The Playboy of Fairy Tail High

Finding dates

I look down at my phone, consciously checking the time over and over again, avoiding eye contact with the boy next to me.

"I'm so glad you decided to meet me here, Lucy. I was afraid you never wanted to see me again." I can feel him smile.

"That's not entirely true..." I mutter.

"Still, thanks for returning my call."

I roll my eyes and look up at him, "so?"

"So what?" He returns my gaze.

"Why are we here? Also, I've noticed you've been spending more time in Love and Lucky."

"Oh, right." Loke blushes and runs one hand through his hair. "Well, it's not just to see or watch Aries-chan, if that's what you're thinking!"

I smile a little at his nervousness and look around. Loke called me earlier today, and I told him I'd meet him in the park, where there are fewer people to gawk. Loke's not wearing his suit as usual, and is actually dressed down in a big green jacket with a furry hood that looks really warm in this Fall weather.

"So what exactly did you need to talk about? Because I distinctly remember telling you we had nothing more to say," I cross my arms and take a seat in a park bench. Looking past Loke, I can see the Rocket Palace from here.

"I just wanted you to clarify, my love. Why won't you marry me?"

"First of all, stop calling me 'your love', because I'm not. Which brings me to my second point, do you even truly love me? Are you marrying for love, or for appearance? Because I refuse to marry someone I don't think I could love, Loke. I refuse to marry under the rules of my father, or under the guise of keeping some family title up. I don't want to marry someone I'm not in love with."

Loke looks like he'd just been stung, and his pride wounded when he replies, "but you used to love me, right?" The odd thing is, he doesn't look disappointed in the way I would expect.

"Yes, back when we first dated, I loved you. But not anymore. Why?" I look up at Loke, and he takes off the sunglasses.

"But why don't you love me anymore? Is it something I said or did?" He looks a little nervous, and sits next to me, keeping his gaze on his lap.

"No, of course not. It's partly because I haven't spoken to you in over a year." I smile gently.

"Is it because you love someone else?"

I wave my hands in front of my face, blushing scarlet red, "no, no! Nothing like that..." I pray Loke doesn't comment on my increasingly reddening face.

"So it really wasn't anything of my doing," he replies as he rubs his chin. Maybe he's asking all this because he wants someone to love him?

"So... how is Aries-chan?" I try to ask casually.

Loke suddenly grabs me by the shirt collar and looks deep into my eyes, begging, "you have to help me get her to love me!!!"

"What?!"

__________________________________________________________

Loke places his hands by his side again, wiping his palms nervously.

"I n-need your help. I really do like Aries-chan, and I need your help. I don't know if she likes me back!"

"That would be a first..." I mutter.

"Yes, well. Aries-chan is one of a kind!"

"That she certainly is. What do you need my help for? I'm sure she likes you back." I try to shake off the animal beside me.

"Please!!! Help me Lucy!" He clings to my arm and I stand up.

"Why don't you ask her to the Halloween dance? The magic will work itself, if you get yourselves in a romantic enough situation. You can get the tickets from Erza."

"That is a great idea, Lucy! Oh, thank you so much!" He jumps up to hug me again, and almost knocks us over.

"Ouch, ouch- god, what was that...!" I'm interrupted by the crunching sound of another person stepping on dried leaves.

"Luce? What's wrong? Who's this?" I turn around to see Natsu, who probably came from the arcade again.

"Natsu!" My savior! I exclaim, stepping closer to him. "This is Loke Lion. Loke, meet Natsu Dragneel." Natsu looks Loke up and down before taking his hand in a firm handshake. I feel tension spark between the three of us just standing here, and I wonder if I just made a big mistake...

"Hi Natsu, I'm Lo-"

"Yeah, yeah. Luce already made introductions. So who is this guy?" Natsu playfully elbows me in the side and says the last part just for me.

"I'm her ex-boyfriend," Loke says sharply, showing Natsu he did not go unheard. Natsu makes a move much like stepping in front of me, and I look at him startled. Natsu, are you trying to... protect me?

"Oh. Oh!!" Natsu's eyebrows go up as recognition dawns on him. "You're the one my Luce is supposed to marry..." his eyebrows narrow. Wait, his Luce?

"Your Luce?" Loke questions.

"Y-yeah, that's right! Got a problem?" Natsu blushes, but doesn't back down.

"Of course!!" I grab onto Natsu's bicep, and he looks at me in shock. I decide to improvise on the spot. "He's my date to the Halloween dance!"

"He's your what?" "I'm your what?" Both boys look at me with a mix of shock and confusion.

"Uhh..." Natsu's blush deepens.

"That's right! We're going to the dance together, right Natsu?" I look up at him expectantly, hoping he'll play along. I can feel my own heartbeat above anything else, and I wonder if it's the same for Natsu. I'm so close to his chest that if I just rest my ear against him I could probably hear it...

"Right!" Natsu jumps, and I let go of him in surprise, jolted out of my thoughts.

"Oh, ok..." Loke looks a little defeated, but then remembers what we were talking about before. "So you can get me the tickets, Lucy?" Natsu looks at me in confusion.

"Yeah, or you can get them from Erza. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you there. Just, try to play it down, ok? Maybe wear a mask, so your reputation doesn't start a revolt. Thanks. I'll... see you, ok? Goodbye Loke." I step out from the safety barrier Natsu had provided and smile up at Loke. I'm prepared to shake his hand, or just wave goodbye, when he pulls me into a surprise hug, almost squeezing my eyes out of their sockets.

"Goodbye, Lucy. And thank you." Loke lets go, a little teary-eyed, before putting his sunglasses back on and walking away. Natsu makes a little hmph behind me.

"Sunglasses in the middle of the day, who does he think he is?"

I laugh at Natsu and reply, "a teenage idol who could be swarmed in a second?"

Natsu turns to me, "d-did you really mean what you said? Or was it just a cover up?" he trails off, and it looks as if the wrong answer would crush him...

"Well, honestly it started as a cover up, but..."

"But?" Natsu's eyes lift, hopeful.

"But I would love to go to the dance with you, Natsu." I look down at my feet, blushing a little. He gently turns to face me and lifts my chin.

"Good. Because I really want to take you." Those words send shivers down my spine as they leave his lips. "You can be the princess to my dragon, Luce. We'll have a great night!" He grins like a kid, his scarlet blush forgotten.

I return the contagious smile, "of course we will!" Because I'll be with you.