Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you all enjoy this little story!

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Mashima Hiro-sama!

Lately... I've been hating lions

Lately, Happy has been feeling left out. Natsu would either ignore him completely or direct him harsh words. And he couldn't put his paws on the reason why. It was so weird! Natsu has always been warm towards him. They were best friends after all! Natsu took care of him since he was nothing more than a white and blue egg!

But, lately… Lately has been hell to cute exceed Happy.

"Lucy!" the blue cat cried and flew towards the blond Sprit mage.

"What is it, Happy?" she asked smiling.

"Natsu hid my lion plush toy and won't tell me where it is!" he cried even harder.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Happy had many plush toys, why had Natsu hidden the lion one?

"Natsu, what do you have to say in your behalf?"

"I don't like lions."

Happy was just shocked. On his cute little cat's head it was impossible for someone not to like a lion.

"But lions are cats! I'm a cat! A lion is a bigger version of me!" he paused for a second. "Without the wings, but still!"

"I just don't like lions, okay? You have many toys, you just need to learn how to live without the lion."

Lucy was still intrigued. The Fire Dragon Slayer was really serious, he wasn't even looking at her direction. She just couldn't understand what was happening with her best friend, so she got up and sat beside him. She placed her hand on his forehead.

"What are you doing?" he shouted at her.

"You're just your normal hot. Doesn't seem like you have a fever."

He flinched when she tried to touch him again and it hurt her feelings.

"What's wrong?"

"That's nothing wrong." He answered with his eyes on the wooden floor.

"I never knew you didn't like lions. Is there a special reason?"

She watched him with hope. He slowly got his eyes off the floor and stared at her beautiful chocolate ones.

Lucy could see the pain on his eyes and it worried her.

"You know, lions are great! See Loke for an example! He…" but her voice got stuck on her throat as the pain on Natsu's eyes got worse.

As if waiting for the most inopportune moment, they heard a loud pop.

"Did I hear my name, princess?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. Not that it wasn't good to see Loke, since he indeed was comfort to sore eyes, but still…

"No one called you, Loke."

"Are you sure?" he stared teasingly to Natsu.

"Loke!" Happy shouted with content. "Natsu hid my lion plush toy and won't give me it back!"

"Shut up, stupid cat." Natsu complained, but it was too late. The damage was done.

Loke just couldn't stop laughing. So that was the problem with the Dragon Slayer?

When the laughter attack ceased, Loke smiled mischievously.

"You know, Lucy…" his voice was low and sexy and he placed his arm around her shoulders. "I think we really should go on a date sometime."

Lucy blushed, but was quick to answer.

"Are you insane?" she took his arm off of her. "I don't want to go out with you."

"That hurt, you know." He smiled at her.

"Yeah, right. You womanizer oversized cat, go back to the Spirit World or I will force your gate to close."

"You know you can't. I came with my own magic."

"Sometimes I just hate you."

Natsu watched everything with close interest. To his eyes, Lucy liked Loke. Lately he has been around for longer periods, lately she has been calling him to fight with her in every single battle.

Natsu knew Leo was the strongest spirit Lucy possessed, but lately… Well, lately has been hell.

Lucy watched as Natsu got up from the table and easily made his way through the crowd, even avoiding a fight with Gajeel.

"What's wrong with him?" she said out loud though she was just wondering it to herself.

"He llllllllllikes you." Loke said.

"Don't roll your tongue up like this, stupid cat."

"I'm not a cat and you know it."

Lucy blushed furiously. After those blank seven years, after the news of her father's death, she just couldn't put herself together any longer. And Loke was there for her, so she just let herself be weak for just one night. She needed it.

It was wonderful, but she didn't love him and he knew it. Loke was happy, though, that he was able to get that one night, able to be her first after those seven years not feeling her magic. He knew she was safe inside Fairy's Sphere, but not being able to feel her almost drove him mad.

"I mean it, Lucy." The lion smiled softly. "He's jealous."

"Jealous? It really doesn't seem like Natsu."

"You've been calling me a lot more, lately."

Lately? Well, lately has been hell and all she wanted was to feel safe. Loke did that for her. He was her strongest spirit and the one she was most intimate with, the one that was most faithful to her.

"I know you love him too." He almost purred on her ear. She shivered. Stupid Loke and his womanizing tendencies.

"I do." She admitted, embarrassed.

"Go after him, Lucy. I will be here for you, no matter what you two decide."

His lips lightly brushed against hers and she smiled.

"Thank you, Loke."

She walked home hoping that Natsu would be there, as he always was. Well, with the exception of the last few days. Lately, he hasn't been showing up. Was Loke really right? Could Natsu be jealous?

She got home to find Natsu staring with disgust at her lion plush toy.

"Please, don't burn it." She pleaded. "It was a gift and I really treasure it."

He raised his eyes to her and let go of the plush toy.

She sat beside him on her carpet.

"Who gave it to you?" he asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"Loke." She admitted.

Natsu sighed and it shocked Lucy.

"You two are together, aren't you?"

"No." Lucy answered with no hesitation. "Loke is just a good friend and he really helped me when my father passed away, that's all."

Natsu didn't answer. He helped too, didn't he?

"Why do you suddenly don't like lions anymore?"

"Lately I've been hating lions." He paused. "One specific lion, actually."

He sounded a bit lost. Lucy was very sure he didn't fully comprehend his feelings, but she could help him.

"Why is that, Natsu?"

"I don't like him around you. I can protect you, you don't need him."

Lucy smiled tenderly.

"But if you are protecting me, who would protect you?"

"I can protect both of us."

With that Lucy chuckled softly.

"Natsu." He raised his eyes to her. "I love you."

Those words filled him up in a way he never thought possible. Actually, he hasn't even noticed he was that empty.

On an impulse, he kissed her. She responded happily.

"I love you too." He whispered when they broke the kiss for air.

"Good." She laughed. "Now, please, give Happy's toy back."

Natsu grimaced.

"I still don't like lions."

"Natsu."

He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay. I guess I can live with that. As long as he doesn't touch you anymore."

"He won't, I promise."

Natsu pulled her to him, hugging her tightly.

"Hey! Why don't you give his key to someone else?" it seemed like the perfect solution to him.

"Natsu! He is my friend, I won't do that to him! How would you feel if I asked you to give Happy away?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you want that?"

Lucy blushed.

"You raised him along with Lisanna."

Natsu didn't have an answer to that. Lisanna was his first love, his first kiss, his first time. But that was all in the past.

"Okay, Luce, you win."

"Of course I win. I always win because I'm always right."

And he just couldn't argue with that.