Hey guys! So, it's the Festival of Two Stars, Magnolia's Valentine. In this chapter, Gajeel asks Levy on a date as as way to thank her, and Lucy follows to make sure everything goes well, with Natsu posing as her date as a cover. Meanwhile, Elfman manages to ask Ever to be his date. Happy also makes a last ditch effort to impress Carla, and Gray is encouraged to give a response to Juvia's feelings. Lots of pairings, even more fluff. Hope you enjoy it!
"Hey, Shrimp" Gajeel called, crouching down beside Levy, who was sat reading on a table. Levy sighed, wondering when Gajeel would decide to start calling her by her actual name.
"What is it, Gajeel?" she asked, not looking up from her book.
"About that underwater kiss during that last fight" he grinned at her. Levy's head shot up from her book, and her face went from pale to red In a matter of seconds. It amused Gajeel to watch.
"T-that was just to save you" she told him defensively.
"That's my point" Gajeel said, "Much as I'd hate to admit it, that fish bastard would've had me if you hadn't been there"
Levy stared at him. Where was all this coming from? "You've already thanked me" she pointed out, remembering with a smile the terrible song he had sang (or tried to sing) to her, "So, it's fine"
"Nah" Gajeel disagreed, "Look, a thank you and one great song ain't enough for saving someone's life."
Levy furrowed her brows, confused, "It's really alright, I only did what anyone in the guild would've done"
"I freaking hope not. Like hell I'd want Salamander kissing me. Think I'd rather have drowned" Gajeel shuddered. Levy couldn't help laughing at his obvious discomfort. "Anyway" Gajeel continued, "I ain't so good at this "thank you" stuff, so I asked the blonde with the boobs what a good way to thank you would be"
Levy was curious now, "You asked Lucy? What did she say?"
"She said I should buy you food sometime" Gajeel said, placing a hand on his chin as if trying to remember, "And that it should be someplace nice. She kinda seemed a little smug about it too"
Levy glanced around the guildhall, searching for Lucy. She found her sitting opposite Natsu on a table, glancing at her and Gajeel at regular intervals. Levy glared at her, and Lucy gave up on trying to be subtle and sent her a smile. Suddenly Levy remembered Gajeel was next to her. And at the understanding of her current situation, she blushed furiously, "Y-Y-you don't need t-to do that" she stammered, her brain forgetting how to properly process speech.
"Nah, I don't mind" Gajeel shrugged, "I like food and you ain't too bad. So, you gonna let me thank you properly or what?" he finished with a confident grin.
"F-fine" Levy told him, her blush burning her face, "Then w-what about this weekend?" she suggested.
"Sounds good to me. It's that Two Star Festival right? Let's go Saturday" he said, before adding in a louder voice, "I've got plans to kick Salamander's ass on Sunday"
There was the screech of chair legs on the floor as Natsu shot up from his seat, and glared at Gajeel, "Gajeel, what were you saying, you bastard?" he snarled.
Gajeel grinned, and nodded down at Levy "I've gotta go, I'm gonna provoke salamander into a warm up match tomorrow too. But we'll do the thing on Saturday" he confirmed, walking towards Natsu.
The next day, Levy found Lucy sitting at a table in the guild, drinking soda from a glass. Levy sat down opposite her and sent her a death glare.
Lucy laughed nervously, "OK, so maybe I meddled a little"
"What were you thinking?" Levy demanded, leaning forward.
"That a guy like Gajeel wouldn't make a move" Lucy explained in hushed tones, "You've got a chance here, Levy!" she whispered enthusiastically, "Wear something knockout on this date, turn on the charm and you'll definitely win him over"
"What makes you think I want to-" Levy began, but stopped when she saw Lucy raise her eyebrows. It was pointless to lie. Somewhere along the way of their adventures, she had fallen for Gajeel. She had tried to deny it, but she might have well have been trying to stop the fall of an avalanche. There was no stopping it. And now here she was. Set to go on a date with the rugged dragon slayer. Which brought up another issue.
"I don't know how to "turn on the charm" she told Lucy, slightly panicked, "How are you even supposed to act on dates?" She asked helplessly.
"Don't worry" Lucy said, her eyes blazing with confidence. "I'll be your dating coach"
"Roar of the fire dragon!" Natsu shouted, blowing the stream of searing flames towards Gajeel. Gajeel leaped in the air and dodged.
"Ice make, hammer!" Came the yell from Natsu's left. Gray grinned as the enormous ice hammer was seconds away from crushing Natsu.
Natsu scowled, "Wing slash of the fire dragon" he yelled, slicing the ice hammer into pieces.
Gajeel landed and each of them regained their footing, grinning at each other.
"Roar of the Fire dragon!"
"Roar of the Iron dragon!"
"Ice make, Eagles!"
The combination of the ice, iron and fire magic attacks exploded as they met, knocking each of the fighters back, drained of their magic power.
"That one was definitely my win" Gray told them, breathing heavily and staggering to his feet.
"The hell? Anyone with eyes could see I won that!" Natsu argued, rising slowly from the ground and brushing dirt from his facce.
"Whatever" Gajeel groaned as they walked towards each other, "Let's get some food...and I was obviously the winner!"
Ten minutes later they were sat on a large rock in the forest, eating their lunches and staring at the massive crater their training session had made in the ground.
"Think we'll get in trouble for that?" Natsu asked casually.
"Hmph. If anyone asks, I'm telling them you did it on your own" Gray told him, "By the way, where's Happy and Lily?" he asked, noticing the absence of the two exceeds.
"Lily said something about a sparring match with Titania...he's gonna get his ass kicked again" Gajeel snickered.
"And Happy said something about catching a really big fish to impress Carla" Natsu recalled, taking a big chomp out of his rice ball. "That Reminds me" he said turning to Gajeel with a full mouth, "You're going on a date with Levy?"
Gajeel shrugged, "I'm taking her out for some food to thank her for saving me in that last fight" he told them.
"So you've gotta take her out on a date for that?" Gray asked, staring at Gajeel skeptically.
"It ain't a date" Gajeel argued, then he paused to think for a minute, "Is it?"
"I don't know" Natsu said thoughtfully.
All three of them thought for a few moments about what actually constituted this concept of a date...But none of them could come up with an answer.
