Chapter 1
Levy and Lucy had wanted to attend Magnolia University since their freshman year of high school and were finally making it a reality. Despite the stress of moving to a new city, the girls couldn't wipe the smiles from their faces as they unloaded boxes and various furniture from the moving truck. They'd found a great place that was only a ten minute drive to school and was close to the subway, giving them easy access to all the excitement Magnolia City had to offer.
While they'd both been exceptional students, their scholarships hadn't covered much more than their tuition and books. Lucy's parents had paid their moving expenses and they'd had enough left from their scholarships and student loans to pay the deposit and first month's rent on their apartment.
"Phew!" Lucy groaned, plopping herself down on their second hand couch that was still sitting on the curb outside. The movers were currently working to get Levy's bed through the narrow entrance and up the stairs, so the girls decided to take a break while the doorway was blocked. Levy settled herself next to her best friend, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her arm.
"I know we should enjoy the warmth while we have it," Levy started, "But man, I wish it was Autumn already." Lucy nodded, taking a swig from her water bottle before passing it to Levy, who drank happily. Levy stretched and finally took the moment to enjoy her surroundings. Their place was right across from the river, the waters shining a bluish green in the August afternoon. School would start in two weeks, giving them time to settle in. Levy's smile returned to her face as she watched a few boats go by. She felt Lucy squeeze her arm and looked up to see her friend smiling too.
"We did it, Levy, we're finally here," Lucy gushed. Levy's smile never faltered.
"We'll have to find jobs soon if we wanna keep this place," she reminded her friend.
"It shouldn't be too hard. We have good references from our old jobs," Lucy said with optimism. Lucy had come from a wealthy family, but her mother and father had worked their entire lives for their fortune. They wanted Lucy to remain humble despite their wealth, enrolling her in public school, where she'd met Levy in the first grade. They'd also encouraged her to get a job to help teach her responsibility. While Levy had gotten a job out of necessity, she'd never held it against her best friend. They'd found a job together, like they did everything, working at a chain restaurant in their home town, first as hostesses before moving up to servers. The work was hard and fast paced, but they enjoyed it, and they made a lot more money waiting tables than they would making minimum wage at a retail store.
They sighed as the movers returned through the door, knowing their break was over. They returned to work, helping the two men carry in all their belongings. They finished around mid-afternoon and thanked the movers, tipping them before saying goodbye.
Levy smiled as she looked around her new bedroom across the hall from Lucy's. Her favorite part of the entire apartment was the built in bookshelves that framed her closet. They fitted the entire wall from ceiling to floor, giving her plenty of room for her collection. Half of the boxes that filled her floor were stuffed with books from every genre; science fiction, to horror, to romance. She even had text books on nearly every subject. She began unpacking her beloved library before anything else.
Levy had been working on organizing her bookshelves for nearly an hour when she heard Lucy whining from her doorway.
"Leevvvyyy-chaaaan," Lucy cried, apparently having been trying to get her attention for some time now. Levy looked up at her friend from her spot on the floor, blinking behind red framed glasses.
"What Lu-chan?" she asked, pulling her reading glasses from her face.
"Aren't you hungry? I'm starved!" Lucy exaggerated. As soon as Lucy mentioned food, Levy's stomach growled loudly. The girls burst into fits of laughter. She often got lost in concentration when it came to her books, forgetting the basic life necessities.
"Let's go downtown and look for a place to eat," Lucy suggested excitedly.
"Shouldn't we save that for tomorrow? We ought to just get something quick so we can get all of our stuff unpacked," Levy reasoned, "I don't want to live out of boxes any longer than I have to." Lucy pouted, but knew her best friend was right.
"Fiiiiine!" she said, sticking out her tongue after, "Is pizza okay? I'm sure I can find a place to order from online." Levy gave her friend a smile and nodded.
