A/N: Oh man, I totally meant to have this up before HALLOWEEN! School and the holidays got the best of me, so please forgive me! I really hope you guys like this! Please, please leave a review and spread the word about my story!
Lucy and Levy had joined the other girls on the dancefloor; of course, Levy couldn't really dance, but it was the experience that counted. Erza, Cana, and Mira seemed to be having a great time from what Lucy observed; Mira was shoving shots in Erza and Cana's hands all while dancing with Laxus. She was quite the multitasker. Cana was clearly on her way to being blackout drunk, and Lucy assumed that she had drank a lot to get to the point where she was, considering that it took a lot for her to get completely wasted. Lucy grabbed Levy's hands and swayed to the music, dancing with Levy, and giggling madly.
"I only know how to ballroom dance," Lucy admitted with a snort and Levy grinned up at her. "So, if we ever have a ball, I'll be the bell." She winked and Levy laughed.
"I'll be sure to have Erza set one up! But you're doing great, Lu!" She smiled up at her and Lucy giggled. Suddenly, Lucy felt an arm being slung around her, her hands breaking free from Levy's, and that said arm's hand was groping her right breast.
"Cana…" Lucy protested. The smell of alcohol wafted around her, mixed with Cana's lavender scented shampoo.
"What?" Cana drawled out and Lucy gently shrugged out of her friend's grasp. "I can't help it, you're just so cute, heh." Cana snickered and Lucy felt a blush creep onto her cheeks.
"Well, thank you," Lucy addressed her compliment and Cana nodded her head. "How are you doing?"
"Well," Cana began taking another sip of the beer that she was holding. "I've been drinkin'!"
"I can see that…" Lucy laughed and Levy rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Cana, have you had enough yet?" Levy asked and Cana scoffed.
"Hell no! Mira made some more drinkies that I wanna try." Cana shoved her thumb over her shoulder towards the bar that was neatly lined with fresh drinks. "And Loke is lookin' pretty sexy over there, so I'm gonna go talk to him at some point."
"Okay, you totally have had enough!" Lucy yelped and eyed Loke who was, appropriately, dressed as a lion.
"Hey! Loke!" Levy called, in contrast to Lucy's protests, and the ginger haired player sauntered over. "Cana has-" Lucy flung herself over at Levy, clamping a hand over her mouth; that was one encounter she did not want to deal with.
"Yes, ladies?" Loke smirked and Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Loke, you're lookin' like a sessy lil thang." Cana winked and Lucy inwardly groaned.
"Oh my god…" Lucy sharply inhaled and released Levy to push Cana towards the bar. "Hey, why don't you go try some of those new drinks over there? Mira, please!" Lucy hissed to the white-haired woman who nodded and pulled Cana towards her.
"Lucy come drink with me." Cana whined and Lucy sighed.
"Maybe later!" Lucy fake promised, but it seemed to satisfy Cana for the time being. "Loke, don't cause trouble." She glared at the spirit and he looked at her incredulously.
"I didn't even do anything! Levy called me over. Which, speaking of, you two look beautiful. Did you want to admire my costume, my dear Levy?" Loke stuck a pose to which Levy snorted out a loud laugh. Just then, Gajeel reappeared behind Levy, looking a bit disheveled from his fight with Gray and Natsu, but unscathed nonetheless.
"Oi, what's goin' on over here?" Gajeel grunted and Levy looked up at him. "The hell are ya doin', kitty boy?" Gajeel snorted and Loke sobered up, a cocky smirk on his lips.
"Just showing off for the ladies, they called me over to see my moves no doubt." Loke bragged and Lucy sighed, shaking her head.
"And yet it feels like harassment." She squinted at him and Loke feigned hurt, clutching a hand to his chest. "I'm going to call up Aries." Lucy warned and Loke's face turned grim and uncomfortable. Lucy wouldn't voice it in front of everyone, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he had a little bit of a crush on the pink haired zodiac spirit.
"Well, I'll be off then." Loke nodded to them curtly and found his way back to the group of girls he had been talking to.
"Hey, shortie, we gotta get goin', it's already almost midnight an' the old woman's gonna start yellin' if we don't get ya back before then." Gajeel warned Levy and she sighed.