"Lemme get another opinion" Gajeel said, turning to face a nearby tree, "Hey. Juvia, come out for a sec" he said to the tree. A twig snapped, and slowly, a red faced Juvia came shuffling out from behind the tree trunk. Gray put his hand to his forehead.
"You caught most of that right? Sound like a date?" Gajeel asked, drinking some of his water.
"We-well" she said, placing the tips of her two index fingers together nervously, "If Gray-sama took Juvia out to eat...she would think it was a date" Juvia told them, "And she would be very happy!" she added quickly.
"Huh...so it's a date" Gajeel realised, "That don't mean I gotta bring flowers and crap, does it?"
"Huh? Not necessarily, Gajeel-kun, but girls do like it when you do that sort of thing. In fact, it makes girls really happy when they are taken out on dates in general" she told him matter-of-factly.
"Huh. Sounds like you know your stuff" Gajeel said, regarding Juvia for a moment. Then he stood up and grinned decidedly at her, "Alright! You're gonna be my coach, Juvia" he announced.
Lucy sat in the guild the next day, relaxing after her easy job of performing on stage in another play. She really was made for the stage. May be even stardom one day. She definitely had the sex appeal to become an actress.
"What's got you looking so happy?" Natsu said, interrupting her thoughts as he sat down opposite her.
"Nothing, just thinking about my potential career in acting" she grinned, striking a pose.
"Huh?" Happy said, jumping up on the table, "Lucy, don't you need sex appeal to be an actress?"
"Shut up!" Lucy snapped, as Happy high fived Natsu.
"Don't be too mean to Happy, Lucy. He just got rejected by Carla again" Natsu informed her, nodding solemnly.
"Oh?" Lucy asked with a mischievous grin, "Who doesn't have any sex appeal now?"
"Natsu, I didn't get rejected!" Happy argued, "Carla just said she wasn't hungry and didn't want any of my fish. I'm gonna ask her on a real date today, for the Two Stars Festival" Happy announced striking a superman pose with his hands on his hips.
"That's some incredible confidence" Lucy noted, impressed with his resilience. After so many rejections, you'd think he would give up. Then again, neither him or Natsu knew the meaning of those words. "So, what's your plan for your date, then?"
"That's a secret" Happy grinned.
"Lucy, can you come over here for a minute?" Mirajane called from behind the counter.
"Me?" Lucy asked, confused, "Sure" she called back. She stood up and walked towards the counter, on the other side of which a smiling Mirajane greeted her.
"I've heard you're playing Cupid in the guild?" she asked.
Lucy laughed nervously, not sure if that title suited her after only one suggestion, "I wouldn't say that. I just thought it would be something nice for Levy"
"I see. I wonder how it'll go with them though" Mirajane said, with a pondering face.
"Oh don't worry! I'm helping Levy prepare for the date. She'll be fine" Lucy explained with a confident grin as she sat down on bar stool.
Mirajane regarded her for a minute, "OK...But who's helping Gajeel?" she laughed nervously.
"Well...I don't know" Lucy replied. True, Gajeel would be the type that needed some help on something like this. She just hoped that if he did seek it out, any advice he got wouldn't come from Natsu or Gray.
"There's a good chance he doesn't even realise this is a date" Mirjane continued with a worried smile.
"You're probably right" Lucy laughed. She wouldn't be surprised if this was Gajeel's first date. He didn't really seem like the romantic type.
"And that's why you should follow them" Mirajane finished, her smile still fixed.
"Right! Wait...what?"
"I think it's a good idea" Mirajane explained, "You can make sure Levy is fine, and if Gajeel does something we don't expect, you can coach her on how to deal with it"
"They're going to know I'm spying on them" Lucy pointed out, not liking the way she imagined Levy would react.
"Not if it looks like you're on a date too" Mirajane grinned, and before Lucy was able to properly process what she had said, she called across the room, "Natsu! Will you go on a pretend date with Lucy so she can spy on Gajeel and Levy?"
"With Lucy?" he called back, as Lucy shot out of her seat in shock.
"H-Hey, wai-" she tried to protest.
"Sure, I don't mind. Sounds interesting" Natsu grinned at them before turning back to Happy.
"Wha-" Lucy was still in shock, not entirely sure what had just happened.
"There" Mirajane announced, with a tone of contentment, "Now they won't think that you're there to spy on them"
"Ughhh" Lucy groaned, her hands covering her reddened face, "You could've thought of something else" she complained.
"Oh?" Mirajane smiled, "But this way sounds like it'll be much more interesting. And now you've got a date to the Two Stars Festival as well" Lucy glanced at her through parted fingers. It really was always the quiet ones you had to look out for.
"Oh? Sounds like everyone's gotten their romances on the move" Lisanna commented with a smile watching the exchange between Mirajane and Lucy.
"Yes" her brother nodded sitting beside her, "Pursuing romances is a man" he informed his little sister enthusiastically.
"Then, what about you, Elf-nii-chan?"
"I don't know what you mean, Lisanna" he told her, avoiding her gaze.
"Oh?" she said with a knowing smile, "So you aren't interested in Ever?" When her brother stayed silent, she giggled, "I can tell these things about you, Elf-nii-chan. You should take her on a date"
"I…" Elfman tried, glancing at Ever sat over in the corner. She was reading a magazine on her own at a table. Apparently the rest of the raijinshuu took a job which she didn't feel like going on. Elfman glanced at his sister. What did a man say in these situations, he wondered. "How do you know she'll agree if I ask her to go?"
"Well...I don't know. But it's the Festival of Two Stars, Elf-nii-chan. If you don't do it now when will you?" she said, "And besides, pursuing your romance is being a man" she grinned at him. A determined gleam ignited in Elfman's eyes, and he finally seemed convinced.
"I'll do it!" he told his sister, standing up. She watched and silently wished him good luck as he marched over to Ever.
Ever glanced up from her magazine, and an uncertain look came over her face when she saw the determined look on Elfman's.
"What do you-"
"Ever!" Elfman shouted, loudly enough that guild members turned their heads towards them. He planted his hands on either side of the table Ever was sat, making the legs shake precariously, "Will you go with me to the Two Stars Festival on a date?!" he bellowed to her. Stunned silence followed his invitation, then excited whispers erupted around then. An embarrassed Ever turned to face Elfman, her cheeks flaming red. Lisanna observed closely. This was the first time she had ever seen Ever look embarrassed. It made her strangely happy to witness.