"Sounds perfect," she answered, "Let's get as much done as possible and I promise we'll go explore tomorrow." Lucy just stuck out her tongue again playfully before going to search for her laptop, leaving a chuckling Levy alone with her books again. The girls managed to finish unpacking their rooms completely that night and were exhausted for it.
"Jeez, when did it get so late?" Lucy asked with a yawn. Levy replied with a yawn of her own and shrug as she and Lucy both collapsed onto her bed.
"Lucy?" Levy asked, eyes closed, nearly passed out.
"Hmm?" was the all the reply Lucy could muster.
"Thanks for being my best friend," Levy said, smiling through her exhaustion, eyes still closed. A smile found Lucy's face too.
"I'm glad we did this together," Lucy agreed. The girls fell asleep next to each other moments later.
They spent the weekend days unpacking and organizing their furniture, and the evenings exploring their new city. They decided on Monday they would start the job search, knowing they'd have everything organized by then. Levy researched restaurants on her laptop and wrote down their name, address, and phone number in a new notebook Sunday night. Packing the notebook in her messenger bag, the girls hit the pavement Monday afternoon during the lull in the day between lunch and dinner when the restaurants wouldn't be too busy to talk to them.
They rode the subway into the city center where all the towering skyscrapers and busiest streets were. Being in the heart of the city, the restaurants here would be busiest and most profitable. An hour and a half later, Levy was pulling off her white blazer that covered her light orange blouse as the blistering heat made it unbearable. Lucy was unbuttoning the top few buttons of her baby blue dress shirt as well as they walked back towards the subway that would take them home. Levy wished she'd worn a shirt she could unbutton as well. Instead she wore a loose fitting blouse with a baby doll collar with a small bow.
"Well, no one hired us on the spot like they did back home, but we got our names out there, so maybe we'll hear back from someone soon," Lucy said, waving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to fan herself.
"We'll try the shopping district near the apartment tomorrow. We might have better luck with some of the smaller businesses," Levy said optimistically. Lucy nodded. It seemed the main issue the managers they spoke to had was that the girls came from a relatively small town that just couldn't see the amount of clientele the big city would, especially downtown. Maybe the restaurants along the outskirts would see better potential in them.
The girls let out sighs of relief as they entered the cool underground station, the air cooling several degrees as they stepped out of the blazing sun. Levy couldn't wait to be out of her slacks.
"The next one is our stop, right?" Lucy questioned, still not accustomed to the train layout. Levy sleepily looked up at the signs and nodded that it was. It wasn't until the girls walked up the stairs leading back outside that they realized they'd been wrong.
"Darn, I think we got off one too soon," Levy groaned. Lucy let out an exasperated sigh.
"Well, why don't we grab something to eat since we're over here? Going into all those restaurants and not eating has given me an appetite," Levy said as she noticed the shops and bistros around them, something in the air smelling particularly good.
"How about that one there on the corner?" Lucy said, pointing to a place with an outside patio and welcoming open double doors. A pretty woman with long white blonde hair partially held back with a ribbon was just outside sweeping the front walkway. Levy agreed and the girls perked up at the prospect of good food and drinks.
Fairy Tail Bistro, Levy read the sign to herself, What an odd name. Lucy suddenly gripped her arm roughly and inhaled sharply, stopping Levy in her tracks.
"Look, Levy-chan!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing to the sign in the establishment's window.
NOW HIRING EXPERIENCED SERVERS. INQUIRE WITHIN. The sign read in large black letters. Levy quickly pulled her blazer back on as Lucy buttoned her blouse and smoothed it down, returning themselves to business appropriate states.
The girls made the rest of the way to the restaurant. The woman outside turned as they approached, a huge smile splayed on her face, lighting up her bright blue eyes.
"Good afternoon!" she beamed sweetly, "Table for two?" The girls couldn't help but smile back.
"Well, actually, we saw the sign in your window," Levy started.
