My first chaptered fic! I hope everyone is in character and that you enjoy the story :D

It's six in the morning and Natsu is unquestionably dying. His head is in Lucy's lap, the blonde running her fingers through his hair, nails lightly scratching his scalp, as she texts Levy about some weird romance book the two are obsessed with at the moment.

"We wouldn't have to take the train if you would just wake up earlier, Natsu." The girl tells him absentmindedly.

Is she really scolding him? Now? Doesn't she know he'll puke on her purely out of spite? Luckily for her, she's got a great best friend who settles for merely drooling on her (although that's not even on purpose).

"Wha- Natsu!" She shouts, hurriedly tucking a handkerchief under the mess of a boy's face. Lucy scowls down at him with her eyebrows furrowed. "You're so gross."

He replies with nonsensical babbling.

The blonde's attention is then snagged by the ping of her cell phone. She lets out a squeal and she begins tapping furiously. She probably has that weird little smile on her face with sparkles in her eyes or whatever. Her cheeks are probably that light pink-they get like that after she's been laughing for a while too. He squints his eyes open, looking up at her.

Bingo.

He was right, but of course, he was. Lucy is his best friend after all. He knows everything about her.

Natsu is feeling pretty smug until the train lurches and he's immediately dying again.

Transportation sucked.

Natsu bursts into class with a few other stragglers, luckily the teacher wasn't there yet. Students were sitting on desks or crowded around one another. He clumsily slides into his seat next to Gray, knocking into him only to get pushed back in the opposite direction which sends him toppling onto the floor.

"What the hell-"

"Natsu! You were nearly marked as tardy, that's the third time this week." Erza interrupts, scolding him from her desk a few seats up.

What is this pick on Natsu day?

"It's Lucy's fault," he protests. "After I dropped her off at her class she turned into a beast and tried to kill me." He explains, wondering how they hadn't heard her enraged scream of "What do you mean you burned my notes?!" He was sure it had echoed all across the school.

In hindsight, she should have known better than to trust him with such important papers.

Gray snorts, raising a brow." What did you do to her?" His uniform shirt was already unbuttoned and would undoubtedly be gone by the end of class. This was great for Juvia who was seated a few desks away and peeking at him every now and then, her cheeks a light pink.

"Burned her notes again."

"I hope she beats you up next period." A light voice quips and the pink haired male whirls around only to see Lisanna. He frowns, looking like she betrayed him and his entire family.

"Gi hi hi," Gajeel snickers from his spot on Juvia's desk. "I'm gonna record it."

"Ah? You wanna go? I'll kick both of your asses!"

"Like hell, you will,"

There's a moment of silence before Gajeel is tackled and Juvia's chair is yanked back just in time to dodge a wild elbow. It's Cana, looking incredibly tired, but she gives a little grin when Juvia quietly thanks her. The two girls watch as they tumble to the ground, grappling at each other and trying to get the upper hand.

Lisanna bursts into giggles as she cheers for the both of them, switching accordingly when it looks like the opposite is winning. The fight catches the attention of a few classmates who easily go back to what they were doing.

Just those idiots making a ruckus as usual.

Gray shakes his head in vague amusement, unconsciously beginning to unbutton his pants. "School's just starting, and you guys are already this energetic."

"Shut up, Gray! You're next!" Natsu shouts as he struggles to get out of the headlock Gajeel had him in. During his attempt to perform a backwards headbutt he flails around wildly, catching an unusual scent coming from the long-haired male. Not that he was just randomly smelling people- this was his friend! Besides even if he was what were they gonna do about it? He only noticed because it was so familiar, but he couldn't place it. He scowls trying to figure out what it was. Did he start using a new soap or something-

"Ack!" He almost forgot he was getting choked out for a second there.

He's snatched completely out of his thoughts when Erza stands up with her hands on her hips. Her eyes are narrowed, and her voice is as commanding as ever." Quiet down and get back to your seats everyone, class is starting!"

Natsu is quick to pipe up with an "Aye~", tapping the muscled arm around his neck in defeat. However, Gajeel clicks his tongue, muttering "You're not the boss a' me."

"What? Is there a problem?" Erza tilts her head, long hair shifting with her movement. Gajeel stares into her soulless eyes stubbornly, feeling sweat forming on the back of his neck.

He lets Natsu go.

He takes his seat.

Finally, class begins.

—

Watching Bunny girl's pristine boot fly towards Salamander's head was simultaneously the highlight of his day and the worst decision he's ever made. (Well, on that day)

This one action triggered absolute chaos.

How? The impact of the kick sent Natsu flying into Lisanna. Which meant Elfman appearing seemingly out of thin air to protect his sister's manliness. A few misplaced punches and you've got yourself a hallway brawl.

Anyway, that's how he finds himself in the principal's office with a sore jaw and some bruised knuckles. Along the way, he'd somehow lost his headband which sucked because he really liked that one.

Next to him is a disheveled Lucy, who has the decency to look ashamed. She's dragging her fingers through her wild blonde hair, trying to mold it back into some type of tameness and not appearing like she just woke up from a wild night out.

Or like she just got jumped, either or really.

Next to her is Mirajane, who hadn't even been involved. At least she hadn't been involved in throwing punches, unfortunately, she had caught quite a few of them.

Gajeel side eyes the bruise on her forehead.

Definitely caught a few of them.

And finally, there was Principal Dreyar with a cheerful grin on his wrinkled face as he stands in front of them. "Well, quite a surprise seeing you three here together." He sounds amused, which makes Lucy perk up, a hopeful look on her face.

Poor first-timer doesn't even know what's coming next. He doesn't know how she avoided being in the office for this long, like look at who her friends are.

Gajeel sniffs, he's been in here enough times to know that smile is nothing but trouble.

They get 3 days of detention!

Well, detention plus what would be considered community service. But at least cleaning the gym was one of the easier punishments. He remembers when he'd gotten caught skipping class and he was forced to help some lowerclassmen get more adjusted to the school.

Interacting with people in a friendly manner.

It was hell.

Gajeel shudders at the thought, easily maneuvering through the crowded halls. Principal Makarov had been blabbering about his troubles as an old man and how he couldn't 'get down like he used to'. Nothing related to them fighting whatsoever but his words had been a punishment in itself. The amount of relief he felt when the lunch bell went off and they were released was unexplainable.

Another thing that was unexplainable was Mirajane walking next to him like they were all buddy-buddy.

Bunny girl was there as well. The two were talking about what had just transpired, the blonde asking if getting in trouble was always like that. He snorts and doesn't even get to respond-not that he was gonna