This took way too long, but I'm trying to write more often lately, and anyway, Loke's story is too important for me to give up on. Stupid lion.
This is the chapter of sads. Lots and lots of sads, but our loyal Lion is slowly learning more of what it means to be human and how to deal with all these little mortals he's being forced to live with.
I mean not that he minds but still.
I dunno what it is but he keeps making me do fight scenes. God Loke, chill dammit, stop fighting everyone, I mean I know you're in FAIRY TAIL but still!
Anyway here go cry.
Disclaimer: I don't own this series but by god I love to make characters cry.
The moment Loke walked into the guild hall, he noticed a very striking difference.
Gone were the usual friendly chatter and laughter, silenced the normal challenges of brawls between headstrong guildmates, the younger uncharacteristically silent in their boasting and the older still from their normal recreational activities.
Silence reigned instead, an uncomfortable, heavy silence, one in which the spirit was not at all comfortable with.
He was glad that, for once, he'd left the girls at home. They certainly would not do for this somber atmosphere.
He glanced around, noting the stillness at all the tables, the tense expressions on all these young humans, their shoulders tense in pain and distress, and it took everything he had not to suddenly demand for information. No, he was patient, Leo always knew that the best way to get information was to wait it out. Besides, something so huge wasn't likely to be kept secret for long.
He walked further inside the building, the wood thumping beneath his sneakers, sounding oddly overloud in the quiet. It was wrong, it was uncomfortable. He didn't like it at all.
As his eyes kept roaming among the faces of his guildmates he made note that a small concentration were in the center. A few of them, Cana, Gray, Erza, Elfman, Mirajane and Natsu, were all standing around the bar, Master Makarov frowning with a look so full of pain and regret it seemed to etch even more lines into his weathered face.
And the look on the Straus siblings…
As he made his way over to them, confusion and worry rising in his chest, something snapped inside of the young Dragon Slayer and with a snarl Natsu hurried his way out of the huddle and practically shoved past Loke to find the exit. The spirit jumped out of his way, choosing that moment to not feel offended. The look on the boy's eyes reminded him all too well of a wild animal, feeling caged and afraid and looking for escape. It was a look he knew well, one he'd seen in the mirror far too often since his exile, now one year running and counting.
He was still shocked he'd lasted this long, he could deal with Natsu's moodiness.
It didn't prevent him from commenting however, hands casually in his jacket, nonthreatening so no one could mistake him for being offended. "What's with him?" He asked, gesturing with his head back towards the exit, where the volatile dragon slayer had retreated, his voice mildly curious. The added and everyone else remained unspoken.
Elfman stiffened and shook his head, his face turned away and masking a grimace as he went the same was as Natsu. Loke blinked up at the taller man, his gaze following him as he retreated. That look in his eyes…
"Sorry everyone…excuse me." And Mira, wild, brash, she-devil Mira passed by him too, looking more subdued than he'd ever recalled seeing her since he came to the guild. He gaped, the attitude completely taking him off guard even more than everyone else's actions. He turned quickly to the others, more than just a little concerned and alarmed by this point. "And what's with them?" He asked, voice raised in his worry, thumb gesturing behind them. He raised his brows, gaze seeking answers from his two friends Cana and Gray.
Cana simply shook her head, her face shadowed as she turned to her favored distraction, while Gray sighed and went to briefly grasp his shoulder, giving the spirit a look that told him to drop it for now before walking to elsewhere in the guild, retreating himself behind his usual mask of attitude just like Cana retreated in her booze.
He really wished his friends weren't so damned reclusive some days, it would make getting answers a hell of a lot easier.
He didn't even bother asking from Erza, he barely contacted her since he'd gotten scolded for his girlfriends a month ago. (Frankly the woman scared the bejeezus out of him, even if she was hot.) However, she was the one who answered him. She simply walked up, that no nonsense look on her face and resolve in her eyes as she clapped a hand on his shoulder, much like Gray had, though her touch was a lot firmer, more iron and steel in her grip. Her words were just as cold and unforgiving, much like the truth he always tried to hide from.
"Loke, Lisanna is dead." She told him, her voice shockingly steady and calm in the heavy stillness.
He froze, his shoulders tense, his eyes wide as he stared at her stupidly. Lisanna, that pretty, pixie faced girl who'd first welcomed him to the guild, that kind hearted soul who's smiling face could brighten up the entire hall, was gone.
Just like that. Gone.