"Are you still looking for servers?" Lucy asked. The girl gasped happily and clapped her hands together excitedly, holding the broom in the crook of her arm.
"Yes we are!" she said with enthusiasm and extender out her hand to them, "I'm Mirajane," The girls took turns shaking hands and introducing themselves.
"Come in! Come in! Makarov will be happy to interview you, he's the owner," she told them, waving them into the quaint eatery. Compared to the restaurants they saw earlier in the day, it was a bit small, but the place was very clean and homey. The tables were a light wood with matching chairs and each had a little vase with white flowers in them next to small blue salt and pepper shakers. Blue see-through valences topped all the windows and there was one over the doorway that led to the patio seating area as well.
The reception area was bright and welcoming, with light woods and comfortable looking booths along the sides for when the restaurant went on a wait. To the left of the waiting area was a good sized cocktail area with a large rectangular bar made of the same pale yellow wood as the tables in the center, high tops outlining the area. A petite young girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen, but wasn't much shorter than Levy, stood behind the host podium wearing a pale green dress that went to her knees, white stockings, and a white wrap hanging from her shoulders. Her long, dark blue hair was pulled up into pigtails on either side of her head with green flower barrettes that matched her dress. She smiled brightly at Mirajane and the girls following in behind her.
"Can I get you a table, ladies?" she asked them sweetly.
"They're here to apply, Wendy. This is Levy and Lucy," Mirajane told her, pointing to each girl as she said their name.
"If it's okay, we wouldn't mind eating here after the interview," Levy told her.
"Oh, of course!" Wendy said warmly. "You'll love the food here," she assured them with a smile that touched her brown eyes.
They continued to follow Mirajane past the host stand, waving to Wendy as they went.
There was a line of booths behind the reception area with dark blue seats that nearly matched Wendy's hair. Only a few of them were occupied with guests, eating late lunches or early dinners, depending on who you asked. A handsome man with dark blue eyes and black spiky hair stood at one of the tables holding a notepad and jotting into it as the couple told him their order. His smile was a light one, but still friendly. Levy took note of his casual uniform, consisting of a navy blue tee with the restaurants name printed on the right breast that was tucked into dark wash jeans that were only a shade darker than his shirt. A strange feathery looking symbol donned the back of the shirt. A small black apron was tied around his waist, hanging slightly off his hips.
Levy and Lucy both smiled to themselves remembering the stuffy slacks and tight button up shirts they'd had to wear at their previous job. Levy looked over Mirajane too, who wore the same shirt but in maroon instead of navy with a pair of dark jean shorts. She lacked the apron though.
"The uniform shirts come in several colors, so we probably have your favorite," Mirajane said with a smile, noticing the girls looking, as they turned a corner towards the open kitchen, only separated from the dining area by a large glass pane. Only one man seemed to be running the kitchen at the time. He was about the same height and build as the waiter they saw before, but with pink spiky hair sticking out from under his chef's hat and a cheerful smile on his face as he bustled about the kitchen.
"Wow, the kitchen is really nice," Lucy commented, as she gave the cute chef a once over.
"Open kitchens are popular these days, but we've had it like this since we first opened fifty years ago," Mirajane explained.
"Wow, you've been open that long?" Levy asked with interest. Mirajane nodded with a smile.
"We remodeled just a couple years ago. That's why everything looks so new," she explained. "Sit, wait here. I'll go get the owner," she told them, waving towards a booth right next to the kitchen.
"Do you want waters while you wait for him?" she asked. The girls both nodded, and with that Mirajane rounded the corner.
"This is perfect!" Lucy squealed in a whisper as her and Levy sat next to each other in the booth so that their interviewer would be able to sit across from them.
"Yeah! It's really close to home," Levy agreed, "And the place is so cute!"
