You're worth the wait bunny.

The last words Lucy had heard come from Gajeel's sweet little mouth were constantly echoing through her mind. Was she worth the wait?

Her brown eyes looked dull and hollow as she stared at herself in a passing window on her way home from working a long ass shift with Natsu. Igneel had decided to go on a retreat to a hot springs a hundred miles away from where they lived because he wanted to treat his new lady with only the finest things. Something about the hot springs in the areas where they lived where filled up with water boiled over an oven or something…

So that had left Natsu in charge of the booking side of things as well as front of house which was not something that he was particularly good at. He had a bad potty mouth along with zero people skills so any potential customers that the parlor were getting in were being scared away by the idiot's exuberant nature. Personally, Lucy found him adorable but many other people thought otherwise…

After walking up the steps to the shop the previous day and being shoved out of the way by a teenage girl crying her eyes out, shouting about how the man in there was a pink haired meany, she realized that Natsu needed her help. So for the entirety of the past two days, she had skipped school and set herself up behind the reception desk.

Since her family was quite wealthy, her parents had deemed it necessary that she be taught proper etiquette. It came in handy...sometimes.

"Lucy Heartfilia, I did not raise you to act like this." Her ears perked up at the sound of her father's angry tone. Cringing, she pulled her most angelic face as she walked up the short pathway to her house. Once she locked eyes on just how furious her father really was, she was rethinking her strategy. Fight or flight?

There was a multitude of things that he could be angry at her for, the most likely one was that she was returning home at almost midnight on a weekday. Jude's bushy eyebrows were so taut that they were almost casting shadows on his face. Once her feet hit the porch, she braced for the onslaught that she was surely about to receive once she entered the house with him. There was no way her dignified father would yell at her in the street for anybody to hear.

"You've been working in a seedy little tattoo parlor without my consent? What goes through your mind when you do these things?" It felt as if her heart had slipped up her windpipe and lodged itself there at hearing his words. How had he found out? Her face seemed to betray her and told him that was what she was wondering as he began massaging his temples aggressively.

"Mr Fullbuster paid me a visit today, he was bringing your homework over since you haven't been attending school and we had a long chat about everything."

Gray had told her father? The next time she saw him, she would make sure that he had no balls left this time. She would grind them into dust, with Juvia there as backup. "I'm sorry, but it's not as bad as it seems. I find it really fascinating there and the owner has been kind enough to give me an apprenticeship to learn while I'm still in education so-"

"Well, the owner will be hearing from me soon enough and you'll never step foot in there again. Get inside the house. You're grounded indefinitely." As he reached out for her arm to drag her over the threshold, she'd had enough. What was it with everyone trying to tell her what to do and how to live her life?

"No." Lucy's voice was firm as she took a step away from her father. His eyes shone with disbelief at her newfound disobedient nature. He scoffed and retraced her steps, attempting to pull her inside again but losing his grasp as she slipped away.

"What do you mean no? I am your father and my rules are law. Don't I pay for the roof over your head? The clothes on your back? How dare you disrespect me like this."

Lucy let out a sound of utter disbelief, wasn't this getting a little out of hand. She needed to leave and fast before it got worse. She gave him one last look of regret before she bolted through the open gate and disappeared into the night, the crunching of gravel under her shoes did nothing to hide her father's furious voice echoing behind her.

After running to a destination that only her subconscious was aware of, she found herself stood outside her cousin's frat house with a puzzled looking Cobra staring at her. A cigarette was dangling from his ajar lips as they locked eyes. "Sup." He finally said. Lucy nodded her head at him and then gestured towards the door behind him. "Is Laxus or Bickslow in there?" Cobra shook his head but got to his feet, jacket slung over his shoulder. "Nah but I'm going where they are now, feel free to tag along shorty."

Letting out a soft laugh, she took Cobra's outstretched arm and linked it with hers. She was expecting a walk across to their campus but Cobra simply did a U turn and walked to the gardens behind their frat house. Holding back a laugh, she patted Cobra's hand in thanks at his very chiviraulous walk to her cousin's location and left to approach him.

A set of chairs and a small table was set up on the grass with some familiar and unfamiliar faces sat around it. Laxus was sat with a very petite girl perched on his lap, his face was one of utter concentration and she almost felt bad for disturbing their game. Her eyes examined what they were playing and saw the deck of cards sat in the middle of the table and prayed that it wasn't what was usually played at their parties.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and lifted her into the air, she was ashamed of the shriek that fell from her lips. If anybody wasn't looking at her, they sure were now. Glancing behind her at who it was that had grabbed her, she was relieved to see Bickslow's mischievous face and not her fathers.

"Lucy poo is here guys, strip poker time."

"This is bullshit." Bickslow slammed down his hand of traitorous cards that had caused him to lose yet another item of clothing, now he was left in nothing but his tight boxer briefs now. Lucy could feel herself blushing as she sat behind her cousin who was thankfully still fully clothed.

She grinned at the predatory look on Erza's face as she placed her cards onto the table and watched Jellal peel off his t-shirt for her viewing pleasure. The two of them were in a strange relationship but anybody could see how madly in love they were with each other.

Seeing as herself and Laxus were the only two still with every piece of clothing on, Lucy decided to take the opportunity to take him to one side and explain the situation. "So basically, I'm on the run from my old man." Laxus raised his eyebrows up at her. "On the run? Should I really be harboring a fugitive?"

"I'll harbor her for you." Sting's voice was flirtatious as usual and as sweet as honey as he appeared from behind Laxus. His blue eyes were mildly bloodshot indicating that he was already on his way to being away with the fairies. At his side, Rogue stood as stiff as a statue as he purposely kept his eyes from meeting hers.