"Oh…"
That was the only response he could think of, though his expression must have been the proper one because instead of decking him or something equally unpleasant Erza simply nodded and headed off to her place in the guild. Maybe to Gray, those two seemed close.
Suddenly he found himself in the odd position of being near only Master Makarov, who was literally the only person in the whole guild who knew just how much of…an experience this was to him. He only thought to sit heavily on a stool, silently accepting a mug of bear from the guild master as he processed the news, finding himself just as silent and, yes, in shock as the rest of his guildmates.
Lisanna was gone.
His fingers curled around the mug, rings scratching against the wood as he glanced up to the Master, only to blink at the pain and raw regret he saw etched on his face. "M-Master?" He stammered, not sure what he could do to help but-it was an instinct. He was a spirit of protection and even though no one here was a Celestial Wizard (thank the stars) he still felt that drive, that instinctive need. Loke saw that pain and his only response to it was to make it go away somehow, a deep seeded need to at least try.
Makarov took in a deep, rasping breath and let it out slowly, his hand unconsciously going to clench at his chest where his heart likely labored from the strain. Loke could smell it, or rather, he could sense the fluctuating magic of his life energy much the way a lion could scent blood or illness, though a dragon slayer might be better. He bit his lip, wondering if he shouldn't get the healer or-something, but Makarov unclenched his hand and Loke relaxed.
He then turned to direct his gaze to the Ginger, and what Loke saw in his eyes made his chest ache painfully for the old man. "We must seem a sorry state to you right now." He murmured, low enough that no one else could hear them, everyone too absorbed in their own grief and worlds to take note of what they thought was Makarov filling him in. Loke tensed, rare was it that the Master spoke to him like this. "You, who normally don't have to think about us tired mortals and our short lifespans." The old man gave a dry chuckle, turning away and giving a slight smirk. "How we must seem to you…"
Loke swallowed, thinking over his words carefully. To spirits, mortal lives were ridiculously short. There had been moments when decades had passed him by at a lightning quick pace, and before he could blink he'd watched as his masters aged and aged and aged, their lives over so fast he barely had anytime to know them.
He took a drink from his beer, pondering. For centuries it'd been like that, though not always. He was immortal, or he was, so he could see what the Master was getting at. Still. "It's not exactly like that." He murmured, causing the tiny old man to glance up in surprise, clearly not having expected Loke to respond to him at all. The spirit let out a low laugh, closing his eyes and leaning back. "I mean, yes, most of the time I barely noticed before, you guys just live such short lives…" He shrugged, opening his eyes up again to see acceptance from Makarov. It was nice talking to older humans like this. Death was closer to them, so they didn't get so offended, or at least, old men like Makarov didn't.
Loke tried for another grin. "Time…moves differently for me." Understatement. He was full of them it seemed. "It's rare for death to come to my world, but it's so common with you that if I bothered to look I'd have to spend all my time crying." He gave a slight chuckle, shrugging again before turning to his beer.
Then he frowned, his face sobering. "But…even so. Sometimes we…I…get close. To one of you." His hand tightened around the mug, and he took another quick draft, trying to forget, months of pain and arguments and a boot heel on his face…
"Does it hurt Leo?" Makarov's use of his true name caused him to tense, but the impact of the question gave him pause. Did it hurt? When mortals died? He slowly set the mug back down on the table with dull thump, the sharp fragrance of hops tickling his nose.
"In general?" He shrugged, his voice carefully neutral, his eyes fixed on the foamy liquid. "No. It's like background noise. Can't do anything about it, so why bother investing any emotion?" He sighed. "It'd be a waste of energy."
"But…" He continued, gaze slowly rising back to face his Guild master, expression drawn with a bitter smirk rising on his lips. "Those few that we grow an attachment to? The ones we meet once a century or so?" His eyes grew distance, recalling confident smirks, high class wardrobes and emerald hair. "Those hurt. Every damn time. They never stop hurting." He dropped his gaze then, his knuckles white against the mug, and for once he was glad that Fairy Tail held thick mugs instead of the delicate wineglasses he was used to in Blue Pegasus. He'd have broken one of those.
"Makes it a lot easier just to stay unattached, to be honest." He murmured, shoulders slumping, though with a self-deprecating drawl that was starting to become the norm in his daily tone.
Makarov made a noise of acknowledgement, then thankfully left it at that, and left Loke to his own private mourning.