"Here you are, girls," Mirajane said coming back around the corner, setting napkins down first and then placing their waters on top of them, "Makarov will be with you shortly." The girls sipped their waters to refresh themselves in silence as they waited patiently. It wasn't long before a short, elderly man rounded the corner with a balding head but a bright smile as he looked them over. He had wisps of white hair growing only on the sides of his head. A white bushy mustache adorned him as if to make up for the lack of hair on his head. His eyes were dark but friendly. They returned his smile as he sat in the booth across from them.
"Hello, girls, it's nice to meet you. My name is Makarov Dreyar, the owner and manager of Fairy Tail Bistro," he introduced himself, "What are your names?" Lucy pipped up first.
"I'm Lucy Heartfilia," she said, returning his friendly smile. Levy mirrored her, introducing herself as well.
"Why don't we start by you telling me about yourselves first, and then I'll tell you more about the bistro, hm?" he suggested, his smile never faltering. Levy started first this time.
"We just moved here from Onibus Town last week. We'll be attending Magnolia University in a few weeks," she began.
"Ah, youngsters trying to make it in the big city, huh?" he commented, and Lucy and Levy nodded.
"We had visited Magnolia City a few times with our parents, and just loved it here," Lucy explained.
"We worked at a restaurant back home for the last two years," Levy then told him. Makarov gave an approving nod.
"And we graduated last year with honors," Lucy added, "We'll have classes through the week, so we're looking to work part time."
"That will be just fine. Most of the youngsters here are in school, too. Little Wendy up at the door is still in high school actually, so that shouldn't be a problem," Makarov told them.
"At this other restaurant, what was your job there?" he asked.
"We were servers," Levy began. "We started when we were sixteen as hosts, but moved up within six months since we proved ourselves responsible and qualified," she boasted.
"Servers at only sixteen?" Makarov seemed skeptical, "Most are eighteen before they are able because of alcohol laws." He crossed his arms over his chest, turning a bit more serious.
"It was a twenty-four hour diner that mostly served breakfast items," Lucy explained.
"So there was no alcohol to serve," Levy added.
"Well, we do serve it here," he said, nodding his head towards their bar. "Do you know the laws on serving minors?" he questioned, to which the girls nodded.
"Yes, we know to check ids for those who appear under the age of thirty," Levy assured him. He unfolded his arms from his chest and began to brush his fingers through his mustache thoughtfully.
"How large were your sections at the diner?" he then asked.
"Five, sometimes six tables," Lucy answered simply. Makarov continued to brush his mustache for a few moments, making the girls nervous.
"Well you seem perfectly experienced," he finally said, after a few more questions. The girls gave sighs of relief and smiled back with a touch of laughter.
"You both seem like nice girls, I'm going to give you the job," he grinned. The girls gasped happily and clapped their hands together.
"Thank you!" they said in near unison.
"Let me tell you a bit about the place," he then said, holding up his finger.
"My good friend opened Fairy Tail Bistro fifty years ago. Sadly, my dear Mavis is no longer with us, but I had been her business partner since the beginning and kept the place going in her stead," he started.
"I run a tight, clean ship, and I expect everyone to pull their weight," he told them, to which they nodded with serious expressions.
"We're open from eleven in the morning till ten at night Monday through Thursday, and close at eleven on Friday and Saturday. We're closed on Sundays," he explained, which brought sparkles of delight to the girls' eyes. Having Sundays off was a huge bonus.
He told them to wait and brought back several forms for them to fill out so he could get them into the computer system.
"Can you start training tomorrow?" he asked, and they both gave excited nods. It was perfect since they wanted to be acclimated in their new job before school began.
"Excellent. I'll have Erza work out a training schedule tonight. Mirajane will do a class with you about the food and protocol. Erza will set you up in the evening with servers to follow so you can get some hands on training," he explained, "Be here tomorrow at three for the class. Give Mirajane that paperwork before you leave."
"Yes, sir," the girls said together and giving him a salute. The old man chuckled.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail Bistro, ladies," he said before walking away towards the kitchen. The girls gathered up the paperwork and headed to the front of the restaurant so they could ask Wendy for a table so they could eat while they filled out their information.