"W-what the hell are you saying all of a sudden?" she stammered, her face a flushed mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"The Festival of Two Stars!" Elfman shouted again, "Will you be my date to it?"
"I-I get it...Fine, I'll go with you. Just lower your voice" she told him desperately.
"Really?" Elfman asked, excitement lighting up his face. Lisanna smiled seeing her brother looking so delighted.
"Y-Yeah" Ever said,not meeting his eye, "I'll go with you as your date" she confirmed quietly.
Gray stood outside of the guild hall, on the balcony of the second floor overlooking the town.
"Gray" a voice called from behind him, "What are you doing here?"
He recognised Erza's voice without turning around, "Nothing, just thinking"
Erza joined him in the balcony, "About Silver?" She asked, casting a sympathetic look at him. The loss of his father had had an strong impact on Gray, and Erza had noticed him brooding over it from time to time.
"Yeah. Him and Ul. Just thinking about everything they taught me. Everything I learned from them" he told her. Gray never found it hard to talk to Erza. He knew that she would never ridicule or tease him, as Natsu or Gajeel probably would.
"That's good" she told him. "Hold on to the lessons they taught you. They live on in those lessons. And you can honour their memory by putting them into practice"
"Yeah" Gray agreed, "I'll use everything they taught me moving forward"
"That is the best way to move forward" she encouraged him with a smile. "So then...did you hear the commotion downstairs just now?"
"Oh, you mean Elfman's invitation to Ever? Yeah, I think the rest of Magnolia heard it too" he snickered. That guy really didn't know how to be subtle.
"Do you have any plans for the Festival of Two Stars this weekend?" she asked curiously.
"No. I don't"
"But you could" Erza told him, nonchalantly, "And you know who with"
Gray sighed, "I know, I know. You want me to give Juvia an answer." This hadn't been the first time she had brought it up since the Tartarus incident. Ever since she learned that Juvia had been there to comfort him at his parent's grave, her not-so-subtle encouragement had grown even more persistent.
"I do" Erza confirmed, "Keeping her waiting like this isn't kind. Juvia is a good person. Whatever the answer is, she deserves one" she told him.
"You sound like an expert" Gray laughed without humour.
"On this matter? No. I'm just aware of the way a woman's heart works" she said, with a small smile.
"You haven't seen Jellal In a while, have you?" Gray asked, noticing her saddened expression. There were very few things that made Erza look that way.
"I haven't" she admitted, "Which is why, if you have the chance to pursue love, one that is right here before you,I think you are a fool to ignore it. There is nothing standing in your way"
Gray sighed heavily, accepting the truth of her words. "I know. You're right. I'll think on it, and...I'll give Juvia my response to her feelings"
Erza smiled, "I'm glad to hear that"
"So, what will you be doing during the festival?" He asked, leaning against the edge of the balcony.
"Oh! I hear there are going to be sweet stalls from all over Fiore this year. I'm going to challenge them all" she informed him, her eyes blazing with determination.
"I don't see why I gotta wear this monkey suit" Gajeel growled, shifting around in his tuxedo trying to get comfortable. Which seemed like a freaking impossible mission. "The hell does anyone move in one of these things?" he wondered out loud.
"It's a date, Gajeel-kun" Juvia reminded him, "You have to dress nicely for Levy-san." They were in Gajeel's apartment, and Juvia was helping Gajeel get ready for his date with Levy.
"Yeah. But this? You better not be screwing with me, Juvia. This better be what guys actually wear on these date things" he told her.
"If you want" Juvia said, placing her hands firmly on her hips, "Juvia can leave"
"Alright alright. Sorry. Look, I've got no idea what the shrimp's expecting tonight, but I want her to have a good time" Gajeel explained, looking at himself in the mirror again. However many times he looked, whatever angle he saw himself at, and whatever light he saw himself in, he still looked ridiculous.
"You look good, Gajeel-kun" Juvia reassured him, "Juvia is jealous...If only Gray-sama would take Juvia on a date" she sighed dramatically.
Gajeel rolled his eyes, "Hey, tonight's about my date, remember" he reminded her, "At least you'd know what to do on a date if that Ice bastard took you on one"
"Just do what Juvia told you, and you'll be fine, Gajeel-kun" Juvia nodded confidently.
"Right. Better get this circus act on the road then" Gajeel muttered, "Thanks for the help, Juvia" he said, walking towards his door. Putting his hat on, he turned before leaving, "Why don't you ask the Ice bastard what he really thinks of you? This unrequited love crap is sad to watch. Don't forget, Juvia" he said, grinning at her over his shoulder, "You were one of the Element Four, that's makes you a badass"
"Ready to go?" Lucy grinned, walking into Levy's living room. Levy had her eyes closed, and was breathing deeply. "Eh? You're that nervous? I thought it was just a crush, but you might really like him" Lucy said thoughtfully.
"Jeez, you're making me more nervous, Lucy!" Levy complained, checking her blue hair in the mirror again. Her eyes went over her outfit. She wore a long blue dress that had a low neckline which showed off the pearls she wore around her neck. She supposed it was nice enough, but it fit her a little too well in some places. Embarrassingly well. She didn't think it suited her at all. Levy normally never wore stuff like this.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked Lucy for the hundredth time.
"Yes! You look great Levy. Gajeel won't know what hit him" she told the blue haired girl. Then her doorbell rang, causing Levy's heart rate to double. "There he is. Now" she grinned at Levy, giving her a gentle shove towards the door, "Go get yourself a dragon slayer"
Gajeel looked down at the paper in his hand. He had the right address. At least he hoped he did. Last thing he needed was more people seeing him in this black and white penguin get-up. He cleared his throat, and rang the doorbell. What was he supposed to say when she came down? He tried to remember what Juvia had told him. Pay her some kind of compliment? What the hell was that? He didn't compliment people. How'd you even compliment a chick? His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and for a moment, he forgot them completely.
Levy was gorgeous in her blue dress. The way it clung to her complimented every inch of her small form, and her pixie face seemed to shine brighter framed with the blue waves of her hair. A gentle blush tinted her cheeks pink as she opened the door.