Because clearly Leo was stupid and couldn't help getting attached to these stupid mortals and their stupidly short lifespans. Loke took another heavy draught, trying hard not to recall Lisanna's happy, cheerful grin. Tried hard not to think that all of that was gone, just gone, and how he knew better than anyone else just how gone someone truly was after they died.
He thought he was done mourning, thought he had his emotional pain tied up just remembering Karin and his guilt, but apparently his last few years weren't going to be nearly so kind.
His hands shook against the mug, the pain in his chest tight, suffocating, just like that day a year ago. He fought off the tears, knowing that right then they weren't appropriate, and especially when he barely knew her in comparison. These people helped raise her, he'd only known her for a year. He shouldn't-
He was so, so bad at remaining unattached. It never failed, every master, every single one, even the old ones he just knew for, like, a day. He didn't give a damn about the rest of humanity, didn't care how their lives ended, but his Masters….
And now, here he was, getting close to a whole mess of them, a whole guild, and one of them was gone. How was he going to handle it if he lived to see all of them die? He didn't know if he'd last a year or a thousand in his exile, how long until the pain of watching these short lived creatures he'd stupidly get attached to die drove him mad?
Would he regret it more if he watched them grow old, or would dying before he saw them live their lives fully be worse?
A scraping of a wooden chair against wood flooring interrupted him from his thoughts, and a deep chuckle followed by a chorus of high pitched echo's resounded in the far too quiet room. "What's up? Someone really killed this party." The man was tall and lean with heavy shoulders, a mask covering his eyes and a group of floating dolls hovering perpetually behind him. He smirked, glancing round from where he'd stood up with an elegant and haughty brunette and a quiet green haired male at the table next to him. "You'd think we weren't expecting this." He drawled.
Loke blinked, a little stunned though he shouldn't have been, by the utter callousness. Tragic though it was, some humans were more blasé about death than others. Clearly Bickslow was one of them. The puppeteer slowly made his way toward the center of the room, closer to bar. "I mean, she was on an S class mission after all, there were bound to be some casualties." He continued, ignoring the angry stares from the rest of his guildmates.
Makarov nodded however, though the look of pain on his face still showed. "True, we all know the risks every time we sign up for a job." He then cracked one of his wizened old eyes open, starring Bickslow down. "However, that does not mean that we are unable to mourn the loss of a good friend."
The man snorted, giving a slight smirk. "Friend to you maybe, to us she was just another weakling."
A table away Loke heard the sharp thunk of a mug hitting the table, and when he turned to it he spotted Cana glaring at Bickslow, her hand shaking. "Put a sock in it!"
"Whaaat?" He responded, giving her a bit of a leer (despite his eyes being covered) as he leaned towards her. "Half of us are thinking it anyway, 'sjust hard to say anything when all of you guys are bringing the mood down!"
Cana stood up abruptly then, her mouth opening to protest only for Gray's voice to interrupt her. "You wouldn't be saying that if Natsu were still here!" Said Ice Make mage growled from his seat, his mug frozen in his hand, his glare simmering.
The puppeteer laughed, making a grand gesture around the room. "I don't see him here! Do you?"
"That's enough Bickslow-!" Makarov began to scold, only to pause abruptly as Loke found himself standing up from his chair, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes narrowed.
He took the few steps left to come face to face with the soul manipulator, his gaze slightly dilated. "How dare you talk that way about your fellow guildmates!" He demanded, righteous indignation coating his words. He'd never felt so incensed over something that generally was none of his business before, but…
But his chest still hurt, and Lisanna was still gone, and this jackass was over here insulting her? He couldn't let it pass, not without saying something.
Bickslow smirked, and Loke could almost feel his gaze boring down into him. "Tough talk from a newbie like you. I'm almost shocked Loke, you never seemed to care much about your fellow guildmates before." He hummed. "Ooooooor, maybe it's because you wanted to get with that?" He leaned to Loke's face, causing the spirit to back up in disgust at his leer. God, his reputation. Always the damn reputation.
Loke snarled and glared up into the green eyes barely visible in the shadows. "That has nothing to do with it. You're being an ass." He bit out, almost feeling his hair start to bristle in his irritation. If spirits had tails…
"I would think it'd have everything to do with it, especially if you're trying to claim to be an expert on how I deal with the death of one of our own." Bickslow gave a long suffering sigh, standing up and making a helpless, shrugging motion. "You spend all your time drinking and whoring, you only ever hang around Gray and Cana, it's almost like you think you're above us, ammiright?" A dark edge laced his tone, brought teeth to his smirk, and Loke could smell a challenge. What was this really about? He wondered…
"Hey, why don't you leave him alone?" Cana griped, making her way over to them to defend him, but Loke held her back with a hand, narrowed eyes behind his shades regarding the wizard suspiciously.
