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Lion's Pride	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 10067 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I make no money writing this. I do it for my own pleasure. Any lyrics are my own or I received permission from the artist.

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"It is much easier to become a father than to be one." - Kent Nerburn

Chapter 3

Godfathers and Good Fathers

So Mama, that was what happened that fateful year. I was suddenly going to be a mother, something I had never planned for and, quite frankly, I felt totally unprepared.

Did I want this? I ask myself that even now, looking back. At the time, I was mostly scared, even if I tried to laugh it off. I guess the idea of pain worried me some, but I figured I had been in so many battles and survived, so pushing a baby out of me couldn't be that bad. I was scared about the future. I feared how this baby would change my life, destroy my career, and I feared I'd make a horrible mother, one of those young, inexperienced mothers you hear about who end up with delinquent punks for kids.

Part of me saw this as a heavy curtain lowering on the Stage of Opportunity. My role in the play was over. The audience of available bachelors who I had freely been able to perform to, flirt with, and ogle without guilt was fading away fast. I would soon find myself alone on the dark stage, listening to the muted applause of that audience calling "Good show, Lucy, good show," but never an encore. Encores were not an option in this production. Those opportunities were going away, and I would once again be a normal person, not a glamorous actress, trapped in the humdrum world of backstage domestic life with my amaranthine costar Loke.

That left me shivering. Did I want Loke as my one-and-only? Did I want to overslaugh that cheering mob of bachelors for this dandy Celestial Spirit? Was I prepared for a lifetime with him? I would age, our child would grow, but Loke would never change, never look older. He would always split his time between me and the Spirit World. And that made me depressed. Even more depressed than the fact that I felt totally ill-prepared to raise a child. I mean, hey, this is me we're talking about! I can't even care for two grown boys like Natsu and Gray...

Like...Gray...

Lucy's new place in Fairy Hills—the guild's dormitory for girls—was larger than her townhouse. It was a corner unit far from the lobby, giving her fewer neighbors to annoy. She figured this was good, since if she and Loke wanted some "alone time," it was best if the entire female population of Fairy Tail did not hear them. The landlady Ruchio grudgingly let Loke live there too, only because Erza insisted he should be with Lucy.

Lucy panicked about coming up with 100,000 Jewels a month when she could not do missions, but Erza assured her that this was an exception. Makarov wanted her to be safe, somewhere close to other mages and near Wendy in case she had complications. Lucy felt relieved until Erza told her that her rent would be put on a tab, which she could pay off afterward at her own pace without interest. Lucy had to thank Erza for getting her that sort of deal, but she also felt shattered that she would now be at least 300,000 Jewels in debt, likely more since she might have to live in Fairy Hills after the baby was born.

Through that first week, Loke never left her side, helping her to move in, unpacking boxes, catering to her until Lucy had no idea what to do besides write her novel. She was unsure where he went at night—surely he could not stay in the Human World that long—but he cuddled her in bed until she fell asleep, and he was already busy making tea and pancakes when she awakened.

Tea and pancakes: the only things she could hold down in the morning. It soon became a ritual: wake up, vomit into the bucket beside her bed, drag herself into the bathroom, vomit again, shower, dress, brush her hair, vomit one last time, wash up, then sit down to breakfast with Loke. At least the ginger tea had enough honey to get rid of the taste of bile.

On this day, just as they were cleaning up their meal, Loke slithered around her and put his hands on her stomach. "Either my cooking is too rich or that baby really is forming quickly," he smiled.

She wanted to hit him for calling her fat. When she swirled around with a vein throbbing on her forehead, she saw a tender look in his shaded eyes. There was barely a bulge, just enough to make her normally tight skirts uncomfortable, yet he stared at her as if she was the glory of womanhood.

"I'll probably get stretch marks like some old hag," she pouted.

"With skin this supple?" he purred, running his hands up her arms. "Impossible! But...is it painful?" he asked, looking genuinely worried. "Is it growing too fast for you? Porlyusica said..."

"I'm fine," she laughed. "Wendy has a magic ointment, and she checks me daily. It's embarrassing, really," she admitted sheepishly. "Everyone is spoiling me."

