Time for some Gajeel/Levy love!
Please enjoy!
There was no fooling a Dragonslayer's nose. A multitude of information could be gained from the subtle changes of a person's scent. Certain emotions can be identified, from spicy anger to musky arousal, and minute things that can help determine what someone was recently doing. A salty seabreeze clinging to a beach goer's skin, bitter alcohol on their breath, or the stench of sweat from exertion. However, one of the most basic lessons to learn with a powerful nose is that every person, mage, and creature has a unique scent. A culmination of who they are, what they do, and even who they spend large amounts of time with. After specific lifestyle habits are obtained and maintained, there are rarely large fluctuations in this scent.
Knowing this, Gajeel couldn't understand why the scent of parchment and iron that cloaked his girlfriend now had a dash of sweet wood and pepper.
It had been a Tuesday when he mentioned it to her, and he remembered because after questioning her about it, she stopped spending Tuesday nights with him at his house. Then on Wednesday, if he managed to catch her at the guild hall, she would smell strongly of soap and rosemary oil. Strong enough that she had to have purposefully scrubbed herself raw.
Something Levy knew would be her best chance of hiding the odd addition to her scent.
So he began to pay closer attention. Starting from Tuesday morning, when the tiny blue-haired mage woke up in his arm embrace, the red eyed gaze of the Iron Dragonslayer followed her. He shared her morning shower, walked with her to the guild, sat at their table, and never did his eyes waver. So far Levy's scent remained its usual, books and metal. For the rest of the day he watched, taking note of everyone she spoke to, everything she ate, even the large texts she was reading.
Nothing out of the ordinary, that is until he wanted to take her back to his cottage for dinner. A relaxing night in, since she always seemed to prefer those, to tempt her to stay with him for the night.
"I can't tonight," she said.
"Why not?" he asked. Levy explained that she had plans with Lucy, the Bunny girl who smelt of ink and warm light. When Gajeel frowned, she laughed and kissed him. Assured him that she'd see him the next day. Wednesday, when she would smell too clean to be innocent.
He left the guild first and waited on a nearby rooftop. When his shrimpy girlfriend stepped outside with the blonde Celestial mage, he followed them down the street. Luck favored him as the setting sun turned his shadow away from from his prey. As they moved farther from the guild, Gajeel narrowed his eyes, because they were also moving farther away from Bunny Girl's apartment, as well as Fairy Hills.
Travelling along the rooftops, he paused when they stopped at a cafe. He posed as a gargoyle on the corner of the building across the street. Angry that he couldn't see them from his high vantage point, Gajeel dropped off the edge to merge into the alleyway shadows.
Through the large front window of the girly cafe, the Slayer could see a short head of blue taking a seat in the back. Overall, it seemed like a harmless meal between girls.
Then the Speed mage appeared. Creating a cloud of dust, the orange haired speedster skidded to a halt in front of the white brick building and walked inside. Gajeel focused his sight to see Jet pass off a rectangular black case to Levy. The two chatted for a brief moment before all three walked outside.
Bunny Girl hugged the shrimp and waved goodbye before heading back in the direction of the guild hall. However, Member 1 of the Idiot Twins walked alongside the beautiful Script mage towards an unusual part of town. Gajeel wracked his mind for what would send these two to the South-East part of Magnolia. Levy lived in the opposite direction within Fairy Hills, and he already knew she wasn't going to Lucy's home or his and her favorite bookstore was in the West near the library.
Even though Idiot 1 did not possess the spice and wood scent, seeing them together pricked his heart as a sudden possibility occurred to him. The falling sun was casting long shadows that easily hid the black clad Dragonslayer, but a jealous fire raged within him. He followed behind them for four blocks, a right turn, two blocks, left turn, and then another two blocks before the stopped in front of a small one story house.
Shrimp and Dumbass 1 talked to each other, but even with his enhanced hearing, he couldn't hear their words. Fidgeting with the black case, Levy skipped over to the front door and knocked. With the growing darkness outside, the light inside cast a silhouette of the person who opened the door. The tall, broad shouldered, masculine silhouette.
So used to specific reactions, Gajeel waited for the typical fury to rush through his veins and sharpen his claws, but it was another feeling that choked him. Instead of heat, it was ice. A solid lump in his throat made swallowing difficult as he saw her walk inside.
The door shut, sending the street back into darkness. Halfwit 1 ran off in a cloud, but Gajeel's feet drew him closer until he stood before the house. A stormed roared in his ears, and he fell to his knees. Lost in his mind, he didn't notice how much time passed until a small hand touched his shoulder. Red eyes opened and focused on the hazel gaze of the slender woman crouched in front of him.
Sweet wood. Pepper. It burned his nose and sent him into motion.
He snatched the girl under one arm, grabbing up the black box with the other, and instinct led him to his cottage on the other side of town. Levy clutched his arm and yelled at him, face turning red, but Gajeel ignored her. A heavy, steel-toed boot kicked the door open, the iron framework kept it on its hinges. Most of his small house was lined with his own iron, both for strength and so he wouldn't be tempted to eat his walls.
Stalking into the living room, the Iron Dragonslayer kicked his black metal coffee table so that it crashed against the wall with a clang, opening up space to walk up and drop his girlfriend and her case on the dark leather couch. Levy sat up from her sprawl and scowled at him but hesitated when she saw the hard glint in his eyes as he stood over her, studded arms crossed.
"Explain," Gajeel demanded.
"It was supposed to be a surprise," she murmured, looking up at him through his lashes. Twiddling her fingers, Levy tried to be patient while waiting for her boyfriend to explain his sudden outburst of crazy anger.
"Hell of a surprise," he growled, watching every minute movement and expression. Eyes wide, the bluenette slowly shifted the case until it was facing him and opened the steel latches before lifting it open.
The pained feeling in his chest evaporated when he saw a violin perched within crushed black velvet. Levy's face was turned away, bright red from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Gajeel's mouth fell open, rendered speechless as his previous fear was overshadowed by this new information.
She pushed herself to her feet, which brought their bodies close together. Taking a deep breath, the gentle woman turned and picked up the wooden instrument and its accompanying bow. Another glance up and her questioning eyes pierced him through.
"L-let me play for you?" she stammered, face bright red. Gajeel was silent for a moment before stepping back to give her room. He watched expectantly as she situated the violin upon her shoulder and made the first pull of the bow across the strings. It was a fight to keep his expression neutral when he heard a painful grating in his ears.
The faintest twitch of his eyes was the only reaction he gave. She was biting her lip, constantly looking at the long neck to make sure her fingers were in the right position. Every note was hesitant and second-guessed. His silence made her hands nervously shake.
Gajeel uncrossed his arms and walked behind her. The sounds faltered as she fought back the stinging tears forming in her eyes. Music was so important to the Dragonslayer, and she just wanted to be able to share it with him. Levy felt so embarrassed until she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, and he laid his chin on her right shoulder, opposite of where the violin rested.
"Keep playing," he growled, sending pleasant vibrations down her spine. Levy did as he asked and restarted the only song she had learned so far.
He placed soft butterfly kisses along her neck and shoulder. Sure, she was undoubtedly a terrible violinist and the sound made him want to claw off his ears, but she had learned to play for him and that made it the sweetest music that he'd ever heard.
I love the violin. It is a beautiful instrument, but if I learned anything from taking lessons as a kid, it is that when you're a beginner, it is very easy to sound like a dying animal.
Hope you enjoyed this little drabble for Gajevy! A little jealous Gajeel, Levy learning to play music, and just some fluff.