Celestial Heart (A Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 6: Sleeping Giants

Winter's POV

I was really worried about Loke.

Hmm? Was I at all worried for myself? 

Uh.... what's the normal answer?

Whatever that is, just chalk me up for the opposite. Yeah, Lucy had reason to be concerned about my nonexistent sanity. I wasn't very showy with my craziness all the time, but yeah, I wasn't really sane.

But back to the matter at hand.

I'd managed to shrink my Light down to something the size of a muffin, and held it in my palm as we walked. Loke was just feet behind me. He was edgy, but not freaking out like he'd been earlier during our trip. 

I played with the Light in my hands, letting it tumble from one hand to the other. Eventually though, the effect made me dizzy, what with watching the shadows dance over the tunnel walls. I swallowed thickly and steadied the magic.

Another roar ripped through the cavern, causing me to start and trip over my own feet. 

I was just so coordinated, wasn't I?

A yelp left my lips before becoming a gasp as two arms snaked around my waist and kept me from face-planting. "You should really be more careful," Loke said teasingly. My face blushed an embarrassing red; my back was pressed against his warm chest. Considering how much he'd been avoiding me lately, this was more than just a little unexpected.

How the hell was he teasing me? Where was the guy who couldn't be within ten feet of me?

"Yeah, sorry about that," I muttered as he helped me to my feet. There was an awkward silence following this, and it set my teeth on edge. Even more than the bellowing demon we seemed to be inching closer to. 

Sighing, I turned back around and struck out again. Loke took a moment to follow, but did so nonetheless.

My head was killing me. A roaring pain that seemed never ending, pounding like hammers against every inch of my skull. I tried hard not to let on just how much something like this hindered me, but I'm sure Loke knew. I guess it was lucky that I'd had practice hiding pain before, though. When you're a kid with... with a pretty absentee father, you learn to keep your scrapes and boo-boos to yourself. No one is going to come and kiss them better.

As we walked, taking quick, deliberate steps that brought us ever closer to the monster guarding the treasure, I couldn't keep my hand from slipping down to my belt loop, searching for Keys that weren't there. I felt absolutely naked without them; they hadn't left my side in years. But I'd left them almost without a second thought. Because of Loke's obvious unease with Celestial Mages. 

When did I turn into such a generous person?

The walls shook as a howl came charging down the tunnel. I was stunned when wind, stinking of long-dead flesh and metallic blood, blasted me in the face. I stumbled back again, but steadied myself against the wall before Loke had to intervene.

"Think we made it," I mumbled, swiping the hair from my face in frustration. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Winter, maybe you should stay here."

"Yeah. No."

"Winter," Loke sighed, giving me a look. One that said I was much more than he'd bargained for when he agreed to be my partner. I grinned sheepishly, before sticking my tongue out at him.

"Told ya I'm a stubborn bitch," I said easily. His only response was a shake of the head. Cute, but definitely not enough to  change my mind.

Without waiting for his approval (which I probably would never have gotten anyway) I turned and stalked forward until the tunnel widened out into a spacious cave that even beat out the guild in size.