"We seriously cannot be doing this."
Gray Fullbuster was sitting with his back to the planter that separated the street from the patio café. He rolled his eyes at his companions watching as the five of them peered eagerly through the bushes into the sitting crowd.
"We have to be here to make sure the bastard doesn't try anything," Natsu muttered with Happy quick to back him up.
"Yeah we all know him! What if he gets handsy!?"
"I don't think he would do that," Wendy defended him quietly, being the only one actually conscious of their volume. She didn't know Loke very well but had heard of his past, even then though she couldn't really doubt the look in his eyes whenever Lucy would look down at her food sitting at their table less than twenty feet away. It was so… tender.
"I wouldn't be so sure child, men are scoundrels who rarely change their ways," Carla added curtly, pretending to be as uninterested as Gray and turning her head away with a huff.
"Don't be so quick to judge him, he has definitely changed," Erza finally joined the rabble, crouched in hiding like the others, carefully observing the 'date'. She had thought it an appropriate course of action to check in on the two of them after they left their sun spot at Fairy Hills, only dropping by the guild to let the others know she would be busy. They had tagged along but she shouldn't have been surprised. She was actually shocked there wasn't more guild members crouched behind the bushes. There was a few hiding behind pillars or carts on the street but not the bushes.
They watched eagerly while Gray just closed his eyes and tried to tune them out, wondering how he had even come to be there at all. 'To make sure they don't go too far,' he reasoned silently. He peered over his shoulder just in case, watching as Loke leaned in close to his blonde companion, whispering something to her.
"Natsu?" Erza inquired, knowing his hearing could pick up what theirs couldn't.
"He said, 'Do they think we don't see them or are they just waiting regardless?'" The gathered group tensed. "And she said, 'They can't possibly think we haven't spotted them by now.'"
In unison the two of them turned with raised eyebrows to stare fully at the bushes, Lucy appearing entertained and Loke a little irritated.
"Welp that's our que to leave," Gray said with a sigh, standing up with an obviously embarrassed expression along with the others.
"Keep your hands to yourself buddy!" Happy shouted, earning a hearty shout of "Yeah!" from Natsu before he was forcefully dragged away by Erza.
The two enjoying lunch waited patiently as Mirajane, Cana, and Bisca appeared from various hiding spots and walked away, trying to act as if it was a coincidence they were even there.
"Honestly unbelievable," Loke sighed heavily, rolling his eyes in a comedic manner to get Lucy to laugh.
"We shouldn't be so surprised that's just the way they are, I don't know how they found us though."
Loke peered around, looking for any more spies. "They probably have a video lacrima stashed somewhere. Or a tracking spell."
The two shared a laugh, and he was relieved to see that the momentum of their 'lunch date', as he fondly referred to it in his mind, wasn't disturbed. He wasn't really irritated with the guild, but he had hoped they would have more faith in him. It seemed he still had a ways to go if he wanted to prove that he didn't think of Lucy the same way as some of the other-
"Oh god no," Loke whispered in horror, staring past a bewildered Lucy. A gaggle of women had just entered the street, and to his dismay, spotted him. Without exception they were all past girlfriends, some of the more attached ones at that. "They travel in packs," he hissed, ducking low to try and make it CLEAR he was not to be disturbed, Lucy zeroing in on the source of his behavior. They were closing in fast.
"You don't want to see some of your biggest fans?" Lucy asked, trying to come off as playful but sounding a bit miffed. Here was yet more proof of the sort of guy Loke tended to be.
The lion was losing hard won ground and fast and did what he tried to never do.
"Lucy please save me, save me I don't want to see them I don't want to see any of them please do something."
He was looking up at her desperately, and a spark of fondness flared in her eyes. A train of thought that surprised her raced through her mind, and before she could stop herself she said, "You're right, right now you're mine and I don't feel like being bothered."
He blinked. Did- did she just say what he thinks she said? Before he could do much he spotted a flash of gold in her hand and saw her raise a key.