Loke pulled her close and stroked her cheek. "This is a special time for you. You're allowed to be treated like a princess this once. But for me," he purred, leaning in until his lips brushed against her while his hands ran over the soft hills hidden by her blouse, "you will always be...my master-r-r!" He had a predatory gleam in his eyes. She felt small under such an intense gaze, like a mouse before a lion. "Leonita," he purred with a rumble.

Whenever he called her that, she instantly transformed from that meek mouse to being an equal before this King of Beasts. She grabbed him, tilted her head, and let him come to her for his supplication of kisses.

Loke hummed as he tasted the lingering flavor of maple syrup. His tongue kept venturing into her mouth, savoring that sweetness. His hands wanted to claw at her breasts and possess them, but he had read that pregnant women got more tender in that area. He instead ran his thumbs over the tips, round and around, making her nipples stiffen and press against the thin cotton.

"Loke," she moaned, breathing hard already.

He glanced down at her wantonly flushed face. "Do you want to stay in today?"

She nodded breathlessly, then surrendered herself to his eager mouth.

Lucy hummed as his hands slipped under her blouse and cradled her breasts. Loke left her mouth and trailed kisses down her throat so he could hear her struggling to keep quiet. She was so timid in this dorm, scared of making a noise others would hear. He liked playing with her, trying to force her to make a loud, unexpected cry, something to make her blush with embarrassment.

He moved her shirt higher and gave one pink nipple a long, slow lick. Her lips tightened to muffle her cry. He licked the other, but as it reached the tip of his tongue, he gave the stiffening nipple a small bite, nothing painful, just enough to make her shout, then force her mouth closed, humming tensely to keep quiet. Seeing her struggle made him smile sadistically.

Her out-of-control hormones were raging. Loke's licks felt far more intense than usual. She grabbed his belt loops and yanked him closer, forcing him to stop his torturous play at her sensitive breasts and return to her lips. She moved her hips against him until she felt him harden and rise. Loke gave a soft groan at her surprising insistence. He pressed her up against the kitchen counter, rubbing himself against her in slow thrusts until she gasped. She reached down and palmed him through his pants, getting an even louder grunt from Loke. He knew he had to be gentle, but dammit, he wanted to ravage her!

Just as things were about to go wild, the door burst open and they heard the unmistakable clunking metallic jangle of Erza's armor. Lucy squeaked, shoved Loke aside, and yanked her blouse down. He turned away, blushing with embarrassment as he adjusted his trousers.

"I come bearing gifts," Erza announced. Only then did she see Lucy's disheveled clothes and Loke's annoyance. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Loke stormed away to finish cleaning the breakfast dishes. "You could try knocking. And take off your shoes when you're inside!"

Erza arched an eyebrow at this domesticated side of the Lion.

"Don't mind him." Lucy took Erza by the arm and led her back into the living room, leaving the cleanup to Loke.

The Titania thrust out a glittery gift bag tied with curling baby-blue ribbons. "A baby rattle. I was taught that a baby who can shake his rattle really loud will grow up to become a warrior and never be afraid. I tested all the rattles in the store. This was the loudest."

"Is...that so?" Lucy wanted to laugh at the image of Erza testing baby rattles. She should probably send some sort of apology to the traumatized store owner.

"I shook them really hard," Erza insisted seriously. "It was expensive, too."

"A rattle?" Lucy asked in confusion. She opened the bag and pulled out the small toy. It looked no different than a normal rattle.

"Yes, because I broke eleven rattles testing them. Although I don't think I should have had to pay. They were obviously of inferior quality."

"Just how hard did you shake them?" Lucy muttered, giving the rattle a light shake.

"I should warn you about something," Erza said as she took a seat. "When I was coming back from my mission, I overheard some talk in a tavern. I didn't catch much, but I heard 'child of the Spirit World' and 'Zeref's Will.' I might have thought nothing of it, except while I was shopping I realized Loke is from the Spirit World. Could that possibly mean your baby? And what does Zeref have to do with it?"

There was a crash in the kitchen. Lucy rushed over to find Loke had dropped some dishes and was seated awkwardly at the table. His head rested in his hand, eyes massive, mouth partly open from panting, face pale and sweaty.

"Loke! Are you okay? You've been out for a while. Maybe you should return to the Spirit World and rest."

