Oh man guys, if this chapter doesn't leave you DROOLING for more, I'll have to call for a spanking! Hang in there! I'S SO EXCITED!
Rated M.
M is for MATURE people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me around and take character ideas from my friends and I.
At least let a girl dream!
I want my own lil Virgo to call upon whenever I'm feeling randy...
Chapter 5
Rules vs. Games
Natsu wasn't exactly sure when he had started feeling possessive over Lucy. If he tried to backtrack his memory, he always seemed to get a bit confused. After all, he'd always tried to protect her ever since that first day they'd met. Now however, a heat rose in him when he thought of that particular Celestial mage. Right at that very moment he was using every bit of his willpower to keep from looking at her after Mira's announcement. Instead he just stared at Mira's infuriatingly innocent smile, dumb-struck, as was most of the men in the building.
He heard Levy chuckling from beyond his partner, which finally gave him a chance to look in her direction. Lucy looked a little blue while Levy spoke with a smile on her face, "That's the devil lady we all know and love!" Lucy turned to her friend and twin sweatdrops appeared on her and the dragon slayer's head in response to the bluenette's comment.
And it would seem the She-demon wasn't done. She still had more to say?!
Natsu sat back and slouched in his chair. I'll get you back for this Strauss.
^.^
"Allow me to demonstrate for all of you," Mira smiled to her guildmates and turned to Freed, who was sheathing his sword. "How are you today Freed?"
Freed glanced up at her surprised, he was about to head off the stage, "Umm, I'm doing rather well my lady. Are the enchantments up to your satisfaction?"
"Well..." Mira took a step closer to him, "I was curious of that myself."
If your squinted your eyes and looked REEEALLY hard at the space above Freed's head, you could definitely see phantom question marks there. He took a step back when Mira took another step closer. "I- I assure you, the rules are in place Miss Mirajane..."
"Oh Freed! I have faith in you, I'm sure they are." She gave him a lovely smile, "but just to make sure," Mirajane then used a hand to shield her face from Freed as she gave all the girls (assumedly) a mock/wink before turning back to Freed. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind joining me for the Gypsies and Thieves Ball coming up...?"
"WHAT?!" Elfman cried out from his table.
"Ehh..!" Freed's eyes went wide and he took another step back, "but my lady, surely there are suitors much more qualified than myself-" suddenly his back went rigid and his voice squeaked, yes, you read right, I said squeaked! "Yes Mirajane, I would be more than honored to accompany you to the Ball."
A shining green and blue rune appeared on the soft skin of their wrists. Mirajane held up her arm, palm out and motioned the blushing script wizard to do the same. Then she giggled, showing the guild the symbols on both their wrists. "See? We match!"
"And the contract..." gulp, "is binding." Freed seemed to be talking to himself, "the rules have been set."
Despite the men's disapproval of the rules, and most of the girl's shyness due to the rules, the entire guild couldn't help but cheer for the first official couple for the upcoming Fairytail party.
Mirajane giggled and gave Freed a hug, which gave the guild more reason to whoop and ahh, then returned to her station behind the bar. Lisanna started refilling mugs again and the place was lit up with it's average rambunctiousness.
Cana, after finally getting her much desired refill, chugged it down and slammed it back onto the table. She grinned mischievously at her table mates, consisting of Alzack and Bisca, Macao and Wakaba, and Reedus, "Watch this..."
The card reader stood up with a bit of a sway in her hips and walked over to Natsu's table. Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Levy sat on one side, and Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla sat at the other. Cana stopped in front of the table with one hand on her hip and placed her best seductive smile on and cooed out sweetly, "Oh Graa~aay..."
The raven haired wizard had been trying to snatch a roll back from Natsu's greedy hands when he heard her call him and froze, with either apprehension, or terror—it was hard to tell. He slowly twitched his head in Cana's direction, still frozen with his arm reaching out over the table. All eight of the wizards stopped what they were doing to watch in shameless curiosity.