"Get under the table," she said quickly, taking advantage of the fact the women had to pass a large street cart that blocked their view momentarily.
Pride be damned he figured, he was hers, and he quickly crawled out of sight as Lucy called out, "Open Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"
From his place under the table he could spot two expensive leather shoes he recognized as his own, and heard his own voice say, "Got a special request for this handsome face ooor?"
"Gemini!" Lucy cried out at the scandalous implication, kicking Loke under the table when he laughed. "I need you to lose those fangirls for me."
"Your wish is my command gorgeous," the copy spirits replied in a perfect imitation of him, and the leather shoes were suddenly gone, sprinting down the road shouting, "Chase me my lovelies!" to a chorus of thrilled shrieks quickly fading into the distance.
The sight of those two adorable cat ears and his wild ginger hair popping into view from under the table was enough to make Lucy giggle, gesturing for him to come out when he looked at her curiously.
"That should distract them, as well as any others lurking about town. Hopefully Gemini doesn't take it too far. You know how they can be."
Loke shrugged as he crawled back into his seat. "If they ruin my reputation so be it, it will just mean they avoid me in the future so I can't complain."
That made Lucy smile. She poked at her mushroom ravioli, already pretty full but not wanting to be wasteful. Loke had finished whatever it was he had ordered a while ago, and now spent his time just watching her with a smirk on his face.
"What?" she finally just asked, pouting at him as she continued to eat.
"Nothing. I'm having a good time," his smirk deepened, "I am yours after all."
She groaned and stared down into her food. She should have known he wasn't going to let that go. She had said it without thinking it through, obviously it would go to his head. She could tell her face was red but that stubborn confidence from before hadn't faded. She thought of the dance… where she didn't move away, the choice she was making. Wasn't she past this point now?
"Yeah," she said plainly like they were discussing the weather, "You are. So?"
Despite her nervousness she smiled slightly at his reaction. His smirk was replaced by something unexpected, a soft shocked expression she could only describe as hope. Then suddenly, doubt.
He tried to play it off, but it was obvious now this conversation was very important. "I guess I shouldn't feel so special, I mean the likes of Taurus and Gemini are yours as well."
"Is that how you think I mean it?" she asked, taking a drink from her glass and not quite tasting what it contained.
There was silence, and the two of them were flustered. Loke nervously rubbed at his neck, his fingers twitching and playing with his rings. "That isn't what I want you to mean by it, exactly-" his voice cut out, unsure of what to say or how to approach this.
Lucy looked at him dead on, her voice gentle but her eyes intense. "What do you want it to mean?" She stared at him hard, her heart beating fast. As she spoke her confidence grew. The whole day, the day of the storm, the ball and the dancing. She didn't know what to think of anything and it all… scared her. It was different, but she liked it. Just thinking about that dance… it… she didn't know. But if he said it if he knew, maybe then…
Loke looked like a deer in the headlights, his eyes were wide and she could sense the heat of his thoughts.
This wasn't like he had imagined. He had thought he would need to be the one to approach her, grab her hand and pull her close, telling her of his true feelings. But she was asking him now, and her eyes were so calm and sure he had no idea what she was thinking. Was she asking in hopes he would confess? Was it to put him back in his place, back to the same level as every other mage in Fairy Tail and spirit on her key ring? Were either of them even ready?
"I- I want…" he took a deep breathe, "I want you to think of me as yours. Not like the others, not even like Fairy Tail. I want to-" he fell short again, but she waited patiently, tenderness in her gaze, "to be yours."
She didn't say anything, and he couldn't look at her. Damn when did he become such a coward? Why was it when things were at the most important point that he froze up?
"I- I don't," he stopped again and forced himself to match her stare. To his surprise, she was smiling. "I don't know what to do or what to say and that's hard for me," he confessed. "I always thought I would know what to say but I don't. I thought I knew how to handle things like this but this isn't like before. This isn't like anything I've ever encountered and I don't know what to do but I-" he looked down again, and though his fingers shook he reached out to gently touch the back of her hand. "I want the chance to try."