"They're after you," he breathed in horror. "Dammit, they're already after you. The guild was supposed to keep it secret."

"It's ripe gossip amongst the guild members," Erza warned them. "It's reasonable that anyone could've overheard. We should warn Master that this is no longer a secret. You also need new clothes. That skirt looks painful."

"It's just snug," Lucy shrugged.

"Shopping!" Erza decided firmly. "Plus I have no idea how to test baby clothes. You'll have to show me."

"You don't test them. You just buy what's cute," Lucy sighed.

"I don't know what's cute for babies. I admit, I...I don't know anything about babies." The warrior woman blushed at admitting such a weakness. "I'm a woman, you'd think I'd know, but it's not exactly some instinct you're born with. It's shameful, isn't it?"

Lucy felt sorry for how awkward Erza looked. "Not at all, not at all! All right, we'll go shopping. I can show you a bit, although," she laughed, "I don't know much either. I could use the walk. My feet swell if I don't keep moving." She checked on Loke again. "Seriously," she whispered to him, "I can't help you if you're stubborn like this. Go back and rest. I'll summon you tonight when Wendy comes for her checkup." She gave Loke a small kiss, then left with Erza.

Loke stayed where he was and listened to Lucy and Erza leave the dormitory. What had he been hoping? Did he really think such a rare child would never be discovered? Did he think he could keep Lucy imprisoned for nine months...no, only about seventy more days. Seventy! In a little over two months, the baby would be there. It seemed impossible.

The best he could do now was stay by her and keep her protected. At least she was safe with Erza. While she was gone, there was so much to clean. He washed the dishes, chopped vegetables for soup, got them on a slow boiling, and began sorting through Lucy's packed boxes.

"This woman has far too many books," he sighed. Books were the worst things to move. So heavy!

In the middle of organizing yet another bookshelf, the door opened. Loke tensed and turned, ready for an enemy, only to see pink hair and a scaly scarf with a little blue cat following.

"Yo!" Natsu beamed, raising his hand in greeting.

"Don't any of you knock?" Loke sighed, relaxing the tension out of his shoulders.

"I had to sneak in since it's the girls' dorm."

"Is Lucy here?" Happy asked hopefully.

"She's out shopping with Erza," Loke grumbled.

"Hey, is there anything I can do?" Natsu asked excitedly.

"Since you're here, Lucy wants that couch to be in front of the window."

"Yosh!" Natsu cried. He easily lifted the couch on his own, although he knocked over a lamp, which was barely saved by a quick move from Happy. Natsu set the couch down hard, then sat on it and spread his arms out. "But I meant more than this. Can I help with the baby? I know Lucy's finances are always an issue, so I want to buy something you guys need."

Loke thought about it. "Honestly, I'm not sure, but I guess we'll need a cradle, bassinet, clothes..."

"Cradle!" Natsu shouted in excitement. "I'll get her a cradle, the most awesome one I can find. After all," he grinned huge, "I wanna be the godfather."

"Huh? Godfather?"

"Yeah, godfathers get to buy cool things for the baby and go to all the birthday parties, and they wear cool suits and sit around petting a cat. I already have Happy, so I'm halfway there already."

"Aye!" agreed the Exceed.

"I'd make a much better godfather than that ice bastard. Gray doesn't even have a cat, and he never stays in his clothes, let alone a nice suit. So yeah, a cradle, an awesome one."

Loke laughed as Natsu rushed off with Happy hurrying behind him. He was glad Lucy had such loyal friends, even if they were a handful. He held his head, shook out a dizzy spell, and went back to organizing books. An hour later with only a few empty boxes for his effort, there was a knock at the door.

"They all come when she's away," Loke sighed. "At least this one knocks. Come in!"

The knob turned slowly, and Gray walked in. "Sorry, I had to sneak in since it's the girls' dorm. Is Lucy home?"

"She's with Erza."

He stared hard at Loke, then bowed his head in shame. "About last week, sorry for attacking you," he muttered. "I heard, freaked out, and got scared. I was totally out of line."

"It's fine," Loke smiled, waving it off.

"I made this." He pulled his hand out from behind his back. It was a baby's mobile with what looked like colored gems. "It's made of a special ice that isn't cold to the touch and won't melt. None of the edges are sharp, so he won't cut himself." He sounded far less enthusiastic than Natsu and merely set the mobile on a crate. "I just came to give that to Lucy." He began to turn back to the door.

