A Fairy Tail Fanfic: A Mate's Spell.
Chapter 1: Keys, Books and Brains.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its wonderful characters, I only own the rights to this story.
Thanks to my sister (fairytailsbluepanda) for encouraging me to write this story.
Warning: Although this story is rated T there will be scenes later on that are boarder M. Not for naughty stuff, just nudity and a slightly torturous scene... I won't go into detail or anything, I just thought I should warn you guys.
Happy Reading!~
The two mages were sat in a booth in the middle of the guild, all around them were fellow magicians and noise, commotion and laughter – another day at Fairy Tail.
"He's late," grumbled the short, hazel-eyed teen. Her gaze was locked on the large guild doors which sat open, revealing the street outside. Her blue hair was pulled back from her face just as it always was but she'd gone to the trouble of wearing a new outfit which consisted of a blue, short sleeves shirt with orange trimming and a black skirt, held up by a thick black belt. Her dear friend, Lucy, had helped her to pick it out in the hopes of catching a certain person's eye.
"Don't worry," Lucy smiled as she ran her right hand through her blonde locks, exposing her pink Fairy Tail insignia to the world. "I'm sure he's coming, Natsu promised he'd bring him at noon and it's only just turned twelve now."
The Celestial Spirit mage's eyes always lit up at his name – Natsu. The two had been dating for a number of month since the whole fiasco with the Dragons and the Grand Magic Games, and she had now made it her mission to assist Levy in her love-life. She was grateful for the help, alone Levy was sure to chicken out of ever making a move, and she was glad to see her best friend so happy, although, that didn't stop her from being envious.
With a nod, Levy took another sip of her drink before resting the mug back on the wooden table. Just as she did a familiar blue Exceed shot into the hall, his white wings fully extended as he drifted down and landed on the table. "Happy!" Lucy exclaimed with a bright smile. "Are they coming?"
"Aye!" Grinned the feline, his eyes shifting from Lucy to Levy. "Natsu is bringing Gajeel, just like you asked!"
The Script Mage couldn't contain the gentle blush that captivated her cheeks. "Th-thank you, Happy." She spoke in a whisper as her gaze fell to her knees where her hands lay. "I'll thank Natsu, too."
With a small step, Happy turned back to Lucy, his grin shifting to a sly smirk. "She liiiiiikes him," the word rolled of his tongue with a smug satisfaction. Levy didn't protest, though her face did grow redder, and Lucy simply smiled knowingly.
Not much time passed before the two Dragon Slayers stood in the doorway with Lily floating above their heads. Lucy turned and waved to her boyfriend, beckoning him to come over. Once her caught sight of the busty mage his face broke out into a grin and he ran over, yelling at Gajeel to follow. The pink haired teen quickly darted into the booth opposite Levy and landed a happy kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. The two grinned at each other before locking hands and Lucy whispered her thanks in Natsu's ear.
Lily was next to join the gang as he landed on the table with a fluttering grace. "Levy," his voice was deep but smooth, caring thick in his tone. She looked up at his adorable, rounded face and smiled. That seemed to satisfy the black Exceed as he padded over to Happy who had whipped out a fish and begun munching on it contently.
"Hey, Shrimp, move over."
Levy jumped slightly as she looked up to see the tall, muscular man who sent her heart racing frantically. Without a word she shuffled over, giving the Dragon Slayer as much room as he needed to sit down comfortably. Silence quickly fell between the two and she couldn't help but fidget under its awkward weight. "So," she said, glad her voice wasn't as shaky as she'd thought it would be, "you went on a job, huh? How'd it go?" The question reminded her of another thing – she was supposed to be angry at him for going without her!
Gajeel shrugged as he looked around for Mira, wishing to make an order. "It was fine, boring really, but it helped pay the rent."
"You could have let me go with you, I'd of let you keep the money." She spoke smoothly and could feel the discomfort leaving the atmosphere as things settled into their natural flow.
"Eh," he simply shrugged again. "I'll let you tag along on the next one. You probably need to pay rent for your room in that Fairy Hills place, right?"
Levy nodded, "Yeah, I do."
"I have an idea!" Lucy beamed, breaking off from her and Natsu's love-dovey exchange of words. "Why don't we all do a job together? Just the four of us! I need some rent money, too, so it works out."