There was a space of time where nothing happened, his hand hovered above hers and his eyes traced the light pink of her guild mark, his fingertips touching her soft skin and feeling the heat of her hand. He waited, and his heart felt heavy. He was asking for her to give him a chance and he felt like he was out in front of that bath house all over again. Handing her a bottle of milk and knowing with cold certainty he would never see her again.
He should have known better.
Hadn't she come to save him then as well?
Her hand moved out from under his and his heart stopped, but she turned it so the palm rest against the table and gently grasped his shaking fingers, her thumb holding it in place with a reassuring pressure. It didn't feel innocent or friendly per say. It felt… warm. Sweet.
He met her eyes and he couldn't put words to what he felt. His whole body reacted when she spoke, her voice soft and eager.
"I trust you, wholly and completely." She smiled, her cheeks tinged pink and her shoulders pulling closer together with her timid declaration. "I would like to trust you with this as well."
She smiled, fully and brightly and he felt himself returning it. She gave him that smile he loved so much, the one where she closed her eyes and tilted her head just barely to the side. His Lucy smile.
'She's giving me a chance,' his thoughts almost whispered in awe. 'She's going to take me seriously, no more jokes no more pulling away. She's going to let me try.'
All at once all doubt and hesitance were wiped clear.
He wasn't going to fail or falter. He was going to be hers, and finally after so long she might be his.
He held her hand with more confidence now, holding it firmly and reveling in the softness of her skin. She returned the gesture with a small squeeze of his fingers, and gave no hint that she wanted to end the contact.
"We're ready for the check!" he called, shooting Lucy an ecstatic grin. "We have a free day to enjoy."
From above you could see a man with wild ginger hair in one part of town, running and calling to women who seemed terribly out of breath, and in the opposite end of town you could see the same man, running from a café with an eager smile on his face, holding the hand of a gorgeous blonde woman and tugging her along behind him as they laughed together. It was impossible to hear what they were saying, but impossible not to see the nervous, happy smiles on their faces. As they slowed to a walk, talking animatedly and pointing at shops and stores, their hands went from being linked from moving along to falling gently to their sides, until the woman reached out with a blush on her face and took the man's hand. Even from so high above Happy could see the way Loke reacted, pulling closer to her and interweaving their fingers.
"He loooves her," he cooed to himself, and with an excited giggle, flew for all he was worth to the guild hall.
"So it's my choice yes? How we spend the day?" He asked, not caring as his face finally started to ache from all the smiling he had been doing.
Lucy was still adjusting to holding his hand, and settled for a nod.
"Okay," he exclaimed, "Then let's stop by the guild. We should probably tell them we are going out of town so they don't think I've stolen you."
"Out of town?" She said in surprise, turning to look up at his excited face. "Where are we going?"
"Well if you'd like, my house. In the spirit world, not for anything indecent I swear," he chuckled at her expression, but misunderstood her misgivings.
"I can't just vanish for a few months the others-"
"Oh no no, it isn't like that where I live. I asked the King personally to make it so the land my home rests on runs on the same stream of time as the human world. You won't lose weeks of your life I promise, as long as we stay in my estate it will be second for second."
He grinned as he watched the uncertainty tick over to unbridled excitement. "The spirit world! Really!?" She skipped as they walked, swinging their conjoined hands. While they walked he asked to borrow her key pouch.
"Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. She was cautious of anyone having her keys but her, but seeing his expression that simply said 'Really?' she relinquished them. Loke rummaged for Virgo's key, holding it firmly in his free hand.
"Virg, take a message to the king for me and tell him I'm bringing Lucy to the spirit world so he doesn't have a fit about it later because I didn't take her to visit him."
Lucy tittered cutely at this and with a wave of disbelief he realized he could actually say as much.