"Gray," Loke called out, stopping him. "You love Lucy a lot, don't you?"

Gray looked back in shock, but he sank slightly. "That obvious, huh? It doesn't matter anymore. She picked who she wants. I'll respect that. So long as it makes her happy, I'll accept you and continue being her friend." He began to turn again but paused with a debate raging on his face. "Hey, I know it's none of my business, but...what are your plans now?"

Loke tilted his head in confusion.

"You know, plans!" Gray blushed at having to say it clearer. "Like, are you gonna...y'know, marry her?"

Loke looked truly stunned. "I don't know, honestly. I've thought about it. I'm a gentleman, I feel I should, but...but I already broke the rules. Marrying her might put even more blame on Lucy herself. I'm not sure if it's safe for her to be tied to me like that."

Gray thought about that and saw the struggle in the Lion's face. "You really have it hard, don't you?"

He turned aside and grabbed the doorknob to leave when something heavy crashed behind him. Gray looked back to see Loke collapsed on the floor. He rushed over and saw the Celestial Spirit had turned many shades paler.

"Oi, what happened? Hang on, I'll get Wendy."

"No!" Loke grabbed Gray's wrist, and the ice mage looked down in surprise. Loke had his teeth gritted, struggling to overcome immense agony. "This isn't something...something Wendy can heal," he hissed, panting hard. "She already tried. Just...just help me to the couch."

Gray grabbed him under the arms, pulled him over, then lifted him up to the couch cushions. Loke had no strength to move.

"Is this from staying in the Human World too long?" Gray asked as he adjusted a pillow for Loke's sweating head.

"I haven't returned to the Spirit World since learning about Lucy's pregnancy. It's only been a week, but I'm already feeling the effects. It took me three months to build up a tolerance last time."

Gray sat on his heels beside him. "But Loke," he whispered worriedly, "in two months, Lucy's baby will be here."

Loke looked aside. "I know. I'll be a huge bother to her."

"Damn right you will be! She's pregnant! She can't waste her energy pampering you. You need to be strong for her."

"I know," Loke bellowed. "I know that, but...but it can't be helped." He tensed up with more pain, breathed hard through it, until finally he could relax a bit. "I'm scared, okay? The Spirits haven't said anything yet. Maybe they don't know. If I return, they might find out. I'm terrified that if I return for even a moment, I won't be able to come back to her. I can't take the chance. Since I came out on my own magic, she should be able to summon the other Celestial Spirits..."

"That's not the point," Gray yelled. "She needs you." He stopped sharply and jolted at what he just said. Loke also looked up in shock. "She...needs you, Loke," Gray admitted in defeat. "You protect her the most."

"Aquarius is strong."

"Aquarius would recklessly hurt her as well. Taurus is also too rough. Who else could she call on that will also make sure she's not injured? If she's ever in danger, she needs you to be strong."

"What am I supposed to do?" Loke snapped. "Return to the Spirit World, take my chances, maybe leave her forever, possibly get her into more trouble? I'm not just staying out here because I'm scared of punishment." He sighed and looked aside. "I keep asking myself, what might the Spirit King do about Lucy and the baby? If he punishes me, I'll accept it, but what about her? What if he tries to punish her?"

"Natsu and I would protect her," Gray answered proudly.

Loke laughed wryly. "Against the Spirit King? I doubt even Master Makarov could stand up to him. He isn't some human opponent. He's a Celestial Spirit, immortal, and more powerful than you can fathom. He found favor in Lucy last time, but this...this is serious. This baby, it was never supposed to happen again. If what happened last time happens again, it'll endanger the Spirit World as much as the Human World."

"Last time?" Gray asked in confusion.

Loke's eyes dimmed. "Zeref. He was a Human-Spirit hybrid. It wasn't against the rules back then, but the Celestial Spirit who fathered the boy..." Loke paused and held his head in another wave of dizziness. "He was punished harshly and separated from his lover. He couldn't go to her, even when she called for him. She probably thought the bastard ran away, left her because he was a coward. She was all alone through the pregnancy and raised the child on her own. He couldn't leave the Spirit World. He never saw the baby, not until Zeref became...well, the Zeref we all know, the evil dark mage. By then, the mother had died, I don't even know how. The contract between her and the Spirit was broken. A new mage owned the Spirit Key, and that Celestial Spirit was called to fight against Zeref, the son he had sired...the son he saw only once, the day he helped to defeat him!"