Cana's smile grew, and leaned in to lay her forearms on the table, squeezing between Lucy and Natsu, her exposed cleavage leaving very little to the imagination. This motion brought her veeeery close to Gray's face and she blushed (easy to do when you've been drinking!), "Gra~aay, I just wanted to ask you something... something very important to my..." she closed her eyes and let out a sigh, bringing a hand to her cheek. Gray used this opportunity to retract his arm, which was practically on Cana's shoulder from the way she positioned herself on their table. In her bent over position, her previous table mates got a full view of her ever so slightly waving bottom, much like a cat would swish her tail. Bisca elbowed Alzack even though he was the ONLY male at that table NOT looking at Cana's ass.
"Important to my..." Cana peeked an eye out to look deep into Gray's nervous eyes, "heart."
It was clear Gray was starting to sweat, not very becoming of an ice wizard. Cana just watched him for a little bit, and her smile faded back to mischievous. "You gonna finish that drink?"
All but Erza all fell to the floor. Lucy and Levy laughing (even Erza had that bemused smile on her lips), Gray and Natsu with an odd twitch in their leg. Cana's previous table erupted into a symphony of laughter, louder than the rest of the guild combined. Wakaba actually fell out of his seat and just kept right on laughing. Cana grinned widely and turned around and bent over to the floor-ridden Natsu, "Oh Nat~suuu..?"
The dragon slayer's eyes went very wide, "I, I gotta go guys!" He scrambled on hands and feet to get away from Cana before she could ask him a thing.
Cana then threw her head back in a hearty laugh of her own, snatched Gray's mug and stepped onto the table herself. Levy and Lucy found their seats again, still giggling. Cana raised her pilfered glass to no one in particular, "Enjoy it ladies! We have the power!" Ladies from all around the guild lifted a glass to that, "Aye!" and they all drank deep from their mugs, slamming them down onto the table in unison. The card mage then hopped down from the table and winked over her shoulder at Lucy, Levy, and Erza. "This is gonna to be fun."
From the other side of the guild, Laxus and Bickslow did not look as amused as Evergreen. "Maybe we should just find a mission to go on. Anything is better than waiting for the wrong person to ask you." Laxus spoke softly, having never removed his eyes from Cana the entire time she had left her table for another dragonslayer's.
"You could be right Boss." Bickslow agreed, looking at a specific mage of his own.
^.^
Natsu and Gray stood outside the guild, pacing back and forth. "Maaan, this sux." Gray murmured to himself.
"Yea, this is stupid! Do we just have to avoid everybody until this is over?" Natsu grumbled.
Gray shook his head, "At least until one of the girls catches you anyway."
Natsu paused at that, glaring at his guildmate. "You saying someone could actually catch me Snowflake?"
"What?" Gray cocked his brow at the dragon slayer, "no... I was just-"
"Come on Ice Princess, let's go!"
"You wanna fight Ash Head? Fine, I'll take you on!"
Bisca whistled lowly at the two of them, which caused them both to look over to her and Alzack standing in the guild's entrance. "The two of you really are clueless aren't cha?" She tsked. "If you want a certain lady to ask you, you'd best stick to her side. Otherwise, she's bound to ask someone else!"
Natsu's eyes widened, Gray folded his arms and nodded.
The couple then walked past them, headed on their way. Both ice and fire wizard couldn't help but notice the matching runes they now shared on their wrists.
"No way am I going back in there after that stunt Cana pulled." Gray frowned.
"Well I am." Natsu grinned, "I'll just cover my ears if some tries to ask me out!"
Gray sweatdropped. "Sure Flame for Brains. Sounds like a solid plan..."
"What'd you say to me?" Natsu's fists flamed up again.
Suddenly Elfman burst through the door, holding it closed behind him, rasping for the sweet air of freedom. "This is no way to treat a MAN! Evergreen's got nearly all the girls teasing us around!"
"Really?" Asked Natsu.
"What?" Groaned Gray.
Elfman's lower lip quivered. "The guild hall has become a scary place for real men. I suggest you stay clear!" With that said, he stalked off.