The Script Mage smiled to her friend, it wasn't what she'd had in mind but it was a good idea. "Yeah," she beamed. "What do you say, Gajeel?"
The two Dragon Slayers exchanged a glare which expressed their displeasure at the thoughts of teaming up. "Why should I team up with Salamander?"
Levy quickly cut in before Natsu could start a brawl, "Hey! That's not nice, it'll be fun to go with them. I've never gone on a job with Lucy before."
"Then go on a job with her, you don't need to drag us alone," the Iron Dragon grumbled, his head fully turned away as he waved to Mira.
Levy glared at him for several minutes, her eyes locked on the back of his head. When he showed no sign of taking it back she huffed, standing to her feet with a stomp before gliding out from behind the table and grabbing her friend's wrist. "Fine, I will! Let's go, Lucy."
"Wait, what? O-okay…"
The teen could feel the gaze of her friend on her back as she pulled her over to the request board, along with the eyes of Natsu, Happy and Lily as they watched the two girls walk away from the table.
"Wow, you're a real jerk, you know that, Metal-head?" Natsu said in a flat tone as he rested his chin in his palm. His black eyes were focused solely on the back of his beloved Lucy.
Gajeel's head snapped around, his glare sharp as he slapped his hands against the table. "What did you say?"
"I said you're a jerk."
Before the Iron Dragon could begin a fight with the Flame-brain he was interrupted by his Exceed companion who stood in front of him. "Gajeel, I do believe Levy wished to go on a job with you."
The Dragon's eyes fell to the black cat, his anger soothing ever so slightly as Natsu fell from his vision. "So? She seemed happy enough to go on a mission with the Cheerleader."
"Yeah," Natsu cut in, "and now I have to spend God-knows how long away from my Lucy! Jerk!"
A low growl emitted from Gajeel's lips, "You weren't exactly jumping at the chance to take the mission." The two butted heads and Lily sighed, quickly retreating as he allowed the two Dragons to fight it out.
Lucy looked to her friend who stared at the request board with such intensity that her brows furrowed until they almost touched. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes!" Levy snapped as she grabbed a sheet of paper from the board. "Let's do this one and show them we don't need those guys!"
The blonde teen hesitated a moment from taking the request from her friend and quickly scanned its content. Her eyes narrowed on the reward which was for 150,000 jewels! Lucy's eyes widened for a moment, a rush of excitement running through her. Split two ways that was 75thousand each and would easily cover her rent. However she forced herself to remain calm and continued to read the rest of the details. It was a simple request to save a village from a group of bandits and thieves that had been plaguing them for some time. "I'm not sure," she pondered out loud. "I've never done this kind of job without Natsu, Gray and Erza with me. Are you sure we can take on a big group of bandits by ourselves?"
Levy nodded, a spark of determination in her eyes. Even though she didn't say it out loud, Levy was wondering if they should ask someone to join them. Her first thought was for Erza but she'd already left several days before on an S-class job in order to cover her many hundred thousand jewels of rent. "We just have to be tactical!"
She could see the doubt thick in Lucy's expression so she took a step closer, resting her hands on Lucy's shoulders as she spoke. "We can do this, Lucy. Don't you want to prove you're a capable mage?" She knew the tactic was a little underhanded and played to Lucy's desire to prove she was strong without Natsu by her side, but it was true. It would yet again prove that the two girls could hold their own against any foe.
"Alright!" Lucy nodded her agreement as she handed back the request. "But is it okay for you? It's only seventy-five each, isn't your rent one hundred?"
Levy smiled as she took the paper and walked over to the bar, preparing to inform Mira that they'd decided on a job. "Yeah, it's fine. I have most of it already, I just need an extra twenty to make it. It'll give me some breathing room for next month, too."
"I should say," Lucy's tone had softened and sounded a little more at ease as she followed Levy over to the bar. "Fifty-five jewels will be plenty to live on as long as you don't spend it all on books."
The two laughed happily as Mira walked over to them, her gentle smile ever present on her face. "Hello, you two. Not going with Gajeel or Natsu?"
It was Levy who chose to reply as her eyes darted over to the table where the four of them had sat not long before. There was no peace any more as the two Dragons had begun a brawl. "Not this time, we're going to do it all on our own."
"Good for you," she took the slip of paper from them and gave it a quick look over before handing it back and nodding her consent. "Take care."