"What are you really talking about?" He asked, muscles tense.
Bickslow gave a loud laugh, hands braced to his sides. "What else? You think you're too good for Fairy Tale! That's what!" He accused, making Loke flinch and bare his teeth, and dammit if he didn't feel fangs again he was better than this! "Why, I doubt you're really man enough for this place, am I right?" A flash of green behind his helmet with the words, and suddenly Loke understood.
He tensed, frozen for a moment, because in that second it was undoubtable clear that this soul puppeteer actually knew…
"You can take that opinion and shove it up your ass Bickslow!" Cana cried out, cards in her hand as she took another step forward, only for Loke to snap out of it and grasp her shoulder to stop her once more. She paused, glaring at him, but backed off with a shake of his head. It was his fight after all.
"Natsu's not here right now…" He began, watching as Bickslow smirked and Cana's eyes widened. "And, seeing as how you're putting my concern with the guild in question, I feel it's only right that I stand in for him." A smile grew as he spoke, hazel eyes glinting up at the Thunder Legion member. "If that makes sense?"
"Loke…" Cana murmured, frowning in worry and frustration.
Bickslow laughed again, his smirk growing excited. "So it's me and you then? That's fine~ I'll thoroughly enjoy wiping the guild hall with you!" He guffawed.
"Loke, you don't have to do this." Master Makarov warned from the sidelines, his brow creased in worry for the spirit. It wasn't like he had much magic to spare after all, and senseless duels weren't really high on the list of wise things to do when dying.
Loke gave a slight smirk, pouring all the pride he had left as The Lion behind his expression. "It's fine. Besides…" He turned back to Bickslow, a bit of his own confidence, as Loke, showing through. "I can't let the name of a lovely lady be sullied and stay quiet, now can I?"
They stood in the courtyard, the whole guild that were present surrounding them in a circle. Loke was on one side, hand around his wrist and mentally prepping himself for battle, his eyes slitted as he looked at Bickslow on the other side. He wasn't sure if he could take the other man, he was only at a fraction of his power after all…but for the sake of his pride he had no choice.
And, anyway, someone had to wipe that damn smirk off his face.
"Come on Loke! You can do it!" Gray's voice called out encouraging words from behind him, and he could feel that odd aura of cold with his senses, feeling strangely warm and supportive.
"Yeah! Kick his ass!" Cana's voice sounded as well, and her presence felt like a summer storm and warm as a well-lit tavern.
It was so strange, the feeling of fighting alone was familiar, but having someone behind him, actual friends shouting encouraging words…that was new.
He gave a slight smirk, adjusting his sleeve, suddenly feeling a lot more confident in this fight.
The two wizards tensed, both sensing the other was ready, the murmurs of bets starting around them. "You ready for this? It's not gonna be anything like your little boy's club in Blue Pegasus." Bickslow jeered, that same smirk on his face, his creepy dolls laughing behind him.
Loke's smirk grew, and he gave a low chuckle. "Good. Those guys weren't much fun anyway." He drawled, then narrowed his eyes, ready for an attack.
Only he was paying attention to the wrong side.
"Gah!" Suddenly a hot searing pain smacked into his back, above his guild mark, and he was pushed forward by a projectile from one of the dolls. Slimy sneak thief, he'd snuck one of his spirits while Loke was distracted!
Bickslow laughed loudly, before sending more of his dolls after the ginger, and suddenly Loke was surrounded.
"Twister!" He cried out, sending a vortex of wind at the dolls, blasting them away. He dashed towards the puppeteer, hands curled into fists, olive eyes dilated behind his shades, teeth bared in a snarl. Loke was good at close combat, one of the better melee fighters in the guild. Possibly even one of the best, though without Regulus' light to augment it…
He didn't get much of a chance, as Bickslow proved to be very good at keeping his distance. He was more long range, and that put Loke at a disadvantage. Three of his dolls zipped in front of Loke and shot more energy at him, forcing the spirit to shield himself and duck away.
Bickslow laughed. "Now I see why you cared so much. You're just another weakling aren't you?" He mocked, only to be met with boo's and jeers from the rest of the guild. It was clear to everyone however that Loke was no match.