"You're adorable when you giggle, you would never peg a giggle like that coming from a hardened spirit mage."
Lucy blushed, her protests about 'breaking' spirit law cut short as she ducked her face to hide behind her hair. His heart soared when she yet again did not pull away.
'That is kind of you big brother,' Virgo cut in, somehow managing to sound smug and monotone at the same time and he painfully realized he was still holding her key. He dropped her key back onto the ring a little rougher than necessary.
There was silence for a short time, and he was still riding the high of just being in contact with her, but as they drew closer to the guild they both sighed and looked at each other, before releasing their hold. Nobody was ready to deal with that just yet, as much as it pained him he wanted to respect her comfort level. Not that the guild wasn't already jumping to conclusions, what with the spying and all. He moodily shoved his hands in his pockets and Lucy smiled at his pouting before stepping in front and opening the door to the guild hall.
"Hey everyone!" she called, but it was instantly apparent to both of them that something was up, the healthy mix of distrusting glares and excited smirks being a dead giveaway.
Loke sighed, pulling at Virgo's key again from the pouch at Lucy's hip as they were approached by Erza.
"I would like to formally apologize for intruding on your private outing earlier, the others merely followed my lead and I am deeply sorry for that," her voice was heavy and dramatic, the regret and sorrow very real and slightly off putting.
"Uh its okay Erza don't worry about it," Lucy tried to console her, hoping to avoid Erza's demand of physical repercussion. Gray and Natsu walked up next, Natsu looking wary but Gray looking smug. Loke avoided his look with a roll of the eyes, muttering instructions to the key in his hand while Lucy spoke with them.
"We wanted to come by to let you know that I'm not going to be around for the rest of the day, we are leaving town. So, you know, I'm not dead or missing or anything."
"Where ya heading?" Natsu asked with genuine curiosity, trying to see if their adventure was worth tagging along with. Loke looked at the dragon slayer firmly, making it clear he was not invited but he might as well have been staring at a brick wall. Gray gave him a curt nod to assure him he got the message, and would enforce it accordingly.
Gray was a good friend.
"The spirit world actually," Lucy informed them, quickly raising her hands and speaking urgently at their shocked expressions. "I won't be gone for months I promise, we are going to Loke's house where the time stream is the same so I won't be gone any longer than I actually am gone."
Lucy might as well have said she was going lingerie shopping with him for what their reactions were, even Gray shooting the lion an angry look.
"Oh Christ's sake have some faith guys," he said crossly, before seeming distracted and referring to the key, "Not you Virg."
Lucy just sighed dramatically, a hand at her temple. She was losing her patience as well, not to mention it was all very embarrassing. Hadn't they all done enough for one day?
Before anyone could jump to anymore conclusions Lucy cried out in relief, "Virgo!" as the small pink haired maid appeared. She had a simple stack of cloth in her hands, and with a quick, "Hello Princess," she changed Lucy in a flurry without even asking, replacing her clothes with tasteful spirit world ones. Lucy held out her arms, examining the cream colored long sleeve shirt with dark blue and gold at the sleeve edges and the practical slacks she now wore, smiling at the gesture.
"And with that," Loke said with finality, "We are off. Thank you everyone, I will now be stealing her away." Without asking anyone Loke put a hand around Lucy's waist and the pair of them vanished in golden magic, Virgo bowing and saying her farewells before following them into the spirit world.
"Bastard better play nice," Natsu muttered, and Gray just shook his head.
Lucy clung to Loke tightly, the rush of power and the feeling of rushing forward disappearing as soon as it came, leaving her a little out of breathe as her human body transitioned to the spirit world. She looked away from her grinning companion and gasped, suddenly finding herself in a gorgeous towering manor consisting mostly of marble, dark wood, and high arching windows.
Loke just watched her as she bravely bounded away from him, feeling at home in his realm so quickly it made him laugh. He had expected her to be timid and slow to move, but the playful girl was darting all over, peering out of the windows with an excited squeal. Despite only being there twice before, she did not look at all out of place with a backdrop of celestial bodies and galaxies pouring their light over her face.
