Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 2480 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Japanese Cultural Notes:
Sake - rice wine. Genshu sake is undiluted and has an alcohol content of 18-20%, compared to 15% for regular sake, 9-16% for grape wine, or beer at a mere 3-9%.
Chabudai - short-legged Japanese table.
Ika somen - squid sliced into thin noodle-like strips and eaten with a dipping sauce.
Chanchan-yaki - miso-grilled salmon with bean sprouts and other vegetables … yummy!
Chapter 3
Sake and Bruises
The early spring air felt cold after soaking in the onsen, and it left goosebumps on Lucy's skin, easing the inflammation of her injuries. When she returned to her room, she jolted in shock at seeing Loke relaxed on the couch, his tailored suit jacket off, his tiger-striped tie loosened, the first button on his shirt undone, one leg crossed on his knee, and a glass of wine in his hand. She gulped hard at how—dare she say it—how sexy he looked! She quickly shook the offending thought out of her head.
"Why are you still here?" she shouted, trying to be angry so he would not mistake her blushing.
"You never sent me back," Loke smiled with a wink. "You said to stay here. Of course, I have to obey my master."
She sighed, yet to his surprise she merely entered and sat in front of the tea he had laid out on the chabudai. Loke was more than happy to pour some for her and served her. Lucy hummed as the warm drink eased the chill of walking around wet. At every moment, she expected some lewd comment or smarmy smile, yet Loke stayed across the table, his eyes intense on her, but not ogling. It seemed more like he was eagerly awaiting the slightest hint of what she wanted him to do next. This sort of silent adoration disturbed Lucy even more than his usual excessive flirtation.
"Are you hungry?" she asked hesitantly.
This shocked him even more and made him smile. Did she want to eat dinner together? "I admit, I wouldn't mind some food."
"Gray said he had a salve for my bruises. Get that while I order room service."
Loke was thrilled. Room service with Lucy! If he were not straining to be on his absolute best behavior, he would have made a comment about him possibly staying the night … and likely end up booted back to the Spirit World.
He left their room and went next door to the room shared by Gray and Natsu. He rummaged through Gray's luggage humming an old lover's ballad. Suddenly, the ice wizard returned from his soak, wrapped in a yukata and his raven hair dripping wet. He froze at seeing the ginger-haired Spirit searching a bottom shelf on all fours, bent over with his butt up in the air swaying hypnotically back and forth in tempo to the lilting song he hummed. Gray stared at that round rump and gulped hard past a rising lump in his throat.
He shook his head. Why was he even fantasizing about … no! He refused to think that way! The shock wore off, and he felt a spike of fury instead. That was his stuff!
"What the hell're ya doing, bastard?"
Loke's humming ended on a raised question. He looked over his shoulder, saw who it was, and flashed a grin. "Lucy asked me to find your medicine."
Gray looked peeved. How dare he play around like that, with his tailored pants waving like a tempting toy before a feisty kitten! "Get off the floor," he said in irritation. "The medicine is over here."
Gray stomped over to a satchel and pulled out a stone jar. He stared at it for a while. The jar had been a present from Lucy to thank him for saving her after the incident with Phantom Lord. He remembered how she smiled with her hands behind her back when he opened her gift and saw the ornately carved stone jar. It was empty then, but Gray wanted to use it somehow. The ointment, a gift from Mirajane, was perfect for the jar, and he took it with him on every mission. Slowly, his squinted eyes softened.
"Is she okay?" he asked quietly. "She refused to say what happened. The bruises aren't too severe, but something in her eyes tells me that the fight went bad, and with bruises like that…" He looked up to the Celestial Spirit for answers.
Loke gave a long sigh as he rose off his knees, walked over to the bed, and sat down beside Gray. He did not want to shame Lucy by getting into details, but Gray was obviously concerned. He looked to the wall that separated them from her. "Yeah, she was hurt bad," he admitted regretfully. Her screams still echoed through his ears and sent shivered over his skin. "He didn't get too far but … for a woman," Loke said softly, "anything like that is scary, no matter how tough they are."
"Damn," Gray sneered, once again wishing the enemy was there purely so he could kill him. His fists shivered in rage. "I never should've let her out of my sight."
"You can't be there for her all the time."
Gray shot him an acidic glare. "Oh, and you could?"
"In theory," Loke smiled.
Gray felt enraged, but it cooled down quickly. Revenge had already been dealt. Now was the time to care for Lucy. "Then you better never let her get hurt like that again."
Loke gave him a solemn nod. He took a small ointment jar and left the Ice-Make wizard to simmer in his emotions. When he returned to Lucy's room, the food was already there. She sat at the chabudai eating ika somen.