"Ah, it's just like I'm Cinderella…" She smiled sarcastically and Lucy gave her a sympathetic look. "I hope I can come back to the dorm soon." She pouted and Lucy squeezed her hand.
"Don't worry! You will; besides, it's not as fun without you, so I won't be doing anything too interesting!" Levy gave a small smile and then Gajeel wheeled her away, Lucy thanking him once again for taking such good care of her. Lucy thought that he was feeling a little bit guiltier than he should; after all, he did save her life. Lucy bravely made her way over to where Erza was chatting with Mira and Cana, apprehension prickling down her spine.
"Lucy!" Mira cheered and she gave her a smile. "Where have you been, hm? I saw you chatting with Loke, how are you two?" Lucy instantly regretted joining the girls. Her eye twitched slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Loke was being a nuisance so I sent him back to his harem. And I have been right over there, for a while, with Levy. She had to go because it's almost midnight." Lucy informed them and Mira pouted.
"My poor baby Levy…"
"She's in good hands. Gajeel took her back." Lucy smiled softly and Erza piped up after slamming her cup onto the bar's countertop.
"He better treat her right! She's a special girl and if he's going to deflower h-"
"Oh my god, that is not what they are doing!" Lucy practically screeched and Mira's eyes bugged out. "He's taking her to the infirmary! For the love of-"
"Jealous, Lucy?" Cana snickered into her ear, "Don' worry! Cana's gonna take care of ya! Where's Natsu or Gray! Let's get Lucy some di-"
"OH, MY GOD!" Lucy shrieked and leapt at Cana clamping a hand over her mouth. Erza and Mira laughed like mad, and Cana's hot breath made her hand clammy. The loud music and pulsing lights mixed with the alcohol in her blood was making her lightheaded. "Please, let's stop…" Lucy pleaded.
"Gray-sama is mine!" Juvia sobbed, appearing from behind Erza, her face flushed from alcohol and crying. "Gray-sama…" Lucy groaned and Mira clasped her hands over her chest.
"Oh! Lucy has not one, but three possible boys that are interested in her! How interesting." Mira tapped her chin in thought and Laxus kissed the top of her head as if to commend her scheming.
"Th-that's not true! There isn't even one!" Lucy disputed, but Mira didn't seem to hear her over the music, or she just didn't care about Lucy's protests.
"Love rival!" Juvia hissed over at her and Lucy ground her teeth together.
"If any of them lay one finger on you-!" Erza warned, materializing one of her words and swinging it around dangerously. While she appreciated Erza's protectiveness and Mira's interest in her life, Lucy was becoming exhausted.
"I have an idea!" Cana slurred out excitedly, "Why don't you have all three of em'? Oh, I could join you!"
"I am definitely out of here!" Lucy breathed out and quickly made her escape to a bench on the outskirts of her guild mates. She felt hot, despite the weather outside becoming colder. She found one of the pitchers of ice water on the table, pouring herself a glass. She was happy that she wasn't in heels otherwise she was sure to have been in pain from being on her feet so long; Erza's flats were fairly comfortable. Lucy took the opportunity to glance around the guild hall; Fairy Tail was in full party swing with no signs of stopping any time soon. She was feeling tired, but didn't want to leave just yet, she was having a good time besides the drunken jabbing that her friends were throwing at her. She observed Juvia, who was now sobbing on Erza's shoulder, halfway made of water. Erza consoled her and was angrily vowing to more than likely castrate Gray for making her cry. Lucy idly wondered how Mira got Laxus to wear the Pikachu suit, and her mind wandered to unholy places of what Mira could have possibly promised the man. Her face burned as she desperately shoved the intrusive thoughts out of her brain. She hadn't seen Happy since the beginning of the party, but she was sure that he was off eating fish somewhere, looking perfectly like a cannibal.