"This is- this is amazing!" her voice was almost reverent, before she twirled to face him, her eyes glowing with excitement. "Your home, it's beautiful! Do you really live here?"
The spirit gave a humble nod, looking around with her as she examined his dwelling, self-consciously trying to remember if there was some unsightly mess anywhere. He hadn't really thought that through, but Virgo was typically pretty quick and she did say she would do it for him before bringing the clothes. Judging by how there wasn't a pair of boxers where Lucy was currently standing it was safe to assume he was in the clear.
"Its gorgeous," she whispered, moving away from him towards where his bed rested on the platform and looking over at his closet and bookshelves. "Is this your room?"
"Yes," he answered quickly, walking towards a sizable oak door that was rarely ever closed since he lived alone, "the rest of the house is this way if you would like to explore. Forgive any mess you might find shoved under a couch somewhere, this was sort of a spontaneous idea," he chuckled, looking at her with a sheepish grin that made her laugh. As she passed him she lightly reached out and touched his arm softly.
"Oh come on you know I don't care," she reassured him, moving out towards what she assumed to be the main room and gaping at the high arched ceiling. Loke walked up beside her and looked up, only just then remembering the intricate designs set in gold that spanned all along the inside of the dome like peak of the living room ceiling. The back drop was an inky dark blue, a favorite in the celestial world, and the lines of gold created a perfect recreation of a star chart, the symbols that represented the spirits attached to the constellations resting alongside them.
"Some are glowing," she stated in fascination, seeming a little overwhelmed. He was suddenly a little embarrassed. If someone who grew up in a billion dollar estate was so impressed with his house he was unexpectedly doubting his idea of what was simple or not.
"Yeah," he replied lamely, "if you have a contract with a spirit their constellation glows. It's always been there, I used to use it to try and remember who else was contracted to the same wizard as me. I don't really need it anymore since you keep it so tight knit."
He looked around while Lucy examined the star chart in amazement, trying to see if anything was too dramatic or over the top. He couldn't think of anything that would come off as such, it just looked like a home furnished by a single man with connections. Nice stuff, but simple stuff.
"Huh," Lucy remarked quietly, drawing his attention. "That one is flickering, really slowly. I don't recognize it." She pointed up at the one in question and sure enough it was.
"That's the constellation of the crow, it must be reacting to the fact that you have his key but not a contract yet."
Remembering the key that waited for her at home, having been dropped off before they went out for lunch, she smiled happily.
She turned slowly, and met his gaze. "Okay kitty, what's on the agenda?"
He started at the term of endearment, if that's what it was. "Are you really going to call me kitty?" he asked, half dismayed and half elated.
She tilted her head and put a finger to her lips cutely, considering the notion. Then she nodded, grinning at him as she took in his conflicted expression.
"Okay, if you're gonna pout. I could call you tomcat, like Carla does," and she laughed out loud as he really started to pout. "Okay okay, I can just figure one out later." She looked him over and grinned again, "So what's the plan Simba?"
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide to color in his cheeks at her nicknames. The fact she wanted something special to call him just drove his heart wilder than before.
"I just wanted to spend time here with you, show you my place. We can just hang out, like through the rainstorm." He felt lame, figuring he should have had more of a plan than this, but the idea of seeing her sitting and talking and laughing in his home had suddenly seemed so important to him. Things were so much more permanent in the celestial world, eternal. He wanted to see her there again, in his home, comfortable and happy.
To his relief, Lucy grinned. "That sounds really fun."
She started to wander away, finding her way towards the kitchen and peering in at every pot and pan stashed around. They hardly looked used but that didn't seem so strange. He lived alone, there probably wasn't much call for a full course meal using all the equipment available. She hoped that maybe she could start being a reason for this house to feel a little more lived in, and the thought made her dance a little in place.