"Sorry, you took a long time and I was hungry," she said, dipping the thinly sliced squid into a sauce.
"Ah, sorry about that," he said lightly as he shut the door behind him. "Gray got a bit upset when he saw me pilfering his stuff."
"I wasn't sure what you might like, but I figured you're a cat, so you'd like something with fish. I got you chanchan-yaki."
"I'm a cat?" he questioned disdainfully, taking a seat across from her. "My dear, I am the king of beasts! I am not a mere cat."
"Oh. Would you rather have something with tofu?" she asked playfully.
"No! This … this is salmon, right?" Already, he had drool forming in his mouth.
Lucy chuckled at his forced restraint. "Eat up, kitty. You deserve it."
Loke gladly dug into the salmon dish. He hummed in gustatory ecstasy, which made Lucy laugh. Then Loke saw her take a small bowl and sipped it.
"Lucy! Is that sake?"
She nodded and gulped it down. "Genshu. Strong stuff. I feel like I'm Natsu!" She took another sip and cough out the heat. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" she whooped.
"What the…?" Then he noticed the bottle, grabbed it up, and sloshed it around to make sure he was really seeing the level of the liquid. "Did you…? No way! You drank this much already?"
The alcohol made her blush and giggle. "I normally don't drink much, but I figured it might help take an edge off the pain."
"It's the worst pain killer, makes you wish for death in the morning."
"You want some?"
"I'll stick to wine. This particular one is quite good, famous in this region, made from winter grapes and wonderfully sweet."
"Ooh, lemme try some!"
He laughed at her tipsiness as he let her have his wineglass. He watched as she put her lips on the glass and tipped it back. He stared at how she held the glass between her fingers, how her throat moved with each gulp, all so refined, as only a woman born to wealth could do so naturally.
"It really is sweet," she exclaimed. "I've never had a wine like that. So, do you like sweet things?"
"It all depends," he said with a smooth smile. He took the glass back and sipped some, positioning his lips right over where she drank. He could even see the mark of her lips on the glass.
Lucy covered her mouth in giggles and pointed at him. "Indirect kiss!"
He almost sputtered the wine out at such a childish reaction. "Are you really that drunk? Already?" Not good!
"'Course I'm not drun-kee-ked!" she insisted.
Loke sighed heavily. So much for a night of cautious seduction! He set the wine far away so she could not get more. Then he scooted over to her side and took the ointment jar. "Let me get those bruises."
Instead of fighting him off, Lucy adjusted her sitting posture and held out one leg to him. Loke saw the ring-like bruises on her ankle and just above her knee. He started on the lower area. Lucy kept eating, but she was drinking the sake too fast. Loke pouted, but he decided to let her do what she wanted. He had a feeling her sudden desire to drink was not only about fleshly pain. Just how traumatized was she from that brute's attack?
"Shall I get the one here?" he asked, pointing to the bruise on her thigh.
In response, she gave him a vixen smile and spread her yukata so he could reach that high. She leaned back a little as he massaged the medicine into the bruise. Then Lucy presented her other leg for him and poured herself another bowl of sake. She now leaned back with her legs open to him. Loke gulped and tried to convince himself that he could not see that she was not wearing underwear. He dipped his finger into the salve and tried not to look at anything except her leg.
When he was done, he took her hand, pulled her up, and made sure her clothes were pulled back into decent order. "I'll get the rest after we eat. The smell ruins the aroma of the food."
This was wrong … very wrong! Lucy's eyes had gone unfocused. She was only halfway through her dinner, yet on at least her fourth bowl of sake. Loke encouraged her to eat. She needed food in her stomach to dilute the alcohol. He ate his chanchan-yaki and watched as she began a slow slump into inebriation.
"Really," he sighed in disappointment. "And here I was hoping for a nice night together."
"It can be real nice," Lucy smiled drunkenly.
"No, it can't. I refuse to take advantage of a drunken woman."
"You're done eating," she pointed out, and she stuck her arm straight out. "Bruises on my arm. I want you to rub them."
He sighed at such a messed up situation. "Lucy…"
"I am your master and I insist," she ordered and slammed her hand on the table.
Loke glared at her. How dare she order him, the leader of the Zodiac Spirits! "If I didn't love you so much and know this isn't your personality, that sort of forcefulness would make me lose respect in you."
She scooted over to him. "Yer cute, Loke," she slurred. "You were on top, ya know."
"On … on top?" he jolted, feeling a flush in his cheek. "When?" She couldn't be meaning in a dream, could she? If Lucy dreamed about that…
"On my list!"
