Just a one-shot featuring my favourite couples :)
It was a beautiful day in Magnolia. No clouds were in the oh-so-blue sky and the sun was shining brightly – matching the smiles on the faces of Magnolia's residents.
As for Fairy Tail's celestial mage, she was walking to the infamous Fairy Tail alongside its resident bookworm, talking about the latest chapter of the blonde's novel.
"But Lu-chan," Levy whined, "Iris is in danger. Shouldn't Felix find out?" Lucy clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"If Iris tells him about the curse, she'll lose her memories forever, so it would be useless."
Levy pouted. "Still, you left quite a cliff-hanger in the end. I'm going to die of curiosity before you finish the next chapter."
Lucy shrugged, holding back a mischievous smile. "You know what they say. Curiosity killed the bookworm." And they both laughed, knowing it was pretty true. The last time Lucy had a cliff-hanger like this in her story, Levy spent many sleepless nights re-reading the chapter, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. It was pointless though; the aftermath was nowhere near Levy's suspicions.
"Hey, Levy-chan," the blonde whispered, "why are those girls glaring at us?" She pointed to a group of young girls from a nearby café, who looked like the world was crashing down their shoulders. Strange enough, a magazine was placed in the middle of the table, opened at a page the two mages couldn't see.
"Who knows?" She frowned. "They don't look like they are from some rival guild either. I would have seen their stamps, but they're not anywhere." The girls were still glaring at them, now more viciously than earlier. Lucy and Levy shuddered.
"Let's go. I'd prefer not to die before your next chapter," Lucy laughed nervously and followed Levy's lead, looking away from the girls and continuing their walk. Once they turned the corner, they let out a sigh in relief.
"What was up with them? We didn't do anything to them, did we?"
Levy shook her head. "I don't think so. Oh well, let's not let that ruin our day, okay?" She smiled, and Lucy returned it.
"Got it." With yet another conversation starting about a well-known novel, they walked with linked arms towards the Fairy Tail guild house.
"I can't believe it! What in the world is-" Once the two opened the guild doors, their conversation was cut short at the sight.
Most of the females from the guild were glaring at them. Well, not the people from Tenrou Island, or the people from seven years ago but a large fraction of the guild looked ready to murder the two bookworms.
'It's just like the girls from the café,' Levy thought. She exchanged a look with Lucy and they both hurried over to the bar where Mira had already prepared their regulars.
"Good morning, Lucy, Levy!" she greeted them with a smile. They groaned in unison and sunk into their chairs. "Did something happen?"
"We don't know!" Levy began exasperated, taking a large sip of her non-alcoholic apple cocktail. "All the way from Lorelai's Café to here, we received only glares and dirty looks from girls. Even here, we get the same! And we don't know why!" She slapped her temples with her small hands. Lucy sighed.
"We even saw some girls from Nemesis' Wing, that guild from Orchid Town, trying to follow us here, although they lost track of us when we went to Magnolia's main library. But for some reason I don't understand, we have the same problem here." She gestured to the females from the guild, some sulking, and some looking like Juvia when any female approached Gray.
"Maybe they're like this because of the weekly edition of Sorcerer Magazine that came out today." Mira suggested. This drew their attention.
"What do you know?" Lucy narrowed her eyes at the white-haired beauty, while she smiled innocently. Too innocently.
"Oh, nothing. Just turn to page seven." She winked at them and pulled out the Sorcerer Magazine from God-knows-where. The celestial mage yanked it out of her hands and fluttered the pages quickly before stopping where Mira indicated. Their eyes widened and their cheeks erupted into vivid colours.
'The Weekly Gossip
Salamander and Black Steel Gajeel, taken?
A lot of girls have developed a liking for Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox since the Grand Magic Games, to the point of creating fan clubs for the two, and all the young women are dreaming to be the lucky ones to have a relationship with them, but their hopes could be crushed. It is rumoured that the two dragon slayers are already the lovers of Lucy Heartfilia and Levy McGarden, respectively. The two ladies are also in Fairy Tail and they seem very close to Natsu and Gajeel. As proof, Sorcerer Weekly brought you photos of the two new couples taken from reliable sources.'
Printed in vivid colours and large sizes were different… snapshots… of Natsu, Lucy, Levy and Gajeel. One depicted Gajeel carrying Levy's books at the library, another had Natsu hugging Lucy for making him a fire chicken. Even more were glaring at the girls from the next page – Levy hugging Gajeel and kissing his cheek for a book he gifted her and Lucy sticking Natsu between her breasts.
Wait a second. The last one was a fake... Or at least it wasn't what it looked like! They were on a mission and the thief was a pervert who had manipulation magic. She didn't do it of her own will.
But that really didn't matter now. What mattered was the fact that they were going to have to deal with the fallout. What made it more unbelievable was that the two Dragon Slayers were way too thick to have any idea about crushes and dating. And yet they were going to have to clean up this mess.
They are not dating.
Right?
"Lu-chan?" Levy managed to squeak out, bringing Lucy out of her mental turmoil.
"Yes, Levy-chan?" Lucy answered in a calm tone. 'Breathe, Lucy. Breathe.'
"What do the boys think about the article?" She blinked.
Pause.
"Levy-chan?"
"Yes?"
Another pause.
"You're a genius!" She jumped out of her seat.
"Well, I've been told that a few times," Levy replied with a blank face.
"If we tell the boys about it, they'll get angry, and then they'll go to the publisher and make them revoke the article. They'll put out an article about how we 'broke up' and we're all happy!"
Levy seemed unsure. "Uh, but, Lu-chan..."
"Yes?"
"I, uh... I don't really... want to do that..." She blushed even more. Lucy grinned.