Lucy brushed a few stray hairs out of her face and looked on happily at her guild mates. It was a great first party and first Halloween for her; she didn't expect any less from Fairy Tail. She suddenly felt lonely sitting by herself at the bench; it was like she was watching all of her friends from behind a pane of glass. Of course, the thought was ridiculous, they were all right there, but Lucy figured that the alcohol was making her slightly emotional. Pouting down into her cup of water, Lucy scanned the room once again, noting that Alzack and Bisca were awfully close for being just friends. Evergreen was cozying up to Elfman, who was dressed as a type of beast which Lucy thought was totally not original considering he could literally turn into something of the sorts. Gray had joined Erza, Mira, and Juvia at the bar, which was a poor choice, since Erza leapt up from her seat, threatening him with her sword, and Juvia simultaneously wrapped herself around him. He still only had a mask and cape on, actually having lost the rapier he had once been holding. Everyone in the guild seemed to enjoy liquor quite a bit considering almost everyone had a cup in their hand and were acting fairly out of sorts. Lucy didn't want to be full on drunk, and considering one drink had her head spinning, she had a long way to go before she could keep up with the Fairy Tail crowd.
"What are ya doin' over here for?" A voice startled her from her thoughts and her eyes snapped up to see the owner.
"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed a little more excitedly than she would have liked, her heart hammering behind her ribs. His hair looked a little more disheveled than normal, and he had opted to taking off the top half of his ninja gear, only donning a form fitting black tank top and his usual scarf. "O-oh, I just wanted a break for a bit." She admitted as he took the seat next to her, leaning back, and propping himself up on his elbows, back resting against the table.
"Too much for ya?" He snickered and shot her a cocky grin.
"No!" She protested and crossed her arms. "No, I was just with Erza, Mira, and Cana after Levy left, and-"
"Got it." He waved a hand in the air in front of him and nodded. "I know how they are when they're drunk." He shuddered and Lucy wondered what kind of past he had with the three women when it came to drinking.
"Either way, I don't really drink much, er, at all really. So, I guess I just needed some sort of break." Lucy laughed lightly and he snorted out a laugh.
"From your one drink?"
"It was strong!" Lucy defended and he rolled his eyes jokingly. "I'm sure Mira made them extra strong."
"Light weight," He teased and Lucy pouted. "I'm kiddin' anyways. I don't care much for drinking. Don't do it too much."
"What? I totally saw you throwing back shots and stuff- come to think of it, why aren't you drunk fighting with Gray again?" Lucy asked incredulously and Natsu laughed a bit, showing off his sharp canines.
"'Cause I ain't drunk." He stated simply and Lucy suspected he wasn't fully human if he could drink that much and not be drunk.
"W-what do you mean? How can you not be drunk?!" Lucy spluttered, feeling ridiculously insecure about her tipsiness after one margarita.
"It's magic," He explained and Lucy snorted in derision at his absurdity. "I'm serious! I'm a fire dragon slayer, I'm hot." Lucy nearly choked on her water and he eyed her as if she had two heads.
"W-what do you mean exactly?"
"I have a higher body temperature than normal people, so my body burns the alcohol out pretty quickly. If I really wanted to get drunk, I'd probably have to drink a shit ton of alcohol consistently." He clarified, running a hand through his spiky pink hair.
"I-I see…" Lucy drew in breaths to stop her heart from fluttering. She was thoroughly embarrassed by her reaction. They sat in a few moments of 'silence', the music still blaring around them, and the shouts of their guild mates sounding. "So… Where's Happy?"
"I sent him off home, he was a little upset." Natsu explained, amusement lacing his words. "He was missing Carla after seein' so many people dancin' together." Lucy's face flushed as she realized just how many of their friends were getting comfortable with each other.
"Er, who's Carla?" She questioned, driving the conversation away from their paired off friends.
"She's our friend Wendy's flying cat buddy," Natsu chuckled and Lucy nodded her head.
"Right, Wendy is the one who is still in high school, right?"
"Yup. Hey, you should totally meet her some time! She's a dragon slayer too." Natsu informed her and Lucy's eyes widened.
"Really? I heard dragon slayers are rare, that's so cool that she is one!" Lucy exclaimed and Natsu pouted slightly at her.
"Geez, you were never that excited when you found out that I was a dragon slayer." Lucy stifled a giggle at his childishness and patted his arm in comfort.
