped her glass and frowned. Does she always flirt like that, or does she do it because that's her job?

The question she asked herself presented no immediate answer. Another question was why did she care? For all she knew, her inebriated state was making her feel weird things about weird bartenders. Bartenders that were sexy without trying. Bartenders that seemed to sear her with just a glance and a smile.

Maybe it was the alcohol getting to her, but did she just smile at her?

Oh no. Oh no, oh no- she's coming over here again- crap crap crap, um- okay, calm down Lucy!

"Doin' okay over here sweetheart?" Cana asked. Lucy wanted to crawl under the counter and never come up. She was caught staring at her- again.

"Fine!" she squeaked. I want to die. Lucy thought faintly. Can the floor just swallow me whole, please? Please?!

A moment passed and the floor did not suddenly envelop her body, Lucy shut her eyes and groaned before letting her head fall gently against the counter. Great. Now I look like a weirdo to her.

To her immense embarrassment and pleasure, Cana laughed. Embarrassment because Lucy knew for sure the barwoman was laughing at her; and pleasure because Cana's laughter was so much better to listen to up close and personal.

"S-sorry- don't take this the wrong way, but anyone ever tell you ya cute when you look embarrassed?"

Actually, they did. But Lucy simply nodded and offered a shy smile. Cana smiled in return and returned a hand to her hip in a considering pose.

"Looks like the gang's ready to go," she said suddenly, jerking her chin to indicate someone was approaching the bar. A quick glance showed that indeed, their group had left the dancefloor, looking quite ragged and exhausted, yet pleased by their efforts. Lucy saw Levy carefully guide Juvia towards the doors leading outside, where she caught her eye and mouthed 'ready to go?'. Lucy gave a nod and began to rise, slipping her shoes back onto her feet.

"Well," she said while turning towards Cana. An awkward pause settled between them that held a pregnant sort of tension that Lucy wasn't sure was good or not. "It was nice meeting you...thank you for looking after me."

"Hey, sweetheart."

She froze and stared at the barwoman who held an expression that was thoughtful and resolute. Finally, after several seconds, she took one of the napkins from a nearby dispenser and took a pen from her breast pocket and scribbled something down.

"If you're ever bored, come hit me up. I promise I'll be more entertaining off the clock," she said giving one last wink before she grinned and walked away.

Taking the napkin, Lucy clutched it to her chest while she made her way towards the exit, huffing as she squeezed past the bodies that were tightly pressed against each other for close skinship. When she made it to the exit and crossed the threshold, Lucy sighed and made her way towards the group waiting.

"We're all here," announced Levy as soon as she saw Lucy approach. "Our uber should be here in a few minutes."

"Hang in there Erza," murmured Evergreen, who held the red-head close against her chest while the woman moaned pitifully.

"Too much to drink," she bemoaned.

"And whose fault is that?" came Evergreen's gentle chide.

Erza merely groaned and shuddered.

The blonde winced in sympathy. At least we'll be home soon... she thought as their transportation arrived and everybody began to climb inside.

"Did you have fun at least Lucy?" Levy inquired, her focus half on her phone to give the driver directions to their dormitory and the other on Juvia, who slumped against her shoulder in a gentle slumber.

Lucy thought about her encounter with Cana and the napkin she gave her. "I did," she confessed, a bemused look crossing her features.

Carefully she took the napkin out and unfolded it, reading the scrawled numbers and a short note written below.

'I'm free tomorrow. Wanna see a movie?

Lemme know soon. I'll be waiting sweetheart xoxo

-Cana'

She stared at the note for another few minutes, oblivious to the quiet conversation filtering within the car before she tugged her phone out of her pocket and hurriedly sent out her reply.

I would love too.
- Lucy

She didn't have to wait long for a response. By the time their car stopped to drop them off, Lucy had plans for tomorrow evening to see a movie with Cana. That night, Lucy later slept with a small smile.

I definitely found something new.

I may come back and edit this later on, so please forgive any mistakes made, this was finished while I had little sleep.

Comments criticism is very appreciated, Kudos even better! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! c:

Edit 10/9/17: So I gave it some thought, and I decided I'd make this a twoshot /

I'll probably update this fic to get rid of any typos and errors, but since I've got quite a few faves (mostly on ) I'll give it a go!br /

Also a deep thanks to those that gave kudos and commented, it really really helps me! Thanks again!