"Ohoho~! Levy-chan~! You want to be with Gajeel~?"
Levy started playing with her fingers. "Ehehehehehehe..." She laughed nervously.
Suddenly, the guild doors busted open.
"Morning, Luce!" Natsu greeted loudly, making a bee-line for her. Lucy realized the magazine was still open and she quickly shoved it into Natsu's face.
"Look, Natsu! Look at this article!" He took it out of her hands and scanned the magazine.
"Well?" Lucy asked impatiently.
He hummed. "Whoa." His eyes widened.
"I know, right? We need to change that."
"But, Luce~! Wouldn't it be cool to eat a fire fruit? I bet it's delicious!"
Confusion was scrawled all over her face. "What?!" She looked at the magazine, and then wacked him over the head with it.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
"Not this page, you idiot! The other page!" She pointed to the 'Weekly Gossip' article. He read a little, then looked at the photos and turned the page. His jaw gradually fell as the information sunk in.
"Ha! Metal-head is such a pansy! Giving a flower to a girl then blushing! AHAHAHA!" He laughed boastfully, which earned him yet another thwack, courtesy of Lucy.
"That's not the point! You have to go to Jason and tell him to put another article next week about how we 'broke up' or something!" He blinked.
"Who is Jason?"
Lucy bonked his head for a third time and turned to Levy with an exasperated face.
"Let's go find Gajeel."
Eventually, the two young women (plus Natsu, who was more like dragged and Happy, who dropped a 'You llllllike each other!' bomb every once in a while) found Gajeel and Lily near the guild and explained him the situation. He snatched the magazine out of Lucy's hands and his eyes widened.
"Whoa! Salamander! Ya licked her face? Just like a dog! Gihihi!" Natsu immediately growled. Lucy blushed.
"There was ice cream on her cheek, goddammit!" Natsu tried to punch him, but Lucy intervened.
"Natsu! Stop fighting!"
He froze completely, then stepped back, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Okay, Luce!" he said, grinning.
"Whipped," Gajeel coughed out, while Levy frowned.
"Gajeel! Stop taunting Natsu!"
"Okay, okay, sheesh." It was Natsu's turn to snicker.
Two girls passed by and saw the mages having a heated discussion. They started to whisper to each other and blushed when Natsu and Gajeel heard them and looked at them. They shyly waved and tried to pose provocatively, while Levy and Lucy observed them.
"Hey, aren't those girls from Nemesis' Wing?" Lucy whispered to the bluenette. The latter nodded.
"The ones that followed us. What do we do?" She thought for a moment, and then she grinned mischievously. Levy whispered something to Lucy, as the blonde mirrored her grin.
"Got it." They silently high-fived and put their plan into action.
"Natsu~!" Lucy whined and grabbed his hand, dragging him along. "Let's go already! We're getting late!"
"Late? Where?"
"To our date, silly!" She secretly winked to him. Happy followed suit.
"They lllllike each other!"
Lucy clicked her tongue. "No, we don't, Happy. We llllove each other!" Even though she blushed, Happy seemed to believe her.
"C'mon, Sweetie," Levy said softly to Gajeel, slipping her hand into his and pulling him towards the other couple, seeming very natural. "We don't want to be left alone, do we?" She winked and his face reddened.
"Uh... Yeah, whatever..."
"You llllove each other," Lily teased. Both beet red, they followed Natsu and Lucy, holding hands, while the two Nemesis' Wing mages' jaws fell slack.
"What now, Levy-chan?" Lucy asked.
"Might as well go to drink something," Levy answered with a smile. "Why don't we go to Lorelai's Café?" The celestial mage thought a little. Wasn't that the café where they saw those girls who were sulking because-
Oh.
Oh.
Lucy smirked knowingly.
"Yeah. Good idea."
Then they started walking to the said place with the two dragon slayers behind them, holding their hands for the entire time and the Exceeds grinning above them.
"I'll have a fire whisky. What about you, Luce?" Natsu asked.
"Hm... Let's try something new. I'll have a 'Sex on the Beach'."
"I'll have one too." Levy said, closing the menu. The waitress nodded, writing everything down on a small notepad. Gajeel and Natsu snickered.
"Oh, really? Lead the way." Levy's face turned the colour of a tomato, the color clashing with her hair. But even that embarrassed, she still managed to smack Gajeel's head.
"Don't say perverted things like that!" Lucy, Natsu and the Exceeds started laughing.
"What do you say, Luce? Wanna go and join?" Lucy blushed and muttered something about perverted dragon slayers. Levy agreed.
"I'll have a kiwi juice," Lily said. He was standing on the table like Happy, being too small to stay on a chair.
"I'll have a beer." Gajeel was rubbing his head, undoubtedly from the smack he received.
"I want a fish!" Happy raised his paw to emphasize his answer.
"That's all." The waitress bowed and with a quick glance at the 'couples', she left to take the orders.
"So, about this whole ordeal-" Gajeel's sentence was cut short by a very disappointed groan from his right.
They all looked in the same direction. The girls weren't surprised at all. Right at the table beside them, the same disheartened group from that morning were all in tears – making loud noises and causing more fuss than anybody near them appreciated.
Lucy and Levy shared a victorious grin. Maybe they should keep the article after all.
BONUS
Mira grinned as she read the last sentence of 'The Weekly Gossip' article.
'Pictures by: Mirajane Strauss'
They should thank her. It's about time they started dating anyway. She grinned maliciously. She truly lived by the name 'The Demon Matchmaker'.
Thank you for reading ^_^ Please review and tell me your opinion (please be honest).
Special thanks to The Goddess of Flash, who betaread this story :)