This was insane, what she was doing. She had taken a huge step forward, but it felt so nice. So nice to be like this with him.
She spun in place on the marble tile and wrapped her arms around her like she was trying to keep it all in, but a laugh slipped out.
"You seem happy," he commented, overjoyed by how at home she seemed. It looked nice, seeing her dance happily in his home.
"Of course I'm happy," she replied, like the reasons were so obvious no one could miss them. "But don't think I didn't notice," she said suddenly, so sharply and with such attitude that his paranoia kicked in.
"Didn't notice…?" he said quietly, unsure of what she was getting at.
"Everything here looks like its hardly used, but you can see plain as day where you usually spend your time," she started to explain, pacing out of the kitchen and beckoning him to follow. "This seat on the couch, that end of the table, that bit of the armchair," she pointed out one after the other. "But everything else looks just for show. But not that," she turned with finality, and with a look of victory drew his attention to his piano in the far corner and the well-worn bench before it.
Oh.
He pulled his eyes away from the elegant black piano he had always been fond of and settled his gaze on a rather triumphant looking little woman, who crossed her arms and grinned.
"You play piano, and if you think you are getting away with not playing for me you're dead wrong."
The lion was very confident with his skill with the instrument, that wasn't the problem at all. And he had used his skills to impress women in the past, it was more than half the reason he had ever learned in the first place.
It was playing for her that made him nervous as hell.
She approached him then, and reached out and gently took hold of his arms. She pulled him forward until she was wrapped around him, so small and gentle.
He looked down at her, feeling a million things at once, but when she met his eyes all of those feelings faded, and he was left with only a few things.
Calm, admiration, respect, and an overwhelming feeling that was too big for a name.
"I know its a lot to ask, but I would like to hear you play, just one, short song."
He was silent for a time, before he smiled.
"I would be honored to play for you princess."
He pulled away but did not relinquish her completely. He pulled her with him, and sat her gently on the bench with him, wanting her close. She sat obediently and gave him space to spread his arms, watching his fingers eagerly as they rested idly on the keys.
It looked natural for him to be there, she realized, hands poised over the keys. She had imagined he would be cocky and flirtatious but she knew he was showing her something special, a passion he was genuinely proud of.
He considered for a time what to play, and remembered a very simple melody, a soft and haunting song charged with so much emotion, composed on a night that meant so much to him.
It had been his first night home, in the spirit world. His first time in three years seeing that old black piano again, and the home he had spent centuries in. But even with all of that nostalgia, the sound of the song was not like a homecoming, not like a celebration exactly. He had sat down and pressed each of the keys lightly in turn, and then began to try and express what was sitting in his heart. Tried to put a tune to what had transpired, a melody to the emotions raging in him. A song to explain to himself what he was feeling for the woman who had saved his life. A friend, who cared so much about someone she barely knew, about the spirit world and its inhabitants, that she risked her life to save his.
It had come easily, even if the thoughts and feelings were so impossible to sort through. Maybe that's why he always loved playing.
It wasn't something he would ever be brave enough to tell her, but this was the song about the moment he handed her his key. It was Lucy's song.
As his hands came to life, and began to play, he thought he heard something come from her, but the need to play the song right was too urgent for him to stop. But he could sense it, the shock and awe that rushed through her. The sadness and wonder that had tinged that memory for him, and thus the song. Lucy could feel every note, every rise and fall, and the tears came as silently and easily as the smile on her face.
He didn't need to tell her.
She already knew.
((Thank you for reading as always, I hope I didn't mess this chapter up, as it is extremely important for the characters. I didn't go the route I had originally planned for this chapter, so I apologize that we did not get to meet Corvus, but I thought this was a good place for this kind of development. I hope the piano part isn't cliché, but it fit his character in my mind. He isn't good about knowing how to feel, so giving him an outlet felt good. To any curious, the song he plays is Adore by Stephan Moccio.))