Mirajane called them over to the bar before they could talk to the small hostess. She set down the wine glasses she was polishing as the girls came over to her.
"How'd it go?" she asked with excitement.
"We got the job!" Lucy squealed. "We start tomorrow," Levy explained happily.
"Awesome! Welcome to the team, girls!" Mirajane said with a small bounce. "We've been a little under staffed the last few weeks and it's made everyone a little grumpy," she confessed, "With you two here things should get back to normal." The girls gave small smiles in return.
"We're excited to get started," Lucy told her.
"Did you two want to eat? You can sit here with me at the bar, or you can see Wendy if you prefer a booth," she suggested. The girls shrugged, not having a preference, and sat down at the bar with the perky blonde. Levy removed her blazer once more, hanging it over the back of the chair, happy to have her arms bare, as Lucy loosened her dress shirt a button and rolled up her sleeves a bit as well.
"What do you want to drink, girls?" she asked as she handed them menus, "You aren't in uniform just yet so you're welcome to the cocktails," she told them with a wink.
"Sure, why not?" Lucy said with a grin.
Levy agreed, ordering their favorite drinks. They weren't experienced drinkers, only having turned eighteen over the summer, but both liked sweet drinks that weren't too harsh.
They looked over the menus as Mirajane prepared their drinks. They found it filled with a variety of salads and gourmet sandwiches, along with some pizzas, pasta dishes, and steaks.
"Decide on what to eat?" Mirajane asked after bringing their drinks.
"Wow, there's a lot that sounds good," Levy said, a little overwhelmed. Lucy nodded in agreement.
"Well, you can't really make a wrong choice. What are you in the mood for?" the pretty barkeep asked.
"I'm thinking a sandwich," Lucy told her, and Levy answered with the same.
"My favorites are the French dip and the goat cheese panini, if that helps," she suggested. The girls looked over the descriptions of Mirajane's choices and decided to get one of each so they could share and try both.
"Excellent," Mirajane said and punched their order into the computer next to her, sending a ticket to the man in the kitchen. The girls worked on their paperwork as they waited for their meal, as Mirajane went back to straightening up her bar before the dinner rush could begin.
Once they finished, they handed the papers to Mirajane as Makarov had told them and she took them to the back. While she was gone, the server they saw early walked up to them with a crooked smile.
"So you two were just hired, huh?" he asked, the girls gave their own smiles and nodded.
"I'm Gray," he introduced himself, and offered his hand to Levy first, who told him her name. He released her hand before extending it to Lucy next, his eyes far more fixed on the blonde than the blunette.
"Lucy," she said, taking his hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Lucy," he said, his hand lingering on hers, causing a blush to rise to her cheeks.
"GRAY-SAMA!" a load shriek erupted from the back of the restaurant. Lucy pulled her hand from Gray's as the girls turned towards the hall the led from the bar to the kitchen. Standing in the archway was a voluptuous girl with blue hair cropped in a short bob and dark blue eyes that were currently seething with jealousy. She wore a baby blue version of the Fairy Tail Bistro tee and dark skinny jeans that showed off the curves of her hips, the short black apron covering her lap.
"Uh, who's that?" Lucy asked nervously.
Gray cleared his throat audibly.
"That's Juvia, she's another server here," he said as he scratched the back of his head. The girl started to make her way towards them.
"Whoops, gotta go, uh, check on my tables!" he blurted before bolting back towards the dining area. Levy and Lucy exchanged nervous looks as Juvia stopped in her tracks and started the other way towards where Gray went.
"Looks like you've met Juvia and Gray," Mirajane said with a chuckle as she returned to the bar.
"Um, what's up with them?" Levy asked.
"Juvia has been head over heels for him since she started working here," Mirajane explained. Lucy made a nod of understanding.
