Levy sat at a table in the corner of the guild, her nose buried in a book as usual while the room buzzed around her. She looked up from the romance novel she was reading and glanced around the guild. Lucy was heading out of the guild with Natsu and Happy, most likely heading off on some sort of mission. Gray and Erza talked near the job board while Juvia lurked close by, her eyes shooting daggers at the red-haired reequip mage. Laxus sat at the bar talking with a giggling Mira, and Elfman and Evergreen sat at a table at the far end of the guild, acting as if they didn't see the other while simultaneously blushing heavily.
Levy sighed, setting her book down and laying her head on her arms. Normally it didn't bother her, but it seemed like today the world was rubbing in her face the fact that she didn't have someone special in her life. Sure, she had Jet and Droy, but honestly they were more like brothers to her than anything else. Her thoughts drifted to a certain iron dragon slayer, but she quickly shook the thoughts away. He didn't see her like that. She doubted he saw anyone like that. He was just too damn hard-headed...
Suddenly, she heard the nervous clearing of a throat above her and she jerked her head up to see none other than the dragon-slayer that had just been invading her thoughts. "Gajeel!" she said in surprise, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she silently thanked God that he couldn't tell what she had been thinking. "Can I help you with something?"
Gajeel shifted from foot to foot nervously before her, his hands shoved in his pockets, refusing to meet her eyes and a slight tint in his cheeks. "Hey Shrimp," he muttered, looking at her out of the corner of his eye before quickly looking away again."I was...I was wonderin'..." Levy tilted her head to the side, wondering what was causing the mighty dragon slayer to act so jumpy.
"I was wonder'," he continued slowly. "If you would go on a date with me?!" He spoke so quickly and so loudly that Levy jumped in her seat slightly and it took her a moment to process what he had said. Once she realized what his question had been, her face turned beet red and her eyes dropped to the floor. She shifted nervously in her seat. "What should I do? What should I do?!" she thought. "Gajeel asked me out!" The mighty, head-strong, stubborn, dense dragon slayer had asked her out!
Not wanting him to think she was rejecting him and walk away, she took a deep breath and took the plunge. She nodded slightly, and quietly replied, "Okay."
Gajeel jerked his head, as if he hadn't been expecting a favorable response. He quickly composed himself and muttered, "Good. Meet you in front of the guild at seven," before stalking off towards the bar where Pantherlily sat contentedly sipping on some kiwi juice.
Levy watched his retreating figure for a moment before smiling slightly to herself. "There's something sweet. And almost kind," she thought replaying their conversation just now before thinking back to when she first met the fierce mage. "But he was mean, and he was coarse, and unrefined. But now he's dear. And so...unsure," she giggled quietly to herself. " I don't know why I didn't see it there before."
She roused herself from her thoughts and quickly began packing her things to head home. She had a date to get ready for!
Gajeel leaned up against the oak doorframe of the guild, rapping his fingers against his arm impatiently. Where was that Shrimp? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. Was she not coming? Had she, after thinking about it for a few hours, decided that their date was actually a terrible idea and decided to just not show up? He growled quietly to himself. That had to be it. She had decided he wasn't good enough for her and had decided to stand him up.
He pushed against the door frame to straighten himself up, completely prepared to just head home and drink his anger and embarrassment away, when he suddenly heard the slapping of shoes moving quickly across the cobblestones towards him.
A few seconds later, Levy's small form came into view running towards him as quickly as her little legs would carry her. He leaned back against the doorframe, a small smirk on his face, and waited. She came to a jerky halt before him and immediately bent over and put her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
"Sorry...I'm...late," she panted. She took a few deep breaths, brushed her hair away from her forehead, and stood up and caught his red eyes with her deep brown ones. "I completely lost track of time. I'm really sorry Gajeel. I hope you weren't waiting too long..."
He forced himself to avert his gaze. "Tch. Whatever," he said in his normal surly manner, a slight blush on his face that he hope she couldn't see. She looked beautiful, even though she had just gotten done running across town. Her hair was pulled back in a curled ponytail, with two little blue ringlets framing her face. Her eyelids glimmered slightly with eye shadow, and she wore a shimmery yellow dress that just reached her knees, thin spaghetti straps were all that covered her bare shoulders and a small yellow flower sat at the base of the right strap.
