Chapter Text
Levy looked at Lucy as she placed her phone back on the table,
"Lisanna won't be able to make it tonight," she sighed.
"Oh really? But why?" Lucy raised her eyebrows.
"She said something urgent came up," The bluette shrugged her shoulders.
"Ahh."
Did she just say...Lisanna?
"Who's not coming?" Gajeel questioned the bluette next to him after overhearing a little of their conversation.
"This girl we met at a restaurant. She's the one who planned the hangout for today," she responded.
No... I'm sure it's a different girl. Lisanna is in Italy right now, so there's no way.
"She was so sweet! I've never warmed up to anyone so quick," Lucy smiled.
Gajeel just nodded, not really caring about the details.
Ring-Ring - Ring-Ring
Natsu's phone buzzed on the table. He picked it up read "No Caller ID."
He fixed his throat,
"If you'll excuse me," He stood up from the couch. Everyone nodded and he walked away, placing his phone against his ear.
Lucy watched his form disappear into the crowd as he walked out the exit due to the overwhelming noise.
"So, Gajeel, how's it like having Natsu as your boss?" Lucy questioned, making it seem casual but she actually was curious about Natsu's authoritative personality at work.
"Like hell on earth." He rolled his eyes with folded arms. Levy chuckled; she already knew all the details.
"Really?" She rested her chin on her palm, eager to know the tea. Although she wasn't really surprised.
"But it's why he's built such a successful business." He smirked. "He has one rule. Just one absolute rule that has never been broken," he continued. "I believe it's one of the reasons for his great success. That rule torments all his workers every single day and night, making them work harder and more efficiently than normal."
"What is it?" She furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. Levy looked at Gajeel silently, eager to know this rule as well.
"No second chances." He firmly stated. "That's the rule."
She leaned back on the couch, taken aback by such an absurd code.
"What do you mean exactly?"
"One slip, and you're out." He continued. "His workers and staff aren't given second chances. It's that simple."
"I don't get it... Everyone makes mistakes, how are people suppose to learn and grow otherwise?" She critiqued.
"Hey it's his rule not mine," he shrugged his shoulders. "Mr. Dragneel likes his workers to be disciplined."
"Does that apply to his friends as well?" Levy asked, concerned for Gajeel and his position.
He nodded,
"Everyone. It applies to everyone. In fact," He was about to speak before he felt a hand lay itself on his shoulder. He froze, not moving an inch as his heartbeats pathetically raced.
"Sup man." A familiar voice spoke.
He turned around only to face a raven-haired man wearing a black suit and a blue tie, with a(nother) bluette clinging onto his shoulders, wearing a baby-blue tight dress that reached her upper-knees. Her hair tied up in a pony tail.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips.
He stood up and turned around, firmly shaking his hand. Gray Fullbuster. His co-worker and friend.
"Been a while, huh?" Gajeel smiled.
Lucy and Levy stood up after him, greeting Juvia who finally let go of Gray only to embrace them in brief hugs.
"I've missed you so much Levy!" She expressed.
"Me too, Juvia, it's been forever!" Levy broke the hug to look into her eyes.
They've known each other since childhood. They couldn't be closer at heart.
Lucy smiled as she watched such a warm-full reunion between all of those fine people.
After finishing up their small talk, Juvia turned and noticed Lucy standing by, waiting to greet her.
"Hi there!" She smiled brightly as lifted her hand for a shake.
"Hi! It's nice to see you again." Lucy shook her hand as she smiled.
Where's Natsu? It's gonna be awkward without him here...
"Greetings, Miss Heartfilia," Gray slightly bowed as a gesture of respect.
They were acting the same, just as the day she met them at the cocktail party. She warmed up to them already, but for some reason, the formalities were still there.
Lucy gracefully bowed back,
"It's nice to see you again, Gray." She smiled.
With that, they all began taking their seats.
Gray took a seat on the black couch next to Lucy, whilst Juvia sat down on the white chair—right across of him, next to Levy.
"Here ya guys go." Comes in the brunette, holding all their drinks on a silver tray. She passed out their orders and eyed Lucy as she handed her the lemonade drink, still weirded out by her. "Anything else ya guys want?"
Lucy cleared her throat as she felt a little lump in it. She felt uncomfortable. She needed Natsu to come back now. Although her best-friend Levy was there, she still felt mostly surrounded by Natsu's friends and workers, which made it weird without him present.
"I'd like a frozen sangria." Responded Gray.
"I'd like whatever Gray-Sama is having!!" Juvia excitingly said.
"You got it." The bartender scribbled down their orders on her note-pad before taking her leave.
"Did you see Natsu out there by any chance?" Lucy turned to Gray and asked.
"Natsu? No I didn't see him." He responded. "He didn't go to the bathroom or something?"
She shook her head,
"No, he had a phone call and took it outside. I'm sure you just missed him,"
A brief moment of silence passed as she clipped her lips onto her straw and began gently sucking in, drinking the sour liquid.
Why's he taking so long.
Suddenly, Lucy's favorite song started playing in the background, blasting out loud as the crowd in the bar began to cheer and stand up from their seats. People began drunkenly dancing by the bar loudly, as Lucy and her table turned around to face them.
Levy swiftly turned to face her,
"Come on Lu-Chan! This is your favorite song!" She leaned in against the table to hold her hand. "Come on, stand up! Let's go dance!" She giggled contagiously. Lucy stuttered as she stood up and got dragged to the semi-dance floor.