That was just typical, and Loke found himself curling to the ground under the assault of the dolls, down on one knee, arm across his face like a god damn cub.
He snarled, though he couldn't deny the spirit puppeteer's words. He was out of his league, foolish of him to think he could stand up to one of the lightning legion in his state. Why did he even bother? This had nothing to do with him…
"Come on Loke! Don't give up!" Gray's voice cut through his thoughts, like a jolt of lightning, cutting through him and bringing strength to his arms.
"Show that creep who's boss! You gonna let him say that shit to you lying down?!" Cana snarled, and he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Those two, just a couple of dumb mortals who didn't even know who he was or how far on the edge of oblivion he stood…and they were there, supporting him. For no reason…
And then there was Lisanna, her face flashing in his mind. Cheerful. Happy. Gone forever.
He couldn't possibly give up with that thought, could he?
His grin grew, and yes those were definitely fangs, and a low growl came from his throat, covered by the shots from the dolls and the crowd.
This was stupid, a waste of energy, he was only speeding things along for no reason…
His fist curled up on the ground, bracing himself as he slowly stood, arm still covering his face. There were murmurs of surprise among the crowd, and from Bickslow himself, but he wasn't focusing on that. He gathered his magic, depleted as it was, into his fist, not enough to form a glow but…
If he could spare just a little bit…
He called forth another twister, blowing the dolls apart, and used all his physical prowess to rush toward the puppeteer. Bickslow's eyes widened and he called forth his dolls, getting several good hits onto Loke's person, but Loke was Leo and endurance was a fucking talent of his.
He summoned a brief flash of Regulus to blind as he made it the last two feet to the Lightning Legion, teeth bared in a snarl, eyes slitted catlike as he aimed a punch right for his smug face.
Bickslow, eyes dazzled from the brief glow, wasn't able to dodge in time before the fist made the connection, the sound of flesh smacking flesh resounding in the courtyard, forcing his face to the side and his mask to fall. How Loke didn't break his hand was a wonder, and a hush settled over the onlookers.
Loke felt a brief flash of elation, victory rising in his chest, a proud roar in his throat that he suppressed.
For about five seconds.
"Guh!" He grunted, choking as he felt a searing burn in his back once again, and all his wounds caught up to him, forcing him to collapse to the ground. His guildmates called out to them, but right then he was only focused on curling up into a ball.
Holy stars that hurt!
The guild all crowded around him, though Gray and Cana got to him first. It was clear that the fight was over and he…well, he'd gotten thoroughly trounced.
He ignored the voices of concern from his friends, though he appreciated their worry even if they made him feel strange. His eyes cracked open to glance up at Bickslow, still looking stunned at him, green eyes wide and bare. There was still that elephant in the room, and now that Loke had lost….
Then Bickslow gave his customary smirk and gave the spirit a thumbs up. "Hey, not half bad Loke! Haven't had someone hit me like that in a while." He snorted, before going to pick up his mask again. "We should do this again sometime, maybe then you'll last more than a minute!"
Loke gaped for a moment, then grinned, with more than a little bit of relief coating his expression. His secret was safe; he'd earned…respect he supposed. He returned the thumbs up, giving a wink for good measure. "Hey now, I might just surprise you!" He boasted, though the likelihood of that was…rather slim.
Everyone gathered back into the guild hall, their mood lifted slightly from the dull pallor that it had before. Loke suddenly found himself the center of attention, and it was…almost like some sort of wall was lifted. Like there was a barrier between him and the others that he'd never noticed before. And with Bickslow offering him a beer and the others congratulating him on his fighting prowess he felt a weight lifted from his chest that he hadn't realized was there before.
It felt…good. Like being able to breathe again.
Lisanna would be so proud…
Loke grunted as a kick was hurled into his chest, knocking him back into the cold dirt. Gray fell beside him due to a punch to the face and the two men jumped a few feet back, avoiding any blows from the incredibly busty female magician they were dueling. It was dusk, and they were right at the outskirts of a tourist resort, closer to the racier parts of it than the Ice Make wizard was comfortable with.
Loke, of course, was more familiar with them than he probably should have been.
"Damn she's strong!" The spirit grumbled, wiping at his pretty face. His shades were missing, leaving his olive cat eyes free, having been knocked to the side from an earlier hit.
Gray snorted, giving the older male a scowl. "Yeah, no kidding." He drawled sardonically, right before he had to defend himself from a flurry of kicks and hits once again.