"We will!" The two said together before heading towards the door as Levy tucked the request away in her belt. "Hey, Lucy, why don't we get ourselves ready and then meet back here? I'm sure you want to say goodbye to Natsu before you go."
The blonde nodded her thanks before heading off towards her apartment while Levy waved and went in the opposite direction, towards Fairy Hills.
"He didn't even notice, stupid Gajeel!" Levy puffed as she let her skirt fall to the floor, quickly followed by her shirt. Left in just her underwear, the small girl walked over to her mirror. The glass was tall and allowed her to see her full body, the frame was simple wood but she'd added decorative doodles on it over the years so it held a certain charm about it.
She examined herself thoroughly, from her wavy blue hair all the way down to her toes. Levy's eyes trailed over her frustratingly small bust and curved hips, before she turned and stared proudly at the white Fairy Tail mark on her left shoulder blade. "Am I so repulsive he can't even look at me? Do I hold no appeal for him…?" With a sigh she shook her head and stepped back over to the bed where her orange dress was laid out. She quickly pulled it on, hooking the white fabric around her neck and zipping it up at the back before she pulled on her matching arm bands, enjoying the tickle of her wrists as the fabric brushed against her skin. In one swift movement she scooped up her bag and flung it over her head, resting the strap on her shoulder before returning to the mirror where she stood, hands on hips, legs open slightly, staring at herself in triumph. "Forget him! I don't need him to go on a mission, I was a capable mage before he came and I still am one now. So what if he doesn't look at me romantically? Life isn't one of my novels… it's fine! I don't need that idiot." She told herself aloud, attempting to raise her spirits and force away all her bad thoughts.
With herself feeling ready to take on the mission she headed out of the apartment, sliding her flat, red sandals on before heading down the hallway and exited the door as quickly as she could. The day was bright, the sun high and the sky a beautiful shade of blue, there were few clouds about and the air was filled with tangible warmth which helped to strengthen the Script Mage as she headed back towards the Guild Hall, following the winding path down the hill.
The walk didn't take more than fifteen minutes but Levy didn't rush, taking one step at a time as she enjoyed the summer day. When she arrived back at the Guild there was almost no difference than when she'd left. Gray sat with Cana, chatting about various things at the bar while Juvia hid behind a nearby pillar, staring intensely at her precious Gray-sama. Natsu was sat at a nearby booth with Lucy by his side and Happy sat on the table. He had his arm draped around her shoulders as he grinned like a completely love-sick Dragon. Mira was walking back and forth between her two siblings – who sat with Wendy and Carla – and various other members who called out to her.
Levy's eyes naturally found their way over to the Iron Dragon who sat in the right hand corner, a bored and disgruntled look on his face as he stared into space. Lily was with him, drinking out of a small cup as the two exchanged polite conversation.
A gentle breeze blew into the hall from behind the blue haired teen, it carried her scent over to the Iron Dragon. His nose twitched as he trailed off mid-sentence, sucking in the fresh yet slightly musty scent of Levy McGarden. She smelled of spring thanks to her shampoo but her natural scent was that of books, the old smell which lingered in a library - neither an unpleasant smell nor a particularly thick one. It was gentle to the nostrils, warm and familiar as Gajeel inhaled it, his eyes drifting over to the entrance where the shrimp stood.
She held his gaze for a moment but as a smirk snaked onto his face she snapped her eyes away and started off to her partner who sat with her boyfriend - Salamander.
"Humph," Gajeel grumbled as he slouched back, an immature pout held his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Stupid Shrimp, does she think she has something to prove or what!? I thought she was smart..."
"Gajeel," Lily set his cup down and looked at the Dragon sternly. "Could it be you hold special feelings toward Levy?"
"What!?" He snapped, pink flushing his cheeks as he bolted up right. "Wh-what the heck are you talking about!?"
"Levy-chan!" Jet and Droy's voices cut through the air and captivated Gajeel's attention as they stared at the Script Mage. "Why didn't you tell us you're going in a mission? Please take us with you... For the sake of Team Shadow Gear!" Their voices sparked annoyance in the Dragon as he watched them fawn over the Shrimp.
"Levy-chan," Droy pleaded, "why would you take such a job on your own?"
"I'm not taking it on my own, Lu-chan will be with me!" She retorted.
Gajeel's eyes remained transfixed on the scene as he pondered aloud, "What kind of job are they taking?"