"H-Hey" she said meekly, her blush increasing in intensity.
"Whoa" Gajeel commented automatically, staring at her in open-mouthed awe.
Levy mistook his expression, "I knew it. I look weird in this don't I?" she said with an embarrassed smile.
"Nah, that's not it " Gajeel disagreed quickly, "Er…" What was he meant to say again? Right. A compliment, some kind of praise about how she looked. "You look hot." Nailed it, he thought with a grin.
"R-really?" Levy asked, with genuine shock displayed on her face. Gajeel was confused at that. How did she think she looked anything less than a knockout right now? Didn't she own a mirror in her place? "Y-you look good too" she told him.
Gajeel snorted his disagreement, "I'm tellin' you now, I ain't taking any photos of myself in this get-up" he told her. Stepping aside, he allowed Levy to walk out beside him on the doorstep.
"You didn't need to get all dressed up like this, you know"
"You're kidding" he choked in disbelief. He was going to murder Juvia.
"But, I do think you look nice" she added with a kind smile. Gajeel observed the way her entire face seemed to light up when she smiled, and thought that he wouldn't mind seeing that smile two or three or a hundred more times before the night was out.
"Well, then, let's get moving, it's freezing out here" he told her, as they began walking down the street. They had taken a few steps when Gajeel remembered something. "Oh, hold on" he told her.
"What's wrong?"
Gajeel had his hand inside his blazer, rummaging around for something. His expression changed to a grin as he pulled out a blue rose, "My date coach said girls like this kinda thing" he explained, offering her the rose, "I dunno if it's your thing or not, but if it is…" he shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Levy just stood there, staring at the flower in open-mouthed disbelief. Was this really happening? Had Gajeel, Gajeel, seriously just offered her a rose? Levy wouldn't have seen this coming in thousand years. She looked from Gajeel to the rose, then repeated the action again.
"If you don't want it, that's co-"
"No, I do!" Levy said, a little too quickly. With trembling hands (she couldn't tell if they shook from the cold or the strange feeling that blazed to life in her stomach), she reached out and accepted the flower.
"Thank you, Gajeel" she beamed at him. There it is again, Gajeel thought, this chick could light up all of Magnolia with that smile. He'd never really noticed that about her before. But then, he'd ever seen her look this hot before either. It was a night of firsts for him where she was concerned.
"Let's keep moving then, before we freeze" he suggested to her.
Levy nodded, and started walking. She was still trying to process the fact that Gajeel had given her a rose. The whole idea seem so far out of the realm of reality. She honestly didn't know what she was expecting on this date, but it had definitely not been that. Then she remembered something he mentioned earlier. "You said something about a date coach, earlier?"
"Oh that" Gajeel laughed, "I'm talkin' about Juvia. See, I didn't really know what this whole date thing was, so I asked her to help me out. She's been cramming my head will all this stuff to say or not to say, to do and not to do. It was like a freaking school lesson"
"Huh. So if it was that bad, why did you do it?" Levy asked him. It was obvious to anyone that Gajeel wasn't the type to sit and listen to things. So what had compelled him to do exactly that with Juvia?
"Cause I wanted you to have a good time tonight" he replied simply.
"Oh." Levy hurriedly turned her head to the side, pretending to be admiring some flowers on her left so he wouldn't notice the blush on her face. The knowledge that he'd made that effort for her made her feel somehow warmed, even in the cold February air. "S-So, where's this place we're going?" Levy asked, hoping her voice didn't betray the glee she felt. She had actually made a note earlier to ask Lucy exactly where she had told Gajeel to take her, but somewhere between freaking out about this date and trying to memorise Lucy's never-ending pool of advice, she had forgotten.
"Beats me" Gajeel shrugged. "The blonde chick gave me the address, so I'm just following that. Apparently it's some kind of fancy restaurant" .
"I see" so Gajeel didn't know exactly where they were going either. This was going to be interesting.
Juvia left Gajeel's apparent a few minutes after he did. As she walked along the street leading away, a familiar figure greeted her.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, delighted as always to see him, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Juvia? I heard Gajeel was dressed up in a suit for his date, so I came down here to see if I could get a shot of him" he grinned mischievously, pulling out a camera, "Looks like he's gone already though"
Gajeel's words from earlier came back to her. She had to ask Gray what he really thought of her. Was she really just an annoyance to him? If that was it, then she would leave him alone, it would be difficult, but she would. But she had to know either way.
"G-gray-sama" Juvia began shakily, "W-what do you really-?"
"Are you busy right now, Juvia?" Gray asked softly, with a small smile on his face.
His question took Juvia by surprise, "Huh? No, Gray-sama, Juvia was just going home"
"I see. Then...You wanna get something to eat with me?" He asked her.
Juvia's face lit up In delight at his invitation, "Yes, Gray-sama, Juvia would like that very much!" She nodded enthusiastically.
Fifteen minutes later, Gajeel and Levy were seated at the restaurant Lucy had suggested. It looked like a fancy place, and there were only rich-looking folks around for as far as Gajeel could see. Well, the blue haired shrimp opposite him had saved his life, he didn't have problem spending money on her at this point.
"Everything looks so good" Levy said in wide-eyed bewilderment as she perused the menu, "But...this place is really expensive"
"Don't worry about it. Remember, It's on me" Gajeel reminded her.
"That would be alright if we went someplace less fancy" she groaned, mentally admonishing Lucy for suggesting such an extravagant place for their date.
"It's fine. Look, if you hadn't helped me out in that last fight, I'd probably never have had the chance to spend money on anything again" he grinned at her, "One meal ain't nothin'"
"A-Alright" Levy said reluctantly, "Then, I'll go with the crab, that looks good"
"Alright" Gajeel nodded, glad he'd gotten through to her. The waiter came over, and asked for their order.
"The crab, please" Levy told him with a polite smile.
"And I'll take the lobster" Gajeel informed the waiter gruffly, then he flashed a grin to Levy, "With shrimp on the side" he added. The waiter thanked them, and told them their order would be ready soon before departing.
Levy raised her eyebrows at Gajeel, "With shrimp on the side?" she repeated, with an accusatory look in her eyes.