"I'm not sure if Gray likes her back though, he seems to avoid her mostly," she continued, "But that doesn't stop Juvia from getting jealous when he talks to other girls."
"Ah, that explains it," Lucy said with a giggle.
"What color shirts do you girls want?" Mirajane asked them.
"Do you have pink?" Lucy asked, to which she received a nod.
"Orange?" Levy asked. Another nod. The girls both smiled.
"Let's see, extra small for you," she said, pointing towards Levy. "And probably a medium for you on account of that bust," she said to Lucy with a wink. Both girls flushed pink as they folded their arms over their chests for opposite reasons.
Mira brought them two shirts each, which of course were the right sizes, and not long after brought their sandwiches, which were delicious. The girls ordered another round of drinks as they enjoyed their meal and began to unwind again. The dinner crowd was beginning to arrive as they ate, as well as more of their soon to be coworkers. Mirajane introduced them to Cana, another busty barkeep with pretty brown hair and sun kissed skin, who was working the cocktail area that night.
Levy was feeling slightly tipsy after just two of Mira's strong cocktails and was giddily swinging her legs lightly from her perch on the high bar stool, her feet not quite reaching the bar between the chair's legs.
"I'll be right back, Lu-chan. Gotta go to the lady's room," she told her friend before jumping down from the chair. She wobbled slightly, much to Lucy's amusement.
"Just don't get lost, drunky," Lucy teased, and received Levy's tongue stuck out at her for it. Mirajane laughed at their antics before telling Levy the direction to the restrooms, which were on the other side of the restaurant. She happily walked through the dining room towards the back as people enjoyed their meals at the tables and servers bustled around her. She was so enraptured in her happiness that she didn't notice she was walking behind a busser as he finished clearing a table.
He lifted his bus tub full of dishes and stepped back just in time to slam right into Levy, knocking her off her equilibrium and sending her flat on her butt.
"Watch it, shrimp," a gruff, deep voice said. She looked up to see a dark figure towering over her. Levy's heart raced, taking in his piercings, jet black hair, and menacing red eyes that were glaring down at her. She shook her head and glared up at him right back as she got back on her feet, coming up to only his chest, but glaring all the same.
"You don't have to be so rude!" she exclaimed, standing her ground and refusing to let him intimidate her.
"Ho, oh, Shorty's got spunk," he chuckled at her, his glare turning into a cocky grin, which only fueled Levy's anger more.
"Gajeel!" Levy turned to see Mirajane. The blonde's cheerful demeanor had vanished and had turned dark as she shoved her finger into the tall, muscled man's chest.
"Don't talk to people like that!" she scolded him, as if not for the first time. He grunted in response.
"Boss already said she's gonna work here, not like she was a customer or something," he growled out with a roll of his eyes. Mirajane's eyes narrowed at him.
"It doesn't matter! Mind your manners, or else," Mirajane pushed the sharp spiraled wine key in her other hand under his chin, causing him to gulp audibly. Levy shivered at the 'or else.' Who knew the seemingly peppy woman could be so scary? Gajeel backed off then, growling to himself as he walked off with the bus tub towards the kitchen. Mira's soft demeanor returned as soon as he was gone.
"What's his problem?" Levy asked sourly as she watched him walk away.
"Don't take it personal, he's always had an attitude problem. He's not so bad once you get to know him," Mirajane told her as she watched him disappear around a corner.
"Bathroom is just around that corner there," Mira told her pointing. Levy blinked rapidly, nearly forgetting why she'd gotten up in the first place.
"Oh, right! Thanks, Mirajane," she said and waved to the white haired woman before rushing off to the restroom.
She found her way back to Lucy and caught Cana sneaking a shot of liquor while Mira was away. She winked at her new coworkers and held her finger over her lips. The girls giggled nervously and shrugged.
"I think we're going to have some really interesting coworkers," Lucy said.
"You don't know the half of it," Levy replied.