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
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chapter 4

Memories Through The Haze
Lucy woke up feeling like she had cobwebs in her mouth and a headache that made her hate the world. She almost wanted to moan, yet she knew that any noise, even the faintest sigh, would torture her eardrums and make her wish for a swift death. She debated opening her eyes. A tiny peek showed her that the sun was up, yellow, brilliant … and nauseatingly bright. She swallowed hard to keep her stomach down.
Just when she prayed sleep would take her away for another day or two, she heard clomping footsteps. They drummed into her brain and made her feel ill. As if that was not bad enough…
"Lucy, my dearest!" came an exuberant shout, accompanied by the door slamming open. Even more annoying was when Loke burst into poetry.

"The day is lovely, and so are you.

Your Lion shall obey all you ask me to do.

To hug or kiss, I shall not miss,

And treat each demand with eager bliss."
Without opening her eyes, Lucy rolled toward Loke's voice, put her finger to her lips, and hushed, "Shhhh!"
"Aww, did my wittle Wucy wakey with bad head owwie?"
"If I could move, I'd kill you," she grumbled irritably.
"I'm immortal, you can't. I'd just go back to the Spirit World."
"Then go back already," she rasped with a dry throat.
"Lucy is being so mean today," Loke pouted playfully. "Natsu and Gray already ate. They were wondering if they should leave you here and go ahead with Erza to get her back to Magnolia and to a proper doctor. I think it's a wonderful idea. I can take care of you, feed you in bed, maybe a soak together in the onsen followed by a scented-oil foot massage…"
"No, I…" Damn him for making a good idea sound dreadfully seductive! "I just need water. And medicine, something for my head."
He nodded and sat on the bed beside her. "I figured as much, considering how much you drank. Take this, drink it down with this." He handed her a couple of pills and a cup of herbal tea.
Lucy forced herself to sit up. She swallowed the medicine, but the tea tasted awful. "I bet I look like crap."
"You're beautiful," he assured.
Suddenly, Lucy's face froze. Something happened last night, something… Good? Bad? She rubbed her head.
"There's porridge," he offered. "I figured it's least offensive to your stomach."
She said nothing and stared at whatever was darkest in that room. That happened to be Loke's black pants, but she could only bring herself to look at his knees. "Can you … leave me alone?" she whispered.
"Ah, of course. A woman must have her privacy to pretty herself, right? Well, Gray's about to head out and get some transportation to take Erza home. I suppose I'll go with him, leave you to your morning beauty rituals. Not that you need them with your natural grace," he grinned flirtatiously.
She stared ahead blankly as he left. She did not move for a long time, and when she did, she stared into a mirror as if to ask herself a doubting question.