The woman in question was one of those elegant, yet well 'endowed' beauties, with long black hair and pouty lips, with the thickest thighs around and nails like talons. She was wearing a skimpy little nothing of a cocktail dress (with quite a thong to match) as well as a pair of tiny red heels. How she fought in them, Loke could never guess.
She had gorgeous green eyes…when she wasn't using her magic that was…Loke had, unfortunately, had a taste of how they looked when she was.
"What's your problem?" He asked, before quickly going to aide his friend in fighting off the woman. He distracted her, dividing her attention between the both of them so she wasn't focused completely on Gray. Her hand to hand combat was excellent, almost as good as Loke's own. He felt a grudging respect for her, one that didn't fall in line of love for her assets.
"Oh, I dunno…" Gray gasped as he blocked a well-aimed kick to his side. "Maybe it's because you were busy sleeping with her just a few minutes ago?" The tone of exasperation wasn't all that unexpected, but Loke honestly wondered why Gray was even bothering.
He quickly aimed a kick at her himself, thereby breaking her attention and letting Gray get a breather so he could aim an ice attack. "So? I didn't know who she was, and I always sleep with girls like that!" He protested, jumping back as Gray shot an Ice lance in her direction.
Both landed side by side as she kicked away, her hands going to her hips in frustration. "You two boys wouldn't be ignoring little ol' me would you?" She asked, her lips forming into a huffy pout.
Gray of course, ignored her and turned to Loke. "Do you even know why she's got a bounty on her head?" He asked in vexation, gesturing towards the spirit and growling. Loke imagined a very dark furred cub and tried not to smile. "Did you even read her file?"
"I might have skimmed it." Loke shot back, giving into that grin a little. Of course he hadn't looked at said file, being so used to just jumping into things as it was, plus her picture was a bit…distracting. And fuzzy. Of course he didn't recall what she'd looked like, and she was in disguise. Why was Gray so hung up on this? He crossed his arms, managing to turn away from said distraction as he gave his full attention to the young mortal. "Why? What's important about it?" He'd only seen her use her magic once anyway, and he hadn't even seen the effects as Gray had jumped in a few moments after it activated.
Gray stared at him, completely bewildered while the woman they were supposed to be catching gaped in the background. "She's called the succubus." He exclaimed, putting emphases on her title. "She kills men by sleeping with them-I honestly don't even know how you're still alive!"
"Hey!" Said succubus cried out, raising her hands in exasperation. "Rogue wizard here! Remember me?" She was promptly ignored once more by both men.
"Oh…" Loke responded unintelligently, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Her powers probably didn't work on Celestial Spirits, but he couldn't really say that of course. "Lucky break I guess?" He offered to the unimpressed Gray.
Said unimpressed wizard took a step forward, completely turning towards the elder. "I swear Loke, if she'd had you for even a moment more she would have drained you dry and-" He was then instantly cut off as Succubus, who'd gotten fed up by being ignored, had promptly leaped over to where they stood and grabbed Loke by the cloth of his shirt before jumping a few feet from Gray. She grinned up at him, and Loke swallowed down his desire to stare at her chest as well as his admiration for her strength. Mortals just seemed to get tougher and tougher every century…funny how he hadn't made note of it until he started dying next to them.
"Uh…" He stated brightly.
She smiled at him, another of those lovely grins that lit her face up like starlight, one of the reasons he'd been hooked, to be honest. "Yeah." She stated back. "You go."
And with that she tossed him through a building.
Of course, said building didn't knock him out too badly. He was stunned for a moment to be sure, but he managed to shake it off enough to stand after a bit. Unfortunately, when he did he noticed that he'd gained a slight nick along his arm, and the glowing energy seeping out caused him to frown. He'd heal, sort of, in a few hours, or at least the glowing would stop leaking, but he couldn't let anyone see it, plus that was his energy and it unnerved him to see it leaking like that considering his situation.
So he quickly ripped up part of his shirt (one of his favorites, sadly) and made a simple tourniquet before dashing out of the Loke shaped hole in the wall.
Only to spot Succubus with Gray lifted in her arms, mouth locked to his, and her eyes…
Her eyes were pitch black, pupils slitted and glowing a bright lavender. Gray for his part was looking ashen, his own eyes blown wide open, his muscles locked up, helpless.
Loke's heart stopped in his chest.