"Uh … list?" Now he was really confused.
"And here ya are, mine, wholly an' completely mine, but … not completely." She began to crawl on top of him.
"Whoa, okay, no," he said, pushing her aside as gently as possible. "You've been drinking."
"So have you."
"My tolerance is better. You're drunk. Time for bed."
"My arms," she demanded.
Loke rubbed out his head. He was absolutely torn. On one hand, Lucy looked ready to pounce on him, and if something happened, she would likely not remember any of it in the morning. On the other hand, he had morals! Then again, he reasoned that she really did need this salve or she would be hurting in the morning when she vomited out all the alcohol.
"Fine," he sighed in surrender. "I'll tend your arms, but then you go to bed."
She slid her sleeve up. Despite her seductive glances, Loke ached at seeing those wounds. They reminded him of her screams for help.
"Ya look serious," she slurred.
"You don't want to see me serious," he warned with a forceful pout.
"Yer cute." She giggled as the sake colored her face red.
"If only you could tell me that sober," he muttered in disappointment. Stupid sake! All his plans for a romantic night together were ruined.
"Maybe I will one day," she said, swinging her hand around. "Yer cute, an' Gray's cute, an' Natsu's cute…"
"Don't clump me together with them," he pouted, moving off her wrist and to the bruises on her upper arm.
She leaned way too close into his face. "Do ya think I'm cute?"
Loke sighed, but when he looked up he saw her face was serious. She was waiting anxiously for his answer. "Of course I think you're cute. You're beautiful. You're gorgeous. You're stellar!"
She giggled and leaned back hard, hitting the table. "Yer so funny. Funny kitty!"
Loke shook his head and moved to the other arm. "Funny … right."
"That guy," she mumbled, biting her lower lip. "He never said I was cute."
"Which guy?"
Loke saw the residual terror on her face. That was when he realized that, indeed, she was using the alcohol to escape her terror. Not even half a bottle of sake had pushed away that nightmare. Her face twitched as those moments replayed in her head. Loke saw tears begin to form in her large, brown eyes. He set aside the ointment and pulled her into a hug.
"That guy won't ever hurt you again. I took care of it." He kissed the top of her head. "Don't let it kill you inside, Lucy. I'll protect you."
"He … t-touched me," she sobbed. "I didn't want him to do that. I wanted you to."
Loke pulled away fast. "You … what?" She was crying inconsolably, but Loke was too flabbergasted to react.
Had she just confessed? Did she really want him in that sort of way?
In the other room, Gray stood by the wall while Natsu munched on flames he had ordered, much to the confusion of the ryokan staff.
"Hey, Natsu," he said deeply. "He's in there with her." The Fire Dragon Slayer looked up with a hum of confusion. "Loke. I can hear him."
"And I can smell him. Jealous?" he grinned with a chuckle.
Happy covered his mouth a giggled. "He lllllllllikes her!"
Gray rolled his eyes over to him in a glare.
"He's a Celestial Spirit. I doubt they'll hook up," Natsu said in light dismissal. "Even if they did, would you stop being friends with her, quit the team, or avoid her completely?"
"Of course not," he muttered. "I like being on this team, and I like being friends with her. I don't think a playboy like Loke is good for her, but if he makes her smile … I guess that's all I want."
Natsu grunted some sort of agreement and swallowed down his flaming meal. "I feel the same way about Lisanna. I know when we were kids, she used to talk about us getting married," he said with a roll of his eyes to show what he thought of that, "and yeah, she used to be my best friend. I guess if she wanted to get together, I wouldn't mind," he shrugged.
"Don't be all cool about it," Gray smirked. "You're head over heels for her. When we thought she died, you mourned for over a year. You never did get over her. I bet you saw a little of her in Lucy, and that's why you stuck with her so stubbornly."
"Yeah, maybe at first," the pink-haired boy admitted, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back as he tried to remember back then, just why Lucy had appealed to him so much. "If Lisanna wanted some other guy … maybe I wouldn't like it too much, but like you said, whatever makes her smile." He grinned huge, showing a mouthful of teeth. "As Elfman says, that makes us men!"
From the other room, they heard a squeal of laughter from Lucy, followed by the low rumble that was Loke's muffled voice. Gray felt a brief spike of jealousy, but it melted as he realized that at least someone could make her laugh after a hellish mission like that.
"Makes us men, huh?" he said to himself.
Lucy was laughing hard. Just a moment ago, Loke had looked serious for a moment and leaned in to kiss her. A fast punch to his head had knocked him to the side and into the table, spilling the bottle of sake.