An hour later, Loke and Gray returned with Erza … and no transportation.
"We'll have to walk to the next town," Gray explained.
Natsu pouted stubbornly. "We could just walk all the way back home."
"Idiot! That'd take days, and Erza needs to rest. We shouldn't even be bringing her with us, but I'd rather not split our group." Gray glanced a little behind them. Loke carried Erza, who looked only half aware of what was going on around her. "She's had some medication to keep away the pain. The doctor said it'll make her sleep all day. Let's hurry before it wears off. Natsu, get Erza's luggage."
"Whaaaat?" he whined. "Why me?"
"Do you think Lucy can pull that huge cart?"
"Sorry," Erza whispered.
Natsu frowned at hearing the weariness in her shaky voice. "No, it's fine. You rest, Erza. Leave it to us. You're always protecting us, so it's time we paid you back."
She smiled in a daze. "Thanks. I'll set something on fire for you when we get home." That got the Dragon Slayer to smile.
Lucy did not even look at Loke before turning back into her room to get her bags. Soon their team was on the road. Gray led the way, consulting a map from time to time. Lucy and Loke walked in the middle while Erza mumbled in her sleep about strawberry cheesecake. Natsu noisily brought up the rear, grumbling about having to pull the piled cart uphill, while Happy thought he was being helpful by flying overhead instead of perching on the cart.
"How's your headache?" Loke asked with a happy tone. He wished Gray would have carried Erza so he could walk hand-in-hand with his beloved. Lucy kept her eyes forward and did not answer. "If it still hurts, maybe Erza has some medicine in her trunks." Still no reply. "Ah, I see. You're focused on ignoring the hangover. At least it's overcast now. Makes for a cool, pleasant walk, doesn't it? I doubt it'll rain but…"
"Loke," she said softly. "Quiet."
"Ah, right," he whispered. "Headache, right, sorry."
Those were the only two words she spoke.
Three hours later, they finished the steady incline and suddenly plunged down into a ravine. Here, the fog never broke, leaving the world in soupy grayness. Clinging droplets made Lucy's hair limp. Even Loke's fluffy mane drooped a bit. Happy looked miserable with a scowl only a wet cat can make.
Finally, they arrived in a slightly larger town. While the others warmed up in a tavern, Gray left to find transportation. By the time they finished eating, he returned with a magical four-wheel vehicle, already wearing the SE Plug that turned his magic into fuel. Loke placed Erza in the back, and Lucy and Natsu—reluctantly—climbed in, too. As soon as Gray began to move forward, Natsu went pale and stuck his head out the window to vomit.
"Natsu, hang on," Happy urged.
"Really, we're not even out of town yet," Loke razzed.
The thick haze muffled all sounds. They heard Gray more than once curse about not being able to see anything in front of him. He had to travel slowly just to avoid sudden turns as they traveled through the ravine.
Erza began to nod off. "Feel … dizzy … sick," she groaned.
Happy gasped. "Erza's motion-sick like Natsu!"
"It's the medicine," Lucy realized. "You need to sleep it off or it'll make you nauseous. Try lying down. Natsu, move over a little."
"Grbluuug," he moaned. "Kill me now."
Erza cringed as she fought the medication's effects.
"It can't be helped," Loke sighed. His hand glowed yellow, and he punched Natsu unconscious. Loke caught the salmon-haired teen as he collapsed.
Happy cried out, "You're mean, Loke! Meanie." With tears in his huge eyes, he flew out the window and perched up front with Gray to tell him what Loke did. Gray could not stop laughing that someone other than Erza had come up with that solution to end Natsu's moaning.
"Erza," Loke waved genteelly, "please lie down on the seat."
"Chivalry … and stupidity … all in one," she chuckled weakly. She gladly laid down and instantly succumbed to the effects of the painkillers.
"Now for this brat."
Try as he might, Loke could not find room for Natsu on the same bench. He was not about to ask Lucy to give up her seat, and if he put Natsu on the roof, the Dragon Slayer very well could bounce off, the roads were so bad. In the end, he laid Natsu partly on top of Erza. Neither woke up.
"They look kind of cute, don't they?" Loke grinned proudly to Lucy, as if the sleeping couple was some sculpture he was showing off. She stared at Erza and Natsu, but she did not say a word. Loke pouted at the silent treatment. "Oi, Gray!" he shouted toward the driver's bench up front. "How much longer?"
"At this speed, three hours. Do I need to hurry?"
"Nah, Erza and Puke-Face are out cold. Take your time." He smiled over at Lucy. Three hours together! No one to pester them. "So, Lucy," he began with a charming grin. "How shall we pass the time? Perhaps a traveling game? I know a few that…"
She silently turned to look out the window. That irked Loke just a little.
"What is it?" he demanded. "This isn't about a hangover anymore. You were fine in the tavern, despite how noisily Natsu ate. Did I do something wrong? Did Gray or Natsu tell you something that's making you upset at me?"
"I'm not upset," she said in a flat tone.
"Then why are you avoiding me?" he demanded. "This is no way for a Celestial Spirit and wizard to have a relationship."
"Relationship?" she mused to herself. She was quiet for a long time, resting her chin on her pink tattoo as she stared at the trees passing by. Finally, she said distantly, "Last night, I did something stupid."
He realized he should have guessed. She might have been drunk out of her mind, but surely a few flashes of memory would have remained to haunt her. "If it's of any consolation, I've seen far worse behavior after that much alcohol. I also kept my hands to myself, except when treating your wounds."
"I know," she whispered. "I remember. I remember all of it." She looked back around to him with a troubled expression. "All of it."
Loke froze at what she meant. "Everything?"
She began to list them on her fingers. "You love me, you see stars in my eyes, you want to make me happy for the rest of my life, I said let's fuck." She cringed at the memory of that part.
"Yeah, that's just about everything," he muttered, privately cursing that now he lost the golden chance to confess to her over a romantic candlelight dinner. "So, now that you're sober, how do you really feel?" he asked worriedly, bracing himself for a flat-out rejection.
Her eyes went sad, and she again looked out the window. "I was an idiot for putting both of us into that kind of regretful situation. I'm sorry I let it happen."
That stabbed at his heart. Guilt and regret! He would have preferred one of her typical comedic denials. Those he could dismiss by merely thinking she was too embarrassed to admit her feelings in front of others, or he simply had to prove his love a little bit more. Now she knew his feelings, and she regretted knowing.
Awkward silence formed a dark atmosphere within the vehicle. Loke quietly scooted to the far corner of the bench to give Lucy space. He looked out the opposite window just so he was not tempted to stare forlornly at her. He took one glance at Natsu perched on top of Erza and smiling happily in his sleep. Loke wished…
What do I really wish for? I just want to make her happy. If being in love with her makes her unhappy…
It did not take countless centuries of existence to figure out what came next.

End of Chapter 4
- 3
- 4
- 5
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