"Amen to that." Gray said, and headed home.
Natsu frowned after him then turned to look back at the guild doors. The dragon in him wouldn't let him just abandon HIS territory. Besides. If Laxus could endure, he knew he could too! He ground a fist into his hand and marched back over to the doors and swung them open. The chatter inside suddenly stopped... and many female faces turned to look at him.
"Nat~suuuuuu..." multiple feminine voices sung out to him all at once.
Oh HELL no!
He shut the door again, still on the outside. He heard the girls explode into another fit of laughter as he hung his head.
It's nice out here... that tree looks great for climbing.
^.^
As nice and fun as the new atmosphere was here in the guild, Lucy couldn't help but feel a little bad for Elfman. Evergreen had gathered a few of the girls over to him and were asking him all SORTS of questions that at first seemed to be invitations to the Ball. However, what finally made him storm out was when Lisanna sat down next to her brother and started thinking out loud about how she was too nervous to ask anyone to accompany her, except maybe her big, strong brother. THAT was when he finally got up and left in a most ungraceful fashion.
Was her imagination playing tricks on her, or did she see stirring at the Thunder God Tribe's table when Lisanna had begun teasing her brother? It was only Laxus and Bickslow sitting there. The blonde glanced over at Mirajane and noticed that she was looking in their table's direction too.
Lucy's table had turned into a girl's club... plus Happy, who was sitting next to Carla on the table talking about all the different kinds of ways he could dress up as a thief. The girls joshed and jollied about who they might or might not ask (the less shy ones anyway) and they made sure to tease Levy, for whom her 'stud', I believe they called it, was away and didn't get caught by Freed's enchantment. Levy denied all their accusations of course, stating Gajeel would have been BEYOND pissed had he been here for this trap, er—meeting. He'd never go to one of these types of things.
The thing that finally made the girls quiet down was Laxus' arrival at their table. "You girls seem to be having an awfully lot of fun at your guildmate's expense. Tell me, is it really THAT exciting to be placed in the man's role?" That last remark placed an arrogant smile on the dragon slayer's face.
"Oh shut up *hic* Laxus." Cana said without even looking at him. "You just hate being in the GIRL'S position, you sexist pig," she smiled and opened an eye to look up at him. "Now go be a good little girl and go make us manly men some steak dinner."
Not only did Cana's reply send gasps and stifled giggles around the table, it also brought Laxus' fist down on top of the table in front of Cana's mug.
"Watch it pal!" Cana stood up and glared at him, his extreme extra height not deterring her in the slightest, "you almost spilled my drink!"
Laxus cocked a brow at the little brunette and grinned widely. "How about a challenge then Cana? Considering how much you've already drank today, I'll bet beating you at a drinking game would a piece of cake."
"Ha! Then what are the stakes Sparky? Better be interesting!" Cana slurred out.
"If I win," Laxus leaned in towards her so their faces were only half a foot apart. "You have to ask me to Mira's little party."
Cana started snickering so hard it nearly sounded like snorts. "Alright tough guy! WHEN I win, you'll have to-"
It was at that moment when a certain fire dragon threw open the doors to the guild. As if it had been completely planned, nearly all the girls (except team Natsu) chirped in as one:
"Nat~suuuuuu..."
Lucy's breath hitched as she saw the look of complete bewilderment come on her partner's face. He practically started glowing red as he promptly shut the door without ever stepping a foot in.
"Umm.." Lucy hesitated. "I think I should go check on him. I don't think he's EVER heard his name called out like that," she blurted out a laugh she'd been holding in, "especially from like... twenty beautiful ladies!" The table made another round of boisterous merriment that Lucy enjoyed sharing. When she got up to leave, she heard Cana say, "Go get him Tiger!"
That comment would be why when Natsu watched her exit the guild from his tree, a blush was adding a lovely rose tint to those cheeks of hers.