Gray was dying in front of him, falling under the same spell Loke himself would have suffered if he hadn't been what he was. His guildmate, his ally, his friend, his surrogate cub-
No.
Loke's hands curled into fists, and he felt the growl rise in his throat and let it loose. There were fangs in his mouth and his eyes were cat slit, but he didn't care. Gray was his, his friend, his pride…she wasn't going to take that away from him.
He wasn't going to watch as someone under his charge died again.
He pounced, fist slamming into the Succubus' side, causing her to let go of Gray and cut off all contact with the spell. The Ice Maker groaned, eyes slipping open as he spotted Loke charging after the rogue wizard. His hair was frizzier than usual, and there was an odd light and he swore that he thought he heard an actual roar…but that was crazy, right?
He quickly went under after that, the battle fading away with his consciousness…
When next Gray woke he noticed he was laying on top of someone's back, and Loke let out a chuckle, having sensed the young wizard stirring a moment before. "Welcome back to the world sleeping beauty!" He chirruped.
He was 'normal' again, though he'd had to use another Regulous Impact to take her down. Still, it was worth it, and he'd been worried about Gray. He'd been so relieved to find the human alive still…
"Where's the rogue?" Gray asked, his voice still groggy as he tried to lift himself off Loke's shoulders, though he was too weak to manage that much. Damn draining spells. Ug.
"Off in custody like she should be." Was Loke's bright reply, his arms tight around Gray's legs in order to keep him steady. The poor kid wouldn't be able to walk right for at least a day, thank god he'd had the foresight to book them a five-star hotel…granted, that was because he'd wanted to sleep with their rogue, but still.
It at least had two beds….
"Oh…" Gray responded, before falling into silence for a few moments. Loke counted off the seconds until the predicted macho response came. "Sorry about leaving you to fight her alone." And there it was, complete with pouting bitterness and hurt male pride. Like clockwork.
Loke gave a soft sigh and resisted the urge to shake his head, couldn't give Gray too hard a time since Natsu would probably make his life a living hell when he found out. "Eh, it's fine." He answered flippantly. "I'm used to running solo, remember? Nothing I couldn't handle." Never mind the shaking of his limbs or the faint blurred edges of his hands, but that was something he was carefully trying to ignore…
Gray was silent for several moments more. "…You saved my life." He finally said, voice soft, with a tone Loke couldn't exactly name, only that it was something he'd never heard from the distant boy before. He wondered what it meant…
Though he swallowed to wet a suddenly dry throat, he couldn't exactly explain why he'd done what he did, it barely made sense to him. He, who was immortal, who watched mortals live and die like mayflies, there one moment, gone the next. The fact that Gray's death, a wizard completely unconnected to him and his existence, was so important to him…
It was almost unheard of…
I'm breaking all kinds of records lately… He mused to himself, letting a slight smirk cross his lips before carefully replying. "Well…why wouldn't I?" He asked. It seemed appropriate, let Gray think it was just a show of comradery and not some odd proprietous feeling on the Spirit's part. It had to have something to do with lions, it was in his nature to make a pride…and suddenly Gray was a part of it.
Not that Loke would ever tell him that.
Time to change the subject.
"Hey." He added, turning his face to try and get the Ice Make Wizard's attention. "How's Natsu? Haven't seen him since…" He trailed off. Lissana's face flashed through his mind, another bit of melancholy, but he was a bit worried for the dragon slayer, even if Natsu wasn't as close to him…still.
Gray sighed, and Loke could almost feel his walls closing up again. It was getting to real for him too, though sometimes he was tempted to try and help the young male with his attachment issues. Then again Loke had no room to talk.
"He's doing fine. You know how Flame Brain is." He huffed, though his voice as softer than it normally was during his scolding. "He…has some off days…" He added, almost uncertainly. "But he's fine." His voice was quick. Final. Almost as if his determination would help spark Natsu's so that he'd recover faster.
Loke snorted, human rivalry was an interesting and complex concept that never failed to entertain him sometimes. "That's good…things are tough when you lose someone important." He trailed off, his mind flashing, as it always did, to a familiar face. A mocking smirk, hint of emerald locks…
Tough indeed.
"Hey." Gray shook Loke from his thoughts, and the Spirit couldn't help but be grateful as he made a noise of attention. "Speaking of Natsu...he told me he was gonna compete in the test for S Class next year." He began, prompting more of Loke's attention. He didn't know much about the test, though he did know the results. Something like that would have Natsu and Gray both gearing up for it, if only to try and one up each other. They only accepted a few into the S class ranks at a time after all…more often than not just one. It was perfect for them.