"Let's get goin'," he grunted before beginning to walk away. He heard her start to say something, but then she must have thought better of it for the noise was quickly followed by the clacking of her shoes against the cobblestones.
They walked in silence side-by-side the majority of the way, Gajeel sneaking glances at the small bluenette next to him while they walked. At one point, the toe of Levy's shoe caught on the edge of a broken cobblestone and she stumbled forward slightly. Gajeel reached out to steady her and her hands grasped his tightly. Her fall averted, she glanced up at him, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
"Thank you," she said quietly before righting herself and straightening her dress. When she glanced up, her embarrassment was quickly forgotten when she saw the scene before her.
Before them stood a small cafe hidden in a far, quiet corner of the city. The windows and gutter of the quaint, cottage-like restaurant were draped with strings of twinkle lights that shone like fireflies in the gathering darkness.
Gajeel walked slowly up to her side, hands shoved in his pockets, one hand still warm from Levy's touch. When he reached her side, he snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. What he saw there took his breath away.
The lights reflected in Levy's deep brown eyes, making them shine brighter than he had ever seen. In fact, it wasn't just her eyes. Everything about her just...radiated warmth and light in a way that made his cheeks warm with blush.
"What is this place?" Levy whispered breathlessly, almost to herself.
Gajeel shrugged. "Just a little place I found one day by accident. Thought you might like it."
Levy grinned widely up at Gajeel before scurrying on ahead towards the restaurant.
Gajeel rolled his shoulders and looked up at the sky, trying to collect himself. "She glanced this way, I thought I saw," he removed his right hand from his pocket, the one she had grabbed to keep from falling. He could still feel her tiny palm in his and he clenched his fist, as if trying to hold onto that feeling. "And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw. No it can't be, I'll just ignore," he growled to himself, frustrated at all these silly emotions. A shout made him look up and he saw Levy, glowing in the light from the cafe, her hand waving back and forth as she tried to get his attention. It was the look on her face though that caused his heart to skip a beat. Her eyes bright and happy, a smile so wide that it transformed her whole face. She had never looked more like an angel.
"But then she's never looked at me that way before."
They ate their meal in awkward silence. Levy kept her eyes glued to her plate, a pink tint in her cheeks. This restaurant he had chosen was...beautiful to say the least. She never in a million years would have expected Gajeel of all people to choose a place like this.
Not only that, but he had even dressed for the occasion too. She had expected him to be dressed in his normal, metal-studded garb. She had been very surprised when she crested the hill on her way to the guild and saw him in a suit. And not even his cheesy white suit that he wore when he played his guitar, a nice, black suit jacket and pants with a charcoal grey button up shirt. He even had his wild hair tamed and pulled back into a long ponytail.
And so, since she knew she would not stop staring if she looked at him, she watched her fork chase food around her plate.
The restaurant was right next to the river, so after they had finished their meal, unsure of what to do next, they simply began walking. It was growing later, the breeze bringing with it the coolness of evening. Levy shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. She had been in such a rush to leave her apartment that had not thought to grab a wrap or sweater of some kind.
A strong hand around her wrist brought her to a halt. She turned to face Gajeel and before she could say anything , a heavy black fabric was draped around her shoulders. His jacket. She blushed fiercely and instinctively grabbed hold of the edges so it wouldn't fall to the ground.
The fabric was warm against her bare shoulders and smelled of crushed leaves and the strong tang of iron. She then felt a thick arm across her shoulders and she looked up to Gajeel, his cheeks red and his eyes not meeting hers.
She smiled softly and looked out across the river. "New, and a bit...alarming," she pulled the jacket tighter around her. "Who'd have ever thought that this could be. True, that he's no Prince Charming," she looked up at the surly iron dragon slayer once more. "But there's something in him that I simply didn't see."
"Gajeel," Levy said softly. As he turned to look at her, she stretched up onto her tip-toes as far as she could and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Thank you," she said, smiling up at his beet red face. "For a wonderful evening."
He grinned down at her and they both turned to look back out over the river, his arm tightening around her shoulders as she scooted closer to his warm, muscular form.