"Yeah" Gajeel mused, "Didn't used to like 'em too much. Starting to grow on me now though" he grinned at her mischievously.
Levy sighed, "Are you ever going to call me by my actual name?" she enquired.
"Levy?" Gajeel asked, a thoughtful look on his face, as though he was testing the word. Levy felt her face rapidly heat at hearing him say her first name so casually. She hadn't expected him to just come out and say it. It took her by surprise, as did the fact that she really liked the way it sounded when he said it. "Nah" Gajeel said, finally, "Shrimp's better" he smirked at her. Levy was actually glad. She didn't want to spend the entire night blushing because she liked the way he said her name.
"Oh, check that out" he told her, looking out the window right next to them with a grin. They were sat at the very far right at the side of the restaurant, and the large window right next to them gave them a brilliant view of the town outside. Against the night sky, they could clearly see the white snow that had just started to fall.
"Wow!" Levy exclaimed, staring in awe at the beautiful sight. It was quite heavy snow. If it settled, there would be a snow covered town waiting for them when they went outside.
"Guess that Ice bastard would have the advantage if we fought now" Gajeel commented, more to himself than to Levy.
She sighed, "Is fighting all you think about?" she asked him, although it really wasn't that surprising.
"It's just what I'm good at" he grinned at her. "And what about you, bookworm? Is reading all you do?"
"No!" Levy defended herself, "I do other things too" she told him matter-of-factly.
"You sure? Anytime I've seen you, you're nose deep in some book" Gajeel stated. "It ain't a bad thing" he said fairly, "Just means you're smart. You gotta have that in a fight too"
Levy smiled at his compliment, teasing though it was, "Oh yeah? Do you think I could beat you then?" she grinned at him.
Gajeel stared at her in complete surprise. He had absolutely not expected that she would come out with that...then when it sunk in, he closed his eyes and burst out laughing, "It's true you're smarter than me. But, I ain't willing to go that far, shrimp" he said, through fits of laughter. Finally, he calmed down a wiped a tear from his eye. He looked at Levy, and found her pouting. Gajeel was momentarily stunned, to the point where his laughter died down completely. He never knew someone could make a face that damn cute.
"My solid script saved my entire team once, you know" Levy told him, snapping him out of his trance, "All three of us when we were captured, and I managed to trick the enemy once into letting us go"
"Oh yeah? There's a story I wanna hear" Gajeel grinned at her.
"Natsu!" Lucy said urgently through the phone, "They've been gone a while now, where are you?"
"I'm right outside" he replied. Lucy pulled her curtains aside, to find Natsu staring up at her, well-dressed and looking handsome in a suit. Lucy was surprised. She had fully expected him to be dressed in his regular clothes.
"Lucy, hurry up, it's starting to snow out here" he complained.
Lucy hung up, and grabbed her bag. She was all set to go, and an inexplicable excitement was setting her nerves on edge. She hadn't expected to be this excited for Levy.
Grabbing her coat on the way out, she locked her door and met Natsu in the street.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, then a grin spread over his face, "Hey, you look good" he told her appreciatively. Lucy had decided on a dark orange and black long dress.
"You don't need to sound so surprised" she told him, although a light blush found its way to her cheeks at his compliment. Natsu always had a way of being sweet without realising it, as if it was something easy for him.
"Don't worry, it's a good kind of surprised" he assured her with a firm nod, as if that was supposed to appease her. Lucy sighed.
"Hey, what are you doing with a camera?" she asked, noticing the silver rectangle in his hand.
"Oh this?" he snickered, "It's to catch a photo of Gajeel in his suit" he explained, looking determined. "Now come on, I wanna see if he's screwed up yet" he said, starting to walk down the street with Lucy beside him. The street was chilly in the February air, and but Natsu seemed to be giving off his own warmth, and as long as she stayed near him, Lucy hardly felt the cold.
"I hope not" She said, smiling worriedly, "I'm rooting for Levy in this"
"But it's Gajeel we're talking about. He thinks with his muscles" Natsu laughed loudly. Lucy just stared at him. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing" she answered with a shrug, "Just thinking how troublesome it would be hanging out with someone who only thought with his muscles"
"Huh? Are you making fun of me?" Natsu asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Nope" Lucy grinned at him, "Just thinking about Gajeel. I hope he doesn't start a fight with anyone, or something"
"He'd better not. The only one that guy's allowed to lose to is me. Same goes for Gray" Natsu announced fiercely.
"You guys really get along, don't you?" Lucy smiled.
"Hell no!" Natsu disagreed fiercely, "We all just like fighting" he grinned. Lucy shook her head. They had been this way forever, and she honestly couldn't picture them any different. That's another reason why Edolas freaked her out so much. What was up with that shy Natsu they'd met over there? A giggle escaped her at the thought of him.
Natsu shot her an odd look, "You alright? What're you giggling about"
"Yep, I'm fine. Just thinking about how different you were from the Edolas Natsu" she explained. Still, In a way she was glad that Edolas' Natsu was the opposite of this one. She really wasn't sure that the universe could survive another Natsu like the one next to her.
"Yeah, that guy was somethin' else" Natsu cackled, "I wonder how they're all doing over there" he said thoughtfully.
"Don't worry. We left Mystogan in charge. I'm sure everything's fine" she told him.
"You're probably right" he agreed, then a frown darkened his face, "Damn it. I never did get to find out if I was stronger than that guy in the end"
"Is that all you think about?" Lucy sighed, "You know if this were an actual date, I'd actually be trying to find a way to ditch you already" she teased.
"Really?" Natsu asked, looking surprised and if she wasn't mistaken...a little concerned. Lucy did a double take. What was that? She had expected him to laugh that off. Tell her that it was a good thing, then, that this wasn't a real date. Why did it suddenly seem like he cared about what she thought?
"No" she shook her head hastily and waved her hands, "Not really. You're fine"
His face brightened again, "Alright then. Even if this date's pretend, Lucy, you should try to have fun on it!"
Carla was sat on the bar of the guild, drinking a glass of milk. Wendy was already asleep, but for some reason, she was having trouble with that. It wasn't a vision or anything like that, she just felt restless. She sighed again, taking another swig of her milk.
