The last drops of a storm thumped against the roof of the guildhall as Levy sat inside, scanning lines from a tome filled with a language long lost. Her next job with Gajeel would be in the region where the book had been unearthed, and Levy was sure she'd find the script scattered across the area. The strokes of the words drew her in, almost ethereal in nature, whispering in her mind that there was a mystery hidden beneath the surface of the ink. Ancient magic, knowledge, something important was buried in those words, if she was smart enough to interpret what they were left behind to say.
BOOM.
A clap of thunder shook the guildhouse. Levy's bones rattled from the vibration, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like a bomb had gone off inside her chest. Dread gripped her heart. Instinctively, Levy hunched over the weathered pages of her book. Time stretched on for what felt like minutes instead of seconds while panic overtook her every sense.
A breath later, it was over. Levy's composure returned, and she looked up to see the Thunder Legion stand illuminated by a bolt of lightning at the door. Fear evaporated from her skin. The book wasn't in danger.
Electricity crackled around Laxus as he lowered his fist, absorbing the last tendrils of power from the shock. Their group lumbered in, shaking off the rain. They were no more than a few steps into the guild when a small, shining object smacked Laxus in the face.
"Freed," he groaned, peeling the offending coin from his cheek, "do the thing. I don't feel like getting shot at by nails for the next half hour. Ever, you may wanna—"
She had already fled to the bar. No amount of loyalty to Laxus would keep Evergreen nearby when her hair was at risk of frizzing.
"Wooohooo! That last strike was pretty big, eh, boss?" Bickslow laughed, his already eccentric hair even wilder than usual. "Maybe you'll get a special someone to notice you now that you've got a magnetic personality."
A single hit sent him sprawling into his babies. "Pipe down, I'm tired."
Laxus trudged toward the bar as Freed hurried behind, lifting his sword in an all too familiar incantation. Runes flashed around the lightning mage and dispersed in a burst of purple. Relief washed over Laxus, and he thanked his comrade with a tired smile. For now, he would be free of little flying pieces of metal.
Levy's mind ran wild as she watched them. Inspiration coursed through her veins. There could be so many useful ways for Gajeel to wield this property if she just understood how it worked. Why hadn't she considered it before? Without thinking, Levy grabbed Freed's sleeve as he passed her table.
"Levy," he asked, staring down at the fistful of fabric she held in a vice grip, "is there something I can do for you?"
Realization gripped her harder than the sleeve she clutched. Damn Gajeel and his brashness wearing off on her. Levy released the cloth with a flurry of apologies, shaking her head no.
"Sorry to...I was just wondering, if um...what was that spell just now?"
"Oh, those runes? They demagnetize Laxus. It's a script I created for him personally. One he relies on, especially during large storms." Her eyes shone with a question Freed didn't need her to ask. "I suppose it could happen to Gajeel as well, though he probably hasn't come into contact with enough strong magnetic fields to polarize his iron much. Maybe on occasion—"
"He could be magnetized," she breathed. Levy sat there, barely aware of Freed's words as she floated through a sea of memories, trying to recall every sentence she'd ever read about magnets. A hand on her shoulder reeled Levy back to reality.
"Laxus has his own field because of his lightning powers. It becomes especially strong when he absorbs natural lightning in large amounts. In these instances, his enhanced field attracts other objects with their own fields—usually other magnets or bits of metal. He's managed to magnetize a dinner spoon on several occasions during particularly nasty storms. I've since switched to bringing less conductive silverware when we leave on jobs."
Freed could tell Levy was ready to bolt to the library; her eyes sparked with a need for knowledge.
"I've learned a bit about the subject so I can be sure to use the correct words in each variation of my script. Time is the best teacher when it comes to how a field will affect any specific person, but to start, I'd recommend Magnetism and Introductory Principles of Electromagnetic Fields. You can find it in the guild library, of course. Please let me know the results of your findings. The sciences have always been of interest to me." He left her with a wave of his hand. "It appears you have some experimenting to do."
Levy barely remembered to grab the book she'd been pouring over just minutes before as she raced down to the library.
"I will."
Levy played with a small magnet in her hands as she made her way home. The metal sphere rolled against her fingers aimlessly, her mind far away. Magnetism. Gajeel might be affected by something so imperceptible as a field of energy given off by this little ball. No. Something bigger, something stronger. She took a deep breath and focused on creating a field around the letters with her magic.
"Solid Script: Magnet."
The word morphed into a disk in her palm, and immediately, the ball jumped up to meet it.
It had worked.