"Weak!" she taunted.
Loke straightened his tie and wiped off some sauce from his sleeve. "You're violent when drunk. Time for bed."
"I ain't doin' nuttin' til you finish with my bruiseys."
"Bruiseys?" Loke questioned.
Suddenly, Lucy yanked open her yukata, exposing massive cream-colored breasts tipped with a pink dot. "These hurt worst."
"Whoa!" Loke grabbed her robe and pulled it back together. "Those, you can do yourself."
She leaned right into his face. "Afraid?" she challenged. "You were always afraid of me."
"Afraid I wouldn't want to stop," he mumbled. He could hardly think with those massive mounds of feminine beauty partially exposed.
She crawled right up in front of him, barely able to stay upright. "Do you really love me, Loke?"
He looked at her. Her eyes were glazed, her face flushed, her body unstable. "You won't remember any of this in the morning anyway," he realized sadly. Knowing that gave him confidence that he could say the things he had been wanting to say for so long, yet kept silent or stupidly flirtatious out of fear of outright rejection. "Yes, Lucy, I really do love you. I have for a while. I told you once, or at least showed you with my ring. I was too shy to say it out loud. I dream of you," he said, caressing her bright pink cheek. "I see the stars in your eyes. I feel stronger when I'm by your side. My chest pounds whenever I hear you summon me. I'm sad when I find out you had a fight and didn't call me out. I wish I could spend every moment by your side."
"Ya wanted to marry me once," she pointed out.
Loke choked a bit. "No, I just … I, uh … not that I wouldn't … I mean…" He sighed in surrender. What did it matter? She was too drunk to remember anything anyway. "I wish I could make you happy for the rest of your life, no matter what that means. If I have to watch over you as you marry Natsu or Gray and dedicating myself to your family like Capricorn did, I will, but I hope … I pray … that I can make you happy in a much more personal way. If only that was possible," he said in regret.
"Why not?" she smiled lopsidedly. "You're here, I'm here, let's fuck!"
He coughed in shock that she could say it so crudely. "Well, for one, it's illegal. A Celestial Spirit isn't allowed to get romantically involved with his master. Hell, we're not supposed to have sex with Humans at all."
"Are ya a virgin?" she giggled.
"Well, I can't claim that," he admitted with a suave smile.
She began to crawl onto his lap. "I'm one."
"You've admitted as much," he said with an edge of caution, watching her curiously.
"Been saving it. But he touched me." Lucy took his hand and guided it to the bruise on her chest. "I want you to touch me where he did. I want it to be your touches I think about, not his."
Loke sighed and looked away to fight such temptation. "You make it really hard for a man to resist," he muttered. Somehow, his pride and honor won through. "I won't take advantage of a drunken woman. I'm going to put you into bed. Sleep off the sake. When you wake up, if you still feel that way…" He kissed her forehead. "…there is no way I could turn you down a second time." He gave her a genuine smile, silently praying that this night might unlock some part of her heart, so that even if she could not remember what happened this night, at least her feelings would rise to the surface. "I love you, Lucy Heartfilia. I hope this isn't the alcohol and you truly love me back."
Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her down on the futon, pulled the blankets over her, and smoothed back her golden hair as she snuggled into bed.
"Ya didn't get my chest," she mumbled. "Hurts. Bad touches."
Loke struggled with the dilemma. He finally went back, snatched up the ointment jar, sat by her side, and carefully moved her yukata out of the way. He looked at her bare body in the moonlight. It was curvaceous and pale, almost glowing in the silver shine of the stars, except where the bruises had marked her.
He rubbed a generous amount on the mark across her throat, the bloody bruise where she broke her ribs, a contusion on her hip from when she thrashed around, and finally to the purple rings around her breasts. Battling his male instincts, he only rubbed on the medicine. Even when Lucy hummed as his hand slipped under her breast, he still resisted the temptation. Then he covered her back up quickly.
"Wimp," she chuckled. Her eyes closed, and her head lulled at the inebriated roller coaster she was on as she drifted toward dreamland. "Thanks, Loke."
Her last muttered words warmed his body. Perhaps it was only the alcohol, and a deeper part of her soul was happy he had fought her temptation. He cleaned up the dinner mess, went out and bought her a new outfit for the next day, and when he came back she was snoring softly, like the heavy breathing of a sleeping cat. She mumbled something in her sleep and hummed contently. Loke felt no tiredness at all. He took his wineglass, settled down beside her, and watched her sleep through the night.
"Sweet dreams, princess."
End of Chapter 3
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love