"Carla?" Mirajane asked, coming downstairs,"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.
"I'm not tired yet. But Wendy's asleep, so I've got some time to myself now" Carla explained, sipping her milk again.
"Oh. Does that mean you'll decide to accept Happy's date invitation? It's only a few minutes from now you know" Mirajane smiled as Carla put down her empty glass.
"Hmph. Why would I accept that guy's invitation?" she snorted dismissively, folding her arms.
"Aw, you shouldn't be too hard on him, Carla" Mirajane told her, walking behind the bar and crossing her arms on it, "Happy's sweet"
"He's got his good points, I guess" Carla conceded, after some thought, "But...he's too immature"
"Well, given who his best friend his, I don't know if we can blame him for that" Mirajane laughed, "But, Happy can be really mature when the time comes. You've seen that yourself, haven't you, like when he saved you on Edolas? Happy is reliable when it matters. That's another way he's like Natsu"
Carla considered that for a moment, "Well, I suppose that's true." If she was being honest, Happy had been really brave when they were in Edolas. It was a long time ago, but that part had stood out in her memory. His normally goofy and laid back demeanour had vanished and she had seen another side to him. One which was brave and heroic. And that had saved her. She had to admit, she had found him slightly attractive at that time. Carla blushed, and shook her head. What was she thinking?
"Impossible. He's the complete opposite to me. We're too different from each other for it to ever work"
"Oh? If that's your argument, then I guess you don't know that Gajeel and Levy are out on a date right now?" Mirajane laughed.
Carla was at a lost for words. True, when it came to opposites, Gajeel and Levy fit the bill. But that still didn't mean she and the Happy would work.
"Maybe it won't work between you and Happy, I don't know. But, I do know that Happy adores you, Carla" Mirajane told her with a gentle smile, "He's devoted to you. Don't you think he at least deserves a chance?"
Within minutes Natsu and Lucy arrived at the restaurant. Natsu said that he could hear Gajeel and Levy in the corner. And according to him it sounded like the date was going well. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. She had half expected Gajeel to be be in a fistfight when they arrived. They were seated at their table, taking great care not to be seen by Gajeel or Levy. But to Lucy's surprise, they seemed to be in the middle of a lively conversation. It didn't look like they even aware of anyone else. Lucy grinned as she took her seat. That was a good sign, she had been worried they wouldn't find any topics of discussion with them having such different personalities.
"Well" she whispered covertly to Natsu, "What are they talking about?"
He closed his eyes as he focused his listening, "Sounds like Levy's telling a story about how she saved shadow gear one time. And Gajeel sounds impressed...but that might be sarcastic, I can't tell" then his eyes flashed open with a grin, "Looks like it's going well"
"I'm glad" Lucy smiled. She and Natsu ordered their food, and waited for it to arrive. "You ordered fish?" Lucy questioned him, amused, "Are you missing Happy?"
"Nah, although right about now, he's probably being rejected by Carla again" Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head worriedly. He'd work on consoling his friend when he got back to the guild hall later.
Happy sat in Fairy Tail's guild hall attic, complimenting himself on a good date set up. There was a small table set in front of him with a white tablecloth coating it and lit candles in the middle providing the light. He looked at himself again in a small mirror resting nearby, smoothing his suit as best he could. It was the same one he'd worn at the ball in Crocus, but he hadn't found another one that he liked as much. Convinced that he looked good, Happy went and sat back on his chair. He would have to remember to thank Mirajane again for letting him use the attic for this. He glanced at the table. His best fish were on the two plates, one on his side and on Carla's. All that was missing was Carla herself.
Happy nervously looked at his watch, and his ears fell when he realised that it was already five minutes past the time he had asked Carla to meet him. She'll show up, she'll show up, she'll show up, he reassured himself. He glanced out the slanted attic window to his left, and was cheered up slightly to see that it had began to snow. It was falling heavily outside, and he could almost feel the chill, even next to the candles. It really was beautiful though. And it was the colour of Carla's fur, which made it even prettier. Happy sighed. What if she really didn't show up? Maybe it really did annoy her when he did things like this. It had been years, and Carla had never shown any response to his feelings. If that was the case, Happy decided, then this would his last stand. If Carla didn't show up this time, he'd take that as a sign that he should give up. It was fine having Carla just as a friend anyway.
"What are you doing, looking all depressed?" a voice to his right said. Happy's ears perked up, and his face brightened rapidly.
"Carla!" he greeted her happily, "You came!"
Carla was dressed in a small pink dress, and she had a ribbon tied on her head. She could feel Happy's delighted gaze trained on her as she entered the attic, and self-consciously placed her arm across her waist. She avoided Happy's gaze, instead staring at the ground, as she made her way towards the table and took her seat.
Finally, she glanced up at Happy, who was staring at her in awe. She blushed, then immediately turned her nose up at him. "W-what are you looking at?" she demanded, embarrassed.
"You look even prettier than usual, Carla" Happy told her with a grin. Carla's blush increased, searing her cheeks red. What was she even doing, blushing over a simple compliment like that?
"T-that's obvious" she told him, before adding quietly, "You look good too, I suppose"
"I'm really glad you came!" Happy stated, "I promise it'll be fun" he vowed, beaming happily. She looked at him in surprise. Did it really make him that happy that she'd accepted this date?
"Don't let this get to your head" Carla warned him, folding a napkin neatly on her side, "It's just one date"
Happy nodded, determinedly, "I know. But that's one more than before" he grinned.
Finishing her crab, Levy picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. Gajeel had already finished eating, and stared at her in wide-eyed surprise as she finished.
"What?" She asked, feeling self conscious under his gaze.
"Nothin'. Just didn't expect someone so small to finish the whole thing. I'm impressed" he teased.
Levy sighed, "Your size jokes are lame" she told him. He'd not missed an opportunity, the entire night, to tease her about her size.
Gajeel laughed, "I know" he told her, "It's watching your reactions that make it fun. You want any dessert?" he asked.
"No thanks, I'm really full" she answered without thinking. Then she mentally kicked herself. She really didn't want dessert, but what she did want was to spend more time on this date. She was really having fun with Gajeel. Their conversation had flowed effortlessly during their meal, as though they did this kind of thing all the time. He'd teased her constantly, but she'd given as much as she'd gotten on that front, having discovered that claiming Natsu or Gray could do something better than he could riled him up. She was having fun. She really didn't want to go home already.
