Just a little pointless ficlet that popped up in my head that I liked enough to upload. I kinda adore this threesome, if only because I know Loki won't be too heartbroken when Natsu finally wins Lucy over - probably because I have a feeling he likes Aries better anyway. And I just love Happy's little blunt moments.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, Gerard would stay dead. For real.

It Takes Three to Tango

"It's not that bad, you know," Lucy sputtered indignantly, her cheeks warming up.

"Nonsense. It's a horrible flesh wound, so of course I will carry you. That's what a prince does."

"And since when are you a prince, dumbass?" Natsu snarled in irritation, glaring daggers at Loki's back who had just picked Lucy up very gentlemanly. Happy next to the fire mage gave a sly smile; oh, this should be interesting.

Loki turned around with a smug smirk. "Since sweet Lucy is a princess, so I am obviously her prince." With that he looked at the blonde in his arms, offering her his most endearing smile. "Right, my love?"

Lucy cringed, but couldn't help a blush. "I hope your idiocy isn't infectious."

Following the unlikely pair consisting of a human and a Stellar Spirit, Natsu was still very much focused on making Loki crumble to ashes with just his eyes while Happy snickered into his paws with a mischievous smile. And seeing as how Happy wasn't entirely stupid, he naturally sensed the deadly tension in the air, but like so often just didn't know when it was better to shut up.

"Cute couple," he remarked and almost immediately felt a pair of fiery eyes practically piercing him.

"They're not," Natsu hissed at the same time that Lucy shouted, "We're not!"

"Aw, my dear Lucy is so cute when she's in denial." The next moment, a giant lump sprouted from Loki's head.

"Stop it! My leg's injured and that's all there is to it!"

Natsu scowled at them. "Yeah, it's no big deal. Just about anyone could carry her."

Happy slyly grinned up at his partner. "You mean, like you?" he purred, and shrieked when Natsu pinched his ear.

"I wouldn't go talking big if I were you," Loki said nonchalantly, sending him a reproachful glare. "Where were you again when this happened to my poor master? Isn't it your duty to protect your partner no matter what? Especially a fragile and beautiful girl like her."

Natsu opened his mouth for a loud reply, but quickly closed it and turned his head away, brows knitting up to an abashed frown. Shit, he was right after all. Of course, someone had to take care of the huge top dog among those rabid wolfs, and since he knew Lucy wasn't strong enough to take him, but strong enough to deal with the smaller fries, he'd left the rest up to her. How was he supposed to know that the last one would make a surprise attack for her leg? And anyway, he did come to whip the floor with that bastard of a wolf, but what do you know, Loki the hero of course beat him to it.

"Snotty bastard," was all he could say.

Lucy glared at her loyal spirit. "Would you stop putting it like I can't take care of myself?" she snarled. "And besides, Natsu had a job to finish. It's thanks to him that I'm able to pay my rent."

Natsu's eyes widened as he gulped. Now was probably not a good time to tell her they didn't get paid because he destroyed half of the village in the process. Maybe if he buttered her up enough she wouldn't beat him up later on.

"Lucy's strong enough to face something like that. It's not like she's some weak girl," Natsu pointed out, crossing his arms behind his head. "She just got careless for a second. It could happen to anyone."

Lucy stared at him in utter surprise until slowly a small smile crept to her lips, cheeks coloring the cutest shade of pink. "Yeah, exactly."

Loki frowned back at him. "I knew that much," he hissed, apparently embarrassed.

"It sure didn't sound like it," Natsu replied with a self-satisfied smile. Lucy hid her smirk with her palm.

"Well, I'm still the one who saved her," Loki purred, knowing exactly that would scratch on Natsu's ego.

And it did. "Tch, like that makes you so special," he grumbled at his back, narrowing his eyes. "Go and boast about you stealing the spotlight to your sprit friends, will ya?"

"Oh, I would, but you see, this prince is kinda saving the princess from the big bad dragon here."

"Don't make me kick your ass, because you know I can."

"I'd like to see you try."

Lucy blinked in confusion, her eyes flitting from Loki to Natsu, back and forth. Okay, what. It wasn't like it was anything new that those two bickered at each other, but this time it seemed just a tad different. It was almost as if they were arguing… because of her? But that made no sense. Well, it did make sense in Loki's case, but not for Natsu. Because why would Natsu start an argument over her? Unless he was…

Gah! Be sane, Lucy you idiot, she told herself, shaking her head. There was no way Natsu could be jealous.

"Oooh, I get it! It's a love triangle," Happy remarked smugly, elbowing Natsu's arm. Lucy's face flushed ten different shades of red, and even Natsu's cheeks colored a little. Only Loki was grinning calmly.

Natsu quickly looked away. "Like I'd fall for a weirdo like her."

"Excuse me!?" Lucy shrieked, majorly offended. "What, am I not good enough for you!? I can do way better than you too, you know!"

"Good for you!"

"No, good for you!"

Loki grinned widely. "Great, if it's like that then Natsu will surely approve of us," he told Lucy with a flirtatious wink.

"I'll never approve of you," Natsu hissed at the same time that Lucy shouted, "There is no us!"

"Yes, not yet."

"Not ever!" Lucy, and funny enough, also Natsu snapped.

There was a heavy silence, and Happy watched in amusement how Lucy and Natsu kept avoiding to look at each other (funny how their faces were still red), and how Loki just smirked self-righteously to himself. This was really, really interesting. If anything, it was even better than that soap opera he loved to watch. And now that he had witnessed this, he knew who he was rooting for in the Great Battle for Lucy.

"Cute love triangle," he giggled.

"Shut up, kitty!"