Levy stared at her creation, testing the way it moved. The two objects stuck together more obstinately than she could have ever imagined. When she did manage to free the ball, the force sent it flying off into the distance. No matter. Levy now had a magnet with a strong enough field to experiment on. All she needed to begin was a man made of iron. Slipping the disk into her back pocket, she hurried the last few blocks to their house.
"Hey, Gajeel! I'm home," Levy shouted, pulling off her shoes. She scanned the room, but there wasn't a trace of him around save for his empty stud muffin mug by the sink. Levy chuckled, she'd made it for him on their last anniversary, and he refused to use any other mug since. Gajeel was probably still downstairs building her library. He was determined to find a way to fit her entire collection before the big day, so she could officially sell her old room. And he was determined to keep it a surprise. Still, if she was very quiet—and lucky—she might be able to sneak a peek.
Levy gently set her bag on the small table by the door when suddenly she was being pushed onto it, not quite so gently. She should've known better than to underestimate a dragonslayer's nose. A hungry Gajeel stood between her legs, fingers gripping her thighs, stealing her breath with endless kisses. "Hi," she gasped, barely able to get a word out with the way his lips held her own. "What a lovely way to be welcomed home."
Gajeel ran his hands through her hair and around her back, savoring the warmth of her body against his bare chest. Levy's feet wrapped around his waist, urging him closer.
"Only the best for the future Mrs. Redfox," he crooned between breaths. "Did you find what ya needed in the guild library for the job?"
"Mhm. That and then some." Levy let herself melt against his skin as Gajeel began to work on her neck, placing hot kisses down to her collarbone. He nudged the strap of her bra off her shoulder with his teeth. Every touch urged Levy to join him in tantalizing half-naked heat. "You finish the next bookcase?"
"Sure did."
His hands were already beneath her shirt, rolling circles around the hardening tips of her breasts. Gajeel felt her breath grow ragged as little gasps escaped her lips. "Sounds like we both deserve a little celebration." A quick pinch had Levy moaning her agreement. She hardly ever needed words to tell him anymore; her body always showed him what she wanted before her tongue could catch up.
Gajeel reached under Levy's legs and lifted her off the table. Suddenly, she whirled around to face away from him, her ass flush against his pants.
"Well, well, Shrimp. I thought ya might be as eager as I am, 'specially after being at the guild all day." An intangible force pulled them closer. Sometimes, Gajeel forgot how raw and powerful the intensity of their attraction was until they were a breath apart. He bit down on a burning desire to hide Levy away all day and make her scream his name in pleasure until her voice ran raw—if that's what she wanted too. His hands trailed along the soft skin of her ass, hungry with anticipation as he groaned, "Damn, I love it when you don't hold back with how much you want me." Gajeel dared to run his fingers along her slick walls, rubbing her clit as he waited for the inevitable arch she'd make when he found the right motion to leave her panting.
Levy moaned, arching her back with pleasure as he touched her. She bit her lip hard, wanting more but reached down to still his hand.
"About that," she said sheepishly, turning to face him. "I kinda made a magnet on the way home with my magic, and I guess without my weight pressing down on it...it kinda found the fastest path to you." Blush sprouted on her cheeks as she pulled the disk from her back pocket. "And it took me with it." Levy's face burned as she gestured to her ass. "Cause I definitely want to, but I thought you should know why I was so—cause you were—"
Gajeel kissed her embarrassment away. Every press of his lips put more and more of her at ease. Levy's heart skipped a beat, lost in the way his tongue swirled around her own, and her grip on the magnet faltered. The disk slammed into Gajeel's chest with a clink.
"Huh," he mused, thumb tracing the edge of the metal. "That happens sometimes with certain stuff. No big deal."
Levy's eyes sparkled with desire, and she tossed her arms around his neck, reigniting their kiss. "So, how about we have a little fun with this?" Delicate fingers pried the magnet from his skin. She held Gajeel back with her toes and made him watch as she slipped the disk below the waistline of her pants. Levy eased back onto the table, slowly pulling her shirt over her head. The fabric fluttered to the floor, and only then did she release him.
Gajeel stepped closer, feeling the magnet's pull grow stronger until, once again, they were locked together. A couple scant layers of fabric filled the space between them. His hands lingered along the curve of her back then gently removed her bra, letting it fall next to her shirt. Hot skin pressed together until Gajeel couldn't restrain himself any longer. In a single motion, he cleared the table of all contents and pressed Levy's back against the wood. Their eyes locked as he leaned over her body and steadied himself with a nearby chair.
"Oh. I think we're gonna have more than just a little fun."