A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Lucy kicked a pebble away as she trudged along the cobbled path toward her house. She had foregone going to the guild in favor of resting at home. She couldn't wait to soak in a hot bath, and maybe drink some milk after. Their latest job had been particularly taxing; she doubted she would be able to get up tomorrow morning. Already, she could feel her muscles protesting. She really wasn't cut out to do construction work. She was a girl, for goodness's sake! Erza was one thing, but Lucy wasn't as strong. She had accepted that a long time ago. Besides, who needed mages to carry concrete blocks?

She finally reached her door, hoping against hope that Natsu and the others didn't suddenly decide to visit her. She wasn't in the mood for entertaining them, having spent a tiresome week with the team in the wilderness building a house for an old woman who wanted to live in the forest. Natsu had destroyed an entire section of the house when he and Gray suddenly decided to have a match to see who was better at nailing the wooden boards. Erza had tried to stop them but ended up joining the fray. Lucy pacified the owner with promises of building an even better house. They were fortunate that the old woman wasn't very tasteful; she had said that the ugly gargoyle fountain that Natsu made looked fantastic.

She looked around her room suspiciously. They usually come out from somewhere unexpected. Good. They weren't here. She sighed in relief.

She dropped her bags on the floor and headed for the bathroom. She sprinkled lavender-scented bath salts in the water and soaked for a good long while as she hadn't been able to get decent baths in the forest.

As she toweled her hair, her thoughts inevitably turned to the argument she had with Loke before she left for the construction job.

The guild was as rowdy as ever as Lucy headed for the bar where Mirajane was pouring drinks for Macao and Wakaba who were comparing household bills. She sat at the bar and laid her head on the counter.

"You seem down, Lucy," observed Mirajane, setting down a glass of water in front of her. "What's wrong?"

Lucy took a small sip of water and said, "I need a job. Again. This month's rent is almost due."

"Well, it happens that I know of just the perfect job for you," Mirajane said excitedly. "I haven't posted it yet. It involves escorting some important person to an official function in Clover Town. Doesn't it sound just perfect? And it specifically says that the mage must be a female not over 30. You could totally do it alone."

"Yeah, sounds great," said Lucy weakly. She wasn't very sure about that last tidbit. Why a female?

She gaped at the quirky-looking mansion in front of her. This was where the "important person" lived? She suddenly wasn't sure about this. Maybe she could still turn back. Yeah, that would be good. Turning back would be preferable to escorting someone who evidently thought that nude statues would be perfect as pillars for the mansion's façade.

But just as she made to go, the great double doors opened and a small man stepped out surrounded by a gaggle of buxom maids who cooed over him. Nope, there was definitely no way she was traveling with that man.

She had just started to walk away hoping to remain unnoticed when the man called out to her.

"Are you the mage that's supposed to escort me, the great Isivai?"

Lucy shuddered at his slimy voice. She turned and saw that he was checking her out with a leer on his ugly face. She didn't like it at all.

But then, the thought of her rent crept up on her. The pay was handsome for this job. She wouldn't have to work for a few months with that kind of money. But, the man! He was so disgusting! Could she handle him?

She was mentally warring with herself when said man sidled up to her. "Come, my beauty. Our carriage awaits," Isivai gestured to a grand coach that looked like it came out of a fairytale.

She didn't trust it. The outside may look fine, but what's inside worried her.

She steeled herself. She would handle this. He was just a small man about half her height. He couldn't possibly harm her, could he?

Arms snaked around her waist, dangerously close to her butt. Lucy started. "What are you—?"

Lucy saw Isivai straining for a kiss. She struggled against his surprisingly strong grip, trying to avoid his puckered lips. Was that drool? Ew.

All of a sudden, Isivai let go of her and her momentum made her fall backwards into familiar arms.

"Loke!" exclaimed Lucy as she tried to right herself.

Loke didn't relinquish his hold on her shoulders as he stared down at Isivai who was visibly shaken. Lucy saw him rubbing his hands over his arms where Loke had grasped him. The white hand marks were slowly fading. Loke must have been terribly angry.

Lucy stumbled a little as Loke pulled her away. "Wait, Loke—" She tried to look back at Isivai to apologize for her spirit's actions but Loke would have none of it. Defeated, she allowed herself to be dragged rather unceremoniously. She chanced a glance at Loke's face. His jaw was set hard, and a vein pulsed in his neck. His whole countenance screamed fury. She deemed it best not to speak until he did. Which he most likely will when they were alone. And then he'd probably shout at her.

They reached the town without either of them saying a word. The silence had been killing Lucy and she was about to demand that Loke just get it over with when he pulled her into an alley.

His breathing was still harsh, as if the long walk to the town wasn't enough to abate his anger if only a little. Lucy waited.

"What were you thinking?" Loke asked quietly. It was this quiet voice that Lucy was dreading facing. It meant that he was very, very furious.

"Um," ventured Lucy. "My rent, probably—" Loke slammed a hand on the wall beside her face. Lucy flinched and immediately went silent. Loke withdrew his hand and paced a few steps.

"Why must it be a job like this? You could have gone with Natsu and the others on a different job. Why must you go alone?" demanded Loke as he ran his right hand exasperatedly through his ginger hair.

Lucy didn't answer. She had taken on the job because she wanted to be independent for once. She thought she could do it alone. Without the others' help. She didn't want to be a burden to her friends all her life. Besides, it was an easy job to escort somebody. She just didn't know about the person she was to be escorting.

She said as much to Loke, who stopped pacing as he turned to look at her incredulously.

"But how could you go without checking on the person's background first? That's very careless of you, Lucy. I've heard nasty rumors about this Isivai guy." said Loke. He went on to list the things she should have done in the situation he found her in, oblivious to Lucy's distressed state.

"Who gave you the right to lecture me like this, Loke? Are you my father?" asked Lucy as she brushed away the angry tears streaking down her face. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"Obviously, you can't since I had to rescue you from the clutches of that toad," retorted Loke who immediately looked as if he wanted to take his words back as soon as they left his mouth.

Lucy glared at him and forcibly closed his gate, cutting off his hurried apology.

After that incident, Loke hadn't shown up again and Lucy tagged along with the others for the construction job.

Lucy sat on her bed and brushed her hair. She idly looked around her room and saw something white peeking out from a drawer on her writing table. That wasn't there before. She had always kept that area tidy for when she was writing letters to her mother or when was writing her novel.

She got up and opened the drawer. It was a note written in a masculine hand.

Lucy,

I'm sorry.

L.

'Oh, Loke…'

Lucy sighed. She had already forgiven him. She understood that despite his angry words that time, he was only concerned for her wellbeing. Loke was always there when she needed him.

As though he heard her thoughts, Loke materialized beside her, almost making her jump from her skin in surprise.

"Princess," greeted Loke with his usual charming smile, but Lucy saw uneasiness lurking behind it. "I see you've read my note."

"Yes, Loke. And I forgive you," said Lucy, giving him a small smile in return.

Loke's grin widened and he kissed her cheek in excitement.

Lucy flushed and sputtered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Thanking my princess, of course."

"Thank me some other way, then."

"What way do you want, Lucy?" asked Loke suggestively.

Lucy turned even redder. "Not that, idiot."

Loke chuckled.

"I love you, Lucy," he whispered in her ear before Lucy could force his gate closed.

"Geez. I love you too, idiot," said Lucy to the empty room.