Lily followed his gaze before smiling gently and taking another sip of his drink before replying. "I heard they took the bandit job - the one for 150,000 jewels."
"What!?" Gajeel yelled as his focus turned on the Exceed. "There's no way the Princess and the Shrimp can take on such a dangerous job!"
Lily continued to smile even under the Iron Dragon's gaze. "I don't think it wise to underestimate those two."
"Pfft, whatever... It's not like I even care..." Uncomfortably he rested back in his seat, forcing his red eyes to remain away from the girls as he fixated his gaze on a knot in the wood of the table. He followed the spiralling lines, unwilling to look up – as if that would be admitting something he thought best to hide.
"Jet, Droy!" Levy's voice was annoyed but spoke without anger as she smiled at her fellow members of Team Shadow Gear. "It's alright, me and Lu-chan will be find, please don't worry." With a sweet and gentle smile on her lush lips she turned her gaze to her best friend and current partner. "Are you ready?"
Lucy looked at the three and giggled lightly before nodding. With red cheeks she turned and shared a tender kiss with Natsu before standing up and clasping her hand around the handle of her trolley bag. "We'll be back in about a week, okay?"
The Fire Dragon Slayer nodded sadly, a pout clearly defining his features as his eyes followed the blonde teen. "See ya, Luc. I love you."
With an apologetic smile she bent over and gave him another quick kiss before straightening up, "I love you, too. Take care of him, Happy."
"Aye sir!"
Levy had lost focus as her eyes drifting over to the corner where Gajeel sat. She silently cursed herself but found it impossible to look away. He was wearing the bandana she'd given him around his forehead helping to hold back his mane of black hair. Her hazel eyes followed his locks down his back, enjoying the subtle wave and strong flicks as some broke away over his shoulder. He was wearing the same outfit as he always did, exposing his muscular and scarred arms to the world. Her eyes took a moment to rest on each and every one of his iron piercings before she noticed intoxicating red eyes were glued to the table.
"Are you ready?" Lucy's voice pulled her attention back, withdrawing herself from the trance he'd caused.
Levy smiled and nodded, taking hold of the blonde's arm and leading her out of the hall. "Bye bye!" She waved and Lucy quickly copied as everyone – apart from Gajeel – waved to them, even Gray and a very drunk Cana. However just as the hazel eyed Script Mage released her friend's wrist she was startled by the sudden appearance of the scared Exceed. "Lily!" She gasped as he landed in front of them.
"Levy, please do not go on this job without a clear head." His voice was soothing but Levy thought there was a sound of annoyance to it as if he wished he wasn't there – which he did. Pantherlily wished it were Gajeel saying this and not himself. "Might I accompany you?"
Lucy looked at her friend expectantly and watched carefully as she bent down and picked up the feline. "Lily, thank you, but I need to do this, okay? We can take care of ourselves." The Celestial Spirit Mage eyed her friend carefully, unsure of what she meant.
Does she think she has to prove herself to Gajeel? ... And instantly she knew she was right. This was Levy's way of showing the Iron Dragon Slayer she was just as capable of going on a job without him, as he was without her. And with that in mind Lucy found herself filled with confidence, not in herself but in Levy. "Yeah, we'll be fine! Us Fairy Tail girls are stronger than we look."
"Right," Levy looked over her shoulder at Lu-chan and smiled, gratefulness thick in her hazel eyes. She quickly mouthed two words; thank you, before turning back to Lily and giving his small form a hug. "We'll be back as soon as we can, don't worry!" And with that said she set down the Exceed, straightened up, and then began walking alongside her partner and friend, heading towards Clover Town.
A/N: I'm sure you're thinking, "Not another story!" but I really can't help myself... It's an addiction or something. I won't be prolonging it, though, I hope I don't cut it too short, either. It's just a small story, I was going to do it as a one-shot but it seemed MEGA long so I divided it up. I'm sorry if I fail to stick to characters, I do try but... We all fail at that sometimes~
If there are any sections you feel I should expand upon or would like more detail about - please do tell me! I'll try and improve the work. I know I don't go all big on detail in this particular fanfic but I was more attempting to get the story done rather than giving myself another one to work on. If anybody wants me to then I guess I might come back at some point and expand upon this short story, if not I'll probably just leave it as it is~
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER, MORE SHALL BE WITH YOU SHORTLY.
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