Looking around, Gajeel stood up, explaining to Levy that he was going to the bathroom.
On the way, Gajeel stopped at the counter, asking for the bill for their table. He didn't want the shrimp to get any ideas about paying while he was in the bathroom. Better take care of it now. He paid the bill, and continued to the bathroom. The door opened before he reached it...and Salamander came out. He was dressed In a penguin suit as well, and looked at Gajeel with a surprised expression.
"Huh? Salamander?" Gajeel said, his eyebrows raising in surprise, "The hell are you doing here?"
"Yo, Gajeel" Natsu said, a hand reaching behind his head nervously, "I'm just...here on a date" he announced quickly, "You mean this is where you took Levy on your date? Huh! What a surprise" he laughed, a little too loudly.
"The hell? You're on date too? Who with?" Gajeel questioned, eyeing him suspiciously. Who the hell was dumb enough to date Salamander?
"Lucy" Natsu replied, pointing out to the table. Gajeel peered out to see Lucy was indeed sat down on her own at a table, though it was a table out of his and Levy's line of sight.
"You're on a date with the blonde?" Gajeel asked.
"Yeah, it's...the Festival of Two Stars an' all. Thought I'd go for it" he cackled loudly.
Gajeel stared at him, not entirely convinced. But he decided to let it go anyway. Whatever he and the blonde were doing, it wasn't his business.
"You about to leave?" Natsu enquired.
"Yeah, the shrimps waiting for me...which means I can't waste any more time talkin' to you. Later, Salamander" he told Natsu, moving past him. Natsu grinned as he walked away.
"Looks like it's goin' well" Natsu told Lucy as he sat down, "They're heading out now"
"Is he taking her home? Or are they doing something else after this?" Lucy asked, glancing over in the direction of their table. She could just see the top of Gajeel's wild hair, but he came into full view as he stood up.
"So" Natsu said, "What do you wanna do? Follow them?" he suggested, watching Levy rise from her seat. Lucy observed them both. There hadn't been a single problem on the whole date. Gajeel hadn't hit anyone, and Levy didn't get annoyed at him and storm out. Those had been her two biggest concerns. But, quite the opposite, Levy looked like she didn't even want to leave just yet. Did she want to spend more time with Gajeel? From the way Lucy had seen her laughing at the table during the course of the night, she didn't doubt it. There really hadn't been any need to worry about them.
Lucy shook her head at Natsu and smiled, "No, I think they'll be fine on their own" she told him. As she watched Levy and Gajeel exit the building, she felt a genuine happiness for her friend. Levy had always been kind to her, and she deserved a romance that worked out well.
"Well then, let's go" Natsu said with a grin, standing up from the table. Lucy looked up at him. Was he that eager to go home? Maybe he hadn't been having that much fun with her. That was to be expected though, she had spent most of the time worrying about Levy and Gajeel.
"We can't leave yet" she laughed at Natsu, "We haven't paid the bill"
"Oh, that? I paid it when I went to the bathroom just now" Natsu informed her. Lucy just stared at him. The her jaw dropped. Before she could begin to argue, the waiter came up to them. He politely informed them that they had a reservation waiting on their table. Lucy's cheeks tinted red, and she apologised and thanked the waiter before leaving restaurant with Natsu in tow.
The snow had set on the ground outside, and everything was covered in a soft and beautiful layer of white. The lacrima lighting the streets cast a gentle white light on the snow as it fell, causing it to glow delicately.
Lucy shivered at the ice cold temperature, rubbing her hands on her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. She felt a light warmth envelop her and glanced down at her shoulders to find Natsu's blazer around her. Her eyes widened, and she stared as the now blazer-less Natsu, surprised at the gallant gesture.
"You should feel warmer now, right?" he stated with a grin, "And I don't need it. My magic's enough to keep me warm"
Nodding slowly, Lucy suddenly became aware of another kind of warmth enveloping her. Except this one seemed to originate from inside her, spreading slowly throughout her body as she looked at the grinning face of the dragon slayer.
"Lucy?" Natsu called, waving a hand in front of her face, "You okay?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine" she answered him, despite not being entirely sure that she was. What was that just now? "I'm good." Then she remembered something that sparked a much more familiar emotion in her. Anger.
"Why did you pay for me?" she demanded, as they started walking down the street. She hadn't exactly been light on her orders, so they must've added up to a staggering amount, "I'll pay you back now" she insisted fiercely. What the hell had he been thinking?
"Forget it" Natsu laughed, "This is a first date right? The guy pays"
Lucy stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't expected that explanation. "J-just a pretend one" she argued, "So let me pay you back!"
"Nope. I counted this as a real date since the start" he informed her.
"W-Wha-" Lucy just stared at Natsu, at a total loss for words. Was that supposed to be a confession? Or did he really just forget that this was supposed to be a pretend date? She wouldn't put that past him.
"You've been sad lately, you know" Natsu pointed out, placing his hands behind his head as they walked, "Ever since that last fight with Tartaros. When you lost Aquarius"
Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. What had brought on that topic? It was true, sometimes she still found herself feeling downhearted at having lost Aquarius. It came at random moments, when she would be drinking water, or seeing an image of a mermaid somewhere. Even though months had passed, she still missed her friend. She honestly hadn't thought anyone had noticed though.
"Anyway, I was thinkin' about how I could cheer you up. Then Juvia told us that going on dates makes girl's really happy, so I thought it'd work for you. Mirajane asking me to take you on this pretend date was just some kinda weird coincidence" Natsu explained. Lucy glanced at him, amazed and touched that he had done this for her. Just to try to cheer her up. Who knew he could be this considerate. The strange feeling erupted again, spreading outwards from her stomach to each part of her body, warming her.
"Thank you, Natsu" she smiled brightly.
"Nah" he said, grinning "When your friend's sad, it's normal that you'd wanna cheer them up"
"Still. Thank you"
Natsu looked momentarily stunned, then his face split into a smile, "You're welcome" he grinned at her, "So, are you really never able to see her again?"