Juvia watched them from her seat before turning to Gray,
"Let's go dance!"
He shook his head,
"Nah, you go."
She's usually nag on it. Insist and annoy him a little. But she just decided to get up and follow the girls. They looked like they were having too much fun.
Gajeel changed his seat and sat down next to Gray on the couch, only to have a better view of the dance floor so he could keep an eye on Levy. Gray secretly kept an eye on Juvia as she made her way in-between the crowd, reaching them.
"Y'guys dating or something?" Asked Gajeel, who usually only hung out with Gray whenever Natsu was around.
"Nah. She's just a friend." He responded, still not taking his eyes off of her.
"Mm."
.
.
"Levy, you're gonna be the death of me!" Lucy giggled in the middle of the crowd. She was surrounded by strangers as her bestfriend held onto her hands, swirling her around to urge her to dance.
"Let yourself go, Lucy!!" Juvia screamed in the midst of loud music with her hands high up in the air, moving to the rhythm of the beat.
Lucy giggled as she began loosening up a little,
"We should at least take shots then!!" She suggested, her voice so loud the strangers next to her heard her, although the loud music didn't make anyone look.
Levy nodded as she danced her way to the front of the bar, the girls following behind her. They requested three shots and got them almost immediately.
They each held their glass and chugged it with one smooth swallow.
"Another!" Lucy requested with her face scrunched up due to it hitting hard.
"How 'bout I buy it for you, miss?" A ginger head standing next to her on her left suggested, with his arms leaning against the table and his head slightly tilted.
Cana put down their shots on the table, and the trio chugged them immediately. It was too loud for Levy and Juvia to hear anything from where they were standing: next to her on her right.
"Whoops. Too late." She smiled drunkenly at the man.
"Keep them coming, Cana!" Levy yelled, earning her a nod from the bartender.
"The next one, then?" The mysterious man smirked. His eyes sharply shaped and his lips as plumped as ever.
Multiple shots get placed down on the bar-table in front of the trio at once.
Lucy looked away and began chugging one glass after the other, ignoring his presence.
"Woaah, why don't you slow down a little?" He smirked, watching her get wasted. He just enjoying the show, hoping for the after-show to be even better.
Lucy placed down her last glass as she panted and scrunched her face at the strong taste, feeling a little light headed already.
I mean, she had taken eight shots...
"Come on!!" Levy, feeling extremely light-headed herself, dragged both girls from their hands deep into the dance-floor.
The lights began flickering on and off, adding a marvelous effect to the night.
Lucy almost immediately forgot about the man as she
raised her hands high up in the air, swaying her hips left and right smoothly, feeling every bit of the music in her.
She watched Levy and Juvia dance with their eyes closed, completely taking in the flow of the beats with each move they make.
The music was vibrating in their bodies.
She smiled and closed her eyes, trying it too as she continued on dancing.
Suddenly, she felt hands on her waist, helping her sway her hips left and right, more exotically.
She smiled, already knowing exactly who it was.
Natsu.
She turned around and drifted closer, her breasts landing against his chest as she moved her body smoothly, drunkenly, and completely out of it.
Firm arms get wrapped around her as he danced with her, exotically too.
She laid her head on his chest, trying to find some stability due to her dizziness.
Instead of feeling warmth radiating from the body like how she usually did, she felt coldness. Instead of sniffing the strong, masculine scent she was use to, she didn't smell anything.
She fluttered her eyes open and lifted her head up, meeting the eyes of the stranger she had met just a second ago by the bar.
She swiftly backed off from him,
"Who are you?!" She furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes due to the overtaking light and sound.
"The name's Loki." He smiled, thinking he finally got the chance to introduce himself.
A figure suddenly stepped in between them, pushing Loke off her by his shoulder.
Everything was so hazy she could barely focus.
"Loki, is it?" A familiar voice said.
"Who are you?" He responded.
"Someone you shouldn't mess with." His glare grew intense.
"But—"
"Unless you want your ribcage inverted, take your leave." He looked him dead in the eye. The next moment was silent. The stranger didn't know whether to fight back or retreat.
But the deathly glare he was receiving sent shivers down his spine.
Going head to head with this man looked like a death wish, that much was obvious. Loki did the smart move and bowed down, as a form of an apology before he walked away.
Lucy tried with all her might to concentrate on the back faced towards her, only to finally realize it was him. Natsu.
She wrapped her arms around him, hugging his back,
"Where did you go?! Huh??" She cried out, obviously showing her worry. Although she was bound to be dramatic from how drunk she was.
"You're drunk." He sighed. He held her hands that'er around his chest and moved them away before turning around to face her.
"What made you think it was ok for you to drunkenly dance here without me around?" He looked into her brown orbs. His eyes not as gentle as she was use to, she noticed.
"Just...I'm just dancing around with my friends," She squinted, turning her head left and right looking for them. She looked back at him, "Where were you, though?"
"Your friends have Gajeel and Gray to look after them." He snatched her by her waist, landing he against his chest as he gripped tighter. He swayed his lips to her ear, "How many times do I have to tell you that your body is mine?" He exclaimed with his throaty voice. "Meaning the lowlives here are not allowed to touch you." He continued.
She furrowed her eyebrows as she met her eyes with him again, their faces but an inch apart,
"You're not answering my question! Where did you go?!"
"What are you, worried?"
"What are you, jealous?!!"
"No." He responded to her question.
"No." She responded to his question.
They both stood there, silent, looking deeply into each other's orbs as the craziness around them went on.