^.^
Natsu had just settled in the tree, too stubborn to just leave like some of the other guys. Laxus wasn't chased off. That was eating him up. Stupid Cana and her tricks. It was great when she pulled the stunt on Snowman, but then she had to boomerang it onto him. No way was he getting suckered into going to that dumb ball with her.
That traitor Freed.
He was surprised when his blonde headed partner suddenly exited the guild hall, looking this way and that way. The fire tamer quirked an eyebrow when he saw a blush on her face.
She's probably had too mush to drink. Pretty sad too, it's barely past lunchtime!
Natsu jumped when she suddenly called his name. He hadn't realized how wound up he had been. He was a dragonslayer! He wasn't supposed to be high strung! As soon as he overcame his initial jumpiness, he had to silently thank Lucy for the WAY she called out for him. Not like the girls at the guild had. It was just Lucy, his Lucy calling for him normally. She knew him well enough to know she didn't have to call loud. He'd have heard her if he had already been a mile away. That woman's voice sang out to him and he could pin point it out of a whole crowd of people.
The spirit summoner sighed as she spoke to herself, "he couldn't have gotten far! I was only a couple minutes behind him!" She cupped her hands and raised her voice to a level of annoyance. "I know you can hear me Natsu!"
She's so weird, talking to herself again! He grinned, Why am I just staring at her?
"Damnit Natsu! I know that back there must've been really uncomfortable for you! I came out here to TRY and cheer you up!" Lucy folded her arms and tapped her foot.
He hopped out of the tree to a spot behind her in absolute silence. This particular slayer was very learned in the art of hunting—Igneel had seen to that—and knew how to be sneaky when he wanted to be. He leaned forward til his lips were next to her ear, "But I'm not sad Luce."
Lucy screamed and immediately pushed him away. Normally that scream would have had the entire guild barreling out of the building at the sound of their guildmate's distress, but with all the raucous going on in there, not a soul heard her.
Nastu skipped back a few steps due to the momentum of her push and landed in a couched, oddly animal-like stance, he grinned at her much like a predator would grin at the first sight of his prey. "Oh! You wanna brawl huh Luce?"
Lucy glared at him for a moment, then relaxed and crossed her arms with a chuckle. "No, knuckle head. I just wanted to see if you were okay. I kinda feel bad for how the girls are treating you guys, what with Mira's little game and all."
The flame wizard straightened up and scratched the back of his head with that big grin of his, "Aww that's okay Luce. It's not near as bad as Gramp's punishment games."
"Still though." She perked up with her hands behind her back and smiled so sweetly it could have rivaled the She-demon's, "as a Fairytail wizard, I feel it is necessary to make it up to you, my fellow guild member. I hereby devote the rest of my day to you. Whatever you want."
Natsu blinked at her, utterly flabbergasted.
"Well?" The star maiden waited.
A few more moments, then Natsu grew a devilishly handsome grin, "Aaaanyyything..?"
"Uhh... Yea?" He could feel her resolve melting.
Eh heh heh heh...
"Let's play a game Luce!"
"A game...?" She blinked.
"Yea. Hide and seek!"
Classic sweatdrop moment for our Celestial mage, "Hide and seek...?"
The dragon slayer was boiling with excitement. "Yeeees! You've never played hide and seek right until you've played it with a dragon!" His face took on that same devil grin, canines in full view. "Big rule," Natsu's stare peirced right through Lucy's chocolate eyes and beyond, "the dragon ALWAYS seeks."
"Eh..."
Natsu turned away from her and started counting. "1... 2... 3..."
"Er, wait Natsu! How much are you counting to? Shouldn't we set boundaries?" Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder.
He was ALL fired up and quickly shook her hand off of him and glanced over his shoulder at her, pupils slitted, eyes golden. "4... 5... 6..."
"EEP!" Lucy turned and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.
"You better pull out all the stops Lucy! I WILL find you!"
That's a wrap! Plz plz PLZZZ let me know how this chappy made you feel in the review I KNOW you want to send!
Do you hate me yet?
I don't hate you! I happen to think you look QUITE tasty.
Much love,
naughty things,
and sparkling pink elephants
Seri!