Lucy shook her head, "No. Breaking her key means I can't ever summon her again. She's confined to the spirit world, and even if I went there, I wouldn't be able to see or hear her. But, Loki told me that she's happy over there, and she's still dating Scorpio" Lucy explained with a laugh, "But they still argue sometimes. I'm glad that I can check how she's doing. But...I still miss her, you know?"
Natsu thought for a moment, stroking his chin with a pondering expression. Then his signature grin returned to his face.
"Come with me" he told her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her forward.
"H-Huh?" Lucy was being pulled along before she realised what was happening. She glanced around them. They were at the sidewalk next to the river where the two men always greeted her in their boat. In front of them were stone steps leading upwards, and at the top of them, a bridge and that curved over the river. Where was he taking her? Natsu pulled her up the steps, and then along the bridge, until they stood halfway along it, at the highest point of its curve.
"Now wait here" he instructed her, grinning from ear to ear. Lucy watched in confusion as he ran down the stone steps, and along the path they had just walked.
"Ready?!" he shouted up to her on the bridge.
Lucy cupped her hands over her mouth, "For what?" she shouted back, genuinely curious as to what he was doing. She saw Natsu throw his head back, and a moment later, multiple firework shot out of his mouth and into the dark sky. But the fireworks didn't explode into sparks then disappear, as she had expected. They exploded into shapes and Lucy watched in open-mouthed awe as the fireworks exploded, one after another...into the shape of Aquarius. Her eyes widened as she watched the fireworks explode again and again, each portraying Aquarius in a different form or pose as they exploded. After a few minutes they momentarily stopped, and Lucy thought that Natsu had gotten tired. Then another three fireworks shot into the sky. Tears ran down Lucy's face as she watched the fireworks explode, now into three images of Aquarius and her together. In the first, Lucy was a toddler, with her arms around a smiling Aquarius's waist. In the second she was a teenager, grinning with her arms folded while an annoyed Aquarius looked on. And in the third she was as she was now, standing side by side with Aquarius, holding her gate key.
The fireworks died down, but Lucy's tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Jeez, what was up with that beautiful display? she thought, wiping her eyes with a smile. No one had ever done something so sweet for her before, and she still couldn't believe that Natsu had come up with an idea like that. Just how much did he care about her to do something so wonderful? As she watched him run towards her with a grin on his face, the warm feeling blossomed in her stomach again. She didn't know what it was, but it felt pleasant, light. It made her want to throw her arms around Natsu, and hold him close without ever letting him go. When Natsu arrived at the bridge where she stood, she gazed up at his smiling face, and did just that. Taken a little by surprise, Natsu took a step back, but a moment later Lucy felt his strong arms wrap around her, The mysterious feeling exploded, making her feel an inexplicable joy and contentment. She honestly felt as though she could stay here forever, and she wouldn't miss anything in the rest of the world. But Natsu pulled back, and smiled down at her.
"Are you feeling better, Lucy?" he asked with a soft smile. It was a smile Lucy had never seen on his face before this night, a smile without a challenge or a mischievous glint in it.
"Yeah" she nodded, "I feel better" then, in a moment of complete insanity, driven by this mysterious feeling, her hand reached behind Natsu's head, and she pulled him down into a kiss.
"Your script is good for strategy and stuff, but when it comes to raw power, you need something like Dragon Slayer magic" Gajeel told Levy. Since they'd left the restaurant, they'd been discussing the pros and cons of their magic.
"Maybe, but my Solid Script can be used for more things than dragon slayer magic" Levy argued, "It's a more flexible magic"
Gajeel thought for a minute, she had him there. He couldn't for example, make air with his magic. "Well, I suppose that's true" he conceded, "But if its fight between one wizard using dragon slayer magic, and one using solid script, I'd put my money on the slayer" he grinned. Levy sighed in resignation, before releasing that they were in front of her house already. A feeling of disappointment settled over her, causing her mood to dip significantly. She glanced back at Gajeel.
"Well, then. I guess we're here" she said lamely. What was she supposed to say? She wanted to stay with Gajeel longer and not end the date now. But at the same time, she didn't want to seem pushy and make him do something he didn't want too. This was Gajeel they were talking about after all. He didn't dress up in suits and take people on dates. She was sure he was looking forward to the end of this evening. "T-Then, I guess I should go. Thank you for tonight, Gajeel" she smiled at him, trying her best to hide her disappointment.
Gajeel considered something for a moment, his eyebrows tilted down in thought, "Hey, are you tired or anything?" he asked her.
The out-of-nowhere question took Levy by surprise, "Huh? Not really" she answered honestly. Then Gajeel grinned again.
"Then, you wanna go check out the festival?" he asked. Levy blinked. Had she misheard him?
"What?" she asked Gajeel, needing confirmation that she correctly heard what she thought she did.
"The festival. If you're not tired, then you wanna go check it out with me?" he asked again, his grin ever present.
"B-but...aren't you looking forward to going home?" she asked him. Hadn't doing something so far out of his comfort zone made him desperate for the end of the night?
"Well" he said thoughtfully, "I am lookin' forward to gettin' out of this damn monkey suit. But short of that, nah, I'm fine. So, if you wanna go, we can" he told her. Gajeel grinned, the shrimp was stood there looking stunned, proving once again that she did that whole cute thing effortlessly. In all honesty, he hadn't planned to ask her to go to the festival with him, but once they'd gotten to the end of their date, he'd realised that he'd actually had a pretty good time with the shrimp. Somewhere along the way, he'd found himself having fun in her company. She was a pretty cool chick who called him on his crap, and who somehow had the power to look both damn cute and insanely hot. He'd enjoyed spending time alone with her on this date. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed spending time alone with someone that didn't involved him and the other person trying to bash each other's faces in. This was something new to him.
"What's up? You don't wanna go?" he asked. Maybe it was just him who'd been having fun. He didn't think so though.
"N-No, that's not it" Levy replied hastily. Her face was burning so hot she was surprised it wasn't generating frost on the cold night air. Trying hard to contain the overwhelming euphoria she felt, she smiled at Gajeel, "Yeah. Let's go to the festival"
Gajeel's grin widened, "Alright. But I ain't good at festival games. I'll leave the playin' to you" he told her, as Levy walked back to his side.
"That's OK" she replied "It good to know there's more things I can beat you at"