Gray saw a dark sadness pass across Loke's eyes. It took him a while to continued.

"It took all twelve Zodiac Spirits, numerous minor Spirits, the dragons, plus a mage army of epic proportions to stop Zeref," Loke related. "Afterwards, most of the Celestial Spirits agreed that, if such a thing ever happened again, it's best..." He looked down sadly. "...it's best...for the child to...to not come into existence," he whispered miserably. He stared up at Gray with determination in his shaded eyes. "I can't let them get to her. I can't let that happen again. Lucy...she's so happy about this," he smiled bittersweetly. "I don't want anything to harm her or the child. That's why I'm staying out here, because even if it hurts me, even if it kills me, I won't leave Lucy alone like that. I won't let it happen again, dammit!"

Gray looked at him suspiciously. "Loke...you..."

The front door opened. "We're home! Oh, hi Gray!" Lucy smiled.

Loke sat up quickly, immediately smiling as if nothing was wrong. "Welcome home. How was shopping? Buy anything cute?"

"Mmm-hmm," Lucy nodded, showing off four bags from various stores. "Since I still have a little money from my last job, I decided to buy everything I'll need for later, you know, when I turn into a pumpkin. New pants and skirts, really loose blouses, nighties, and a bra for nursing mothers, since I'll probably need that, too."

Erza stepped in with even more bags. "The nightie is really cute, Gray."

He blushed and looked away. "Like I care!"

Lucy saw the mobile lying on a crate. "Gray, is this for us?"

He shrugged in a slouch. "Yeah, I was bored and made it."

"It's beautiful," Lucy admired, holding it up to see the multicolored ice stones glitter in the sunlight. "It's like the baby will have his own chandelier!"

"It's not much," he mumbled. "Is...is there anything you guys need? A cradle?"

"Natsu's buying the cradle," said Loke.

Erza hummed to herself. "He's already competing for the position of godfather, eh?"

Gray looked over quickly. "What? Competing?" He thought hard. "A pram carriage! A baby needs transportation, right? Natsu would never think about something like that. And a stroller. And...and a high chair."

"He won't need that until he can sit up on his own," Erza told him.

"A pram carriage, then. Then you and Loke can go walking around town and push the baby around, show him off to other mothers, and you can go out to restaurants with the baby, or walk along the river as a family."

Lucy was stunned at how enthusiastic he sounded. "Gray, that's really sweet, to think about us like that."

He felt glad to see her happy. "This is all I really want, to see you smiling." He began to walk out, but paused at the door and turned back. "Loke," he called over. "I think you'll make a really good father. Don't leave her, okay? You better be there by her side, no matter what."

Loke nodded firmly. He walked up to Lucy and kissed her forehead as she began prattling about the things she saw in the baby store.

Gray watched Loke a moment longer. How could Lucy not notice how pale he was? Or did she see it but simply refrained from saying anything that might worry him?

Erza watched Gray. Their eyes met, and she gave him a silent nod of approval. She knew how Gray felt. She had seen the longing in his face when they went on missions. It was why she often tried to get Lucy and Gray to sit by each other on the train. Yet Lucy had chosen. Erza knew that must have crushed Gray—she heard about the attack he made—so to see him acting mature, helping them, even encouraging them, reassured her.

Gray shook his head. What was the big deal? So long as Lucy was happy, he could be happy. Besides, the cryptic things Loke said about Zeref worried him. He left the girls' dormitory and headed to the guild's library.

End of Chapter 3

Rhov's Corner:

Baby carriage versus pram: same thing but called different names in different regions and countries. (English is confusing even to native speakers!) I know it by both names and decided to call it a "pram carriage" here so my European readers know what I mean. For "crib/cot/cradle," maybe it's old-fashion, but my family calls them cradles. Same deal with "stroller/buggy," I've always called those strollers. Just clearing that up for international readers.
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Lion's Pride