"I'm gonna try and compete too."
Loke chuckled, rolling his eyes. Of course he was. "Of course you are." He stated aloud, turning a corner onto the street where their hotel would be. "I'm sure you guys'll have a great fight for it too. Probably'll manage to blow up half the arena, if you're lucky."
Gray ignored his jibes, waiting a few moments after Loke spoke. And then… "I want you on my team."
Loke stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide, his chest tight. Gray…he wanted him? He hadn't even been there more than a year and yet… "Why me?" He asked, to give himself time to answer…which was ridiculous of course. He didn't even know if he'd be alive by then, and much as he cared about Gray he didn't think fighting in some silly mortal test would be good for his health. His duels with Bickslow were bad enough.
"Why?" Gray asked, sounding incredulous, as if Loke questioning it was the furthest thing from what he expected to happen. He'd never understand mortals, he swore. He could spend ten thousand more centuries with them… "You just saved my life." He added, and oh. Okay. That. That sounded reasonable. Gray huffed, shifting on Loke's back. "And anyway, you're the only guy in the whole guild I'd trust to watch my back. I mean, I'd ask Cana too but she…" Cana was a regular in the test, and they both knew why. Poor kid…Loke'd have to talk to her beforehand to try and help. Not that last year had seemed to do much.
Loke frowned, not sure how to feel with all of this…trust placed on him. Him. A dying star, an immortal being being forced to live and die on a mortal plane. "Oh, because Natsu's also in the test, right?" He jibed, just to change the subject and get away from all this seriousness for a bit.
Gray growled, making Loke impressed and just the slightest bit proud. "Shut up! Like I'd ever be on a team with that idiot." He griped, the snarl clear in his voice.
Loke snickered. "Suuuuure you won't…" He teased, before starting to walk again. The hotel was in sight at least, almost home.
"…. So?" Gray asked softly, bringing the mood back to focus.
Loke was silent for several moments, wondering how the hell he got to this point. Where he would make a promise and be trusted with something so outside his existence or purpose…or that he'd be terrified of making it, because he wasn't sure if he'd be around to keep it.
"…. Sure thing." In the end, it was the only thing he could say. He'd be there for Gray, he'd do anything for him really, but only if it was in his power to do so.
He felt the boy's body relax on his back, all the tension that had been built since the conversation began running out of him. "…thanks man." He murmured, voice soft and barely audible, that same tone that Loke didn't recognize in his voice. Only, he did recognize it, but it was so, so rare for Gray to hold the tone of vulnerability in his voice.
He prayed to the stars that he wouldn't let him down.
Loke is officially the dadfriend, which makes it weird that I ship him with Lucy considering she's roughly the same age as Natsu and Gray. Loke you're weird.
Also I know I just made Succubus to give Loke the 'I slept with the rogue we're after' title and also to get beaten up but I kinda fucking love her. Poor woman, it's so tough getting attention these days. Dumb boys.
There's one more chapter after this and I am SO psyched to start on it. This is also the longest chapter I've made since my old sheelos days so I feel safe to say that I'm finally starting to get back into the swing of things. Yay me~~~
I have about three other projects I'm working on (one an an actual original story GASP) so it's not gonna be done RIGHT away but hopefully it'll be done before next month is up cuz, again, writing more. Then Loke's story will be done and I can feel good to actually write some Lolu!
I just...really really wanted to get Loke's pre story down. Because my god the boy needs more love, even if this fic isn't getting that much attention I do not care I love him too much.
Also in case you didn't notice I have my own ideas about his and Gray's relationship, and one day I'll write something to do with him and Cana, hopefully that won't just involve sex. Fucking hell Loke.
Anyway review for aunty 'Cune~ Next chapter will be up soonish!
Prepare for Loke's horrible, awful, terrible, absolutely horrendous day ever.
Omake:
Gray: Hey, by the way, where's my shirt? O.o
Loke: Oh, Succubus tossed it while she was draining you.
Gray: Oh good, I was worried it was my fault again. You have it, right?
Loke: Got it right here, 'long with your pants of course.
Gray: She took my PANTS TOO?! D:
Loke: Nah, that one was you. :V
Gray: WHY DIDN'T YOU PUT THEM BACK ON?! DX
Loke: Because whenever I TRIED you would rip them back OFF. :/
Gray: Q.Q Why me?
ciao~