It was exactly what she had expected from him. After all, he had been avoiding her like the plague since her split from Gajeel. It wasn't like she expected him to fall at her feet but being ignored like she meant nothing to him hurt. They were friends first and foremost and that was what she hadn't wanted to lose.

"You know what Sting? I'd like that." Everyone's eyes widened, including Sting's. In fact, he looked the most shocked of all. He was an extremely flirtatious and confident guy but he'd deflate like an old balloon whenever Lucy had jokingly taken him up on his offers.

The look on his flushed face encouraged her to do something extremely stupid that she would regret for many years to come. Closing the distance between them, she cupped his chin and sealed their lips together. There were excited woops, shocked gasps and then a stinging sensation on Lucy's butt cheek. Pulling away from Sting's mouth which tasted surprisingly nice, like a fruity cocktail, her brown eyes met an angry gaze.

"Did you just spank me?"

"You're coming with me." Rogue's cold hand grabbed hers and yanked her away Sting who was slowly crumpling to the floor, his face that of ecstasy.

Before they reached the house, Rogue gently pushed her against the wall and pressed a finger against her lips to stop any sound from coming out. "Be quiet, someone you don't want to see is coming." Rogue's breath was tickling her ear, their bodies were molded to each other but she felt nothing. Not turned on in the slightest. If anything, she wanted to get away from him, mostly because there was an unmistakable bulge pressing against her back.

Amongst all the madness, she had forgotten that Rogue was probably just as drunk as Sting had been and she'd allowed him to drag her to a secluded darkened place.

'Stupid Lucy, get out of there.'

Her second stupid decision of the night was to ignore Rogue's warning of not moving or making any noise, Lucy yanked away from his grasp and fell out of their hiding place, into the open arms of a passerby. Their grip was strong and warm as they supported her, glancing up through a veil of her hair, she saw a very shocked but very pleased looking Gajeel.

"I always liked it when you hopped right into my arms bunny."

Looking back to where Rogue was, she found it to now be empty and knew that she'd find no help from him now. It was her and the beast now. Standing up straight, she put on her brave face and tried her hardest not to inhale his sweet scent. If she did that, she would definitely be screwed. By him hopefully.

"Who's this Gajeel? Care to introduce us?" Her eyes zero'd in on the woman that was at his side, who she had missed originally. She had pouty lips that reminded her of a fish she had owned when she was a child.

'Definitely looks like lil' Bumbo reincarnated.'

She had tattoos scattered up her arms, clearly not done at Natsu's parlor as they looked like a child had been doodling on her with a tattoo machine. And then Lucy's eyes met the huge sacks of fat that were pooling out of her barely there top.

Giving Gajeel an incredulous look, she rolled her brown eyes and tried not to think about how unimpressive she must look in her loose fitting t-shirt and jeans. Gajeel seemed to get the idea that Lucy was getting off the girl at his side and decided to play on it.

His large arm wrapped around her waist and roughly pulled her against his side. She let out an annoyingly shrill squeak of fake shock and smacked her hand against his chest. "Gajeel, stop." And to top it all off, she sounded like a dying giraffe.

"This is Jen, she's in a couple of my classes. Thought I'd try and get to know her better, you know, shop around a little." Taken aback at his suggestive tone, her mouth twisted up into a smirk and raised her eyebrows. Was that how this was?

'Okay Gajeel, you want to play? Let's play.'

"Yeah, shop around a little. Sounds like a great idea, I'll do the same." The sound of Gajeel's teeth snapping together made Lucy's smile even wider, now was not the time to reveal her cards to him. It seemed like he wanted a little bit of fun.

Gajeel's crimson eyes locked onto something behind her and widened when whoever it was wrapped their arms around her slim waist and dragged her away. The smell of citrus and aftershave tickled her nose and she found herself sniffing for more before she began to pull herself away. Gajeel jerked forwards, almost as if wanting to come to her aid but the girl at his side dug her nails into his forearm, keeping him in place.

"I see you're having a bit of trouble, may I offer my assistance?" Sting's drunken voice was unmistakable and she began to regret teasing him earlier on, maybe he thought she was seriously into him?

"Sting, no hard feelings or anything but I really don't see you in that way so-"

He let out a hearty laugh that resonated throughout his entire body, she couldn't help but join in. "I'm not trying to fuck you, I'm trying to help you fuck him." Sting rested his chin in between Lucy's neck and shoulder and pressed a soft kiss against the skin there as they stared at Gajeel on the far side of the garden. The fire that erupted in his blood red eyes sent shivers down her spine.

"He's still very much into you. But that girl is all about getting him into her." Lucy scowled at the mention of the person Gajeel had brought along with him but was instantly soothed at the sight of him pulling away from her touch. "Come up to my room, Cobra's already up there preparing." Slightly alarmed, she stared up at his face in shock. "Preparing for what? I already told you I'm not interested and I'm definitely not interested in a threesome."

"Threesome? Count me in." Bickslow's cheeky voice had now joined the fray as he placed his head on the other side of Lucy's neck.

'What the hell is going on? Has everyone gone insane?'

"It's time Bickslow, operation get Lucy and Gajeel into bed is now go." Sting let out a mischievous laugh as they hoisted her small frame into the air and disappeared into the house. When she was dumped into Sting's bedroom, she was visibly relieved to see that an outfit was laid out on his bed sheets and Cobra was there with hair curlers in one hand and a brush in the other. His face looked bored but his eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Cobra's second major is in beauty and hairdressing." Being pushed down onto a makeshift seat on the floor made up on pillows, a sheet was flung around her shoulders and Cobra settled behind her on the bed, his muscular legs were either side of her and held her securely in place.

"Should I really be letting a drunkard anywhere near my hair?" Lucy's voice was higher than normal, probably from fear.

"I've always wanted to style your hair."

Lucy just closed her eyes and hoped for the best. What was the worst that could happen?