"I'm sorry, Natsu." Lucy stifled a snicker as Natsu pouted slightly. "What's it like having dragon slayer magic?" Lucy asked. She had been curious before, but had never really asked him about it, but the alcohol was making her talkative.
"Hm," Natsu tipped his head to the side in thought, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess I never really thought of it too much, but it's pretty cool." He grinned at her and Lucy smirked, rolling her eyes.
"That's not much of an answer."
"Well, it is cool. My dad taught it to me." Natsu informed her, a wistful look in his eyes.
"What was your dad like?" She asked softly. It was obvious that his father had passed, all of Fairy Tail were unfortunately orphans, so she never really prompted anyone about their parents.
"He was a dragon." The answer sounded so simple, yet Lucy found herself choking on her water once again.
"D-did you say dragon?" Lucy was sure her eyes were bugging out of her head.
"Uh, yeah…" Natsu responded, looking at her like she was the one who sounded ridiculous. "He was cool. 'Course he wasn't my real dad, but he was my first adoptive father." Natsu explained and Lucy nodded her head in thought.
"I didn't know that dragons could, er, raise children." Lucy replied awkwardly. "B-but he sounds like a great dad."
"He was. Taught me everything I know about dragon slayer magic." Natsu smiled, "I actually think that Igneel, my dad, and Gajeel's dad were friends. Both dragons; Wendy's mom was a dragon as well."
"W-what happened to them? O-oh, I'm sorry… You don't need to say if you don't want to. I'm sure it's a difficult subject." Lucy apologized; her talkativeness was proving to be no good.
"Nah, it's alright. I don't really know what happened to them honestly. It seems as though on July 7th, 777, all three of our parents disappeared. They just… were gone." He finished quietly and Lucy swallowed hard.
"I-I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be," Natsu turned to her, his familiar toothy grin beaming over at her. "Obviously there was a reason Igneel left, I gotta respect that. 'Sides, Gramps found me not too long after, and I never woulda never ended up in Fairy Tail… So, what about you? What were your parents like?" Natsu prompted.
"Well, my mom was great… She taught me all about the constellations and about celestial magic…" Lucy smiled, the past overwhelming her in the moment. "She passed away in 777, due to a magical deficiency disease… So, I guess we both lost someone important to us then." Lucy sighed and Natsu sat quietly for a moment. "My dad, as you may have heard, passed away a few months ago. He was a successful businessman… He was very protective, controlling I suppose, but he was good deep down." Lucy didn't know that she had teared up until she felt Natsu's thumb brush over her cheek.
"They're still with ya," Natsu smiled softly and Lucy's cheeks flushed, "Just like Igneel is with me."
"Thank you, Natsu. Really, i-it's nice to talk to someone once in a while." Lucy admitted and Natsu cracked a broad smile making Lucy giggle.
"Anything for ya, Luce." Lucy's heart fluttered at his words. She was glad that the lighting was dim otherwise she was sure Natsu would see her burning red cheeks.
"Yo, did Natsu already make you cry?" Gray's voice interrupted their bubble of conversation. He eyed Natsu suspiciously, a slight smirk on his face. "Natsu, how many times do I need to tell you, you don't make a girl cry when flirting with her." Gray's words seemed to set Lucy on fire; she felt like she was burning under her costume.
"What the hell? No way! Mind your own damn business!" Natsu snapped, leaping up from his seat next to her, and Gray snickered.
"Th-that's not it!" Lucy protested and Gray took a step back.
"Heh, I was just kiddin', no need to get so defensive, flame-brain."
"Go mind your own damn business, ya pervert…" Natsu growled out again, his ears looking like they were red.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help out a poor, lost soul." Gray loudly whispered as if Lucy couldn't hear him. She ignored their interaction, desperately trying not to spontaneously combust.
"Would ya get the hell out of here?!" Natsu hissed through gritted teeth and Lucy felt the need to try and diffuse the tension.
"M-maybe we could go request a song to be played? Wasn't Erza in charge of DJ-ing?" She interjected quickly.
"Oh, good idea," Gray piped up, taking a swig of whatever drink he had in his red plastic cup, "I want to put on a really sad song and make everyone feel like there's nothing left." And with that, the shirtless ice mage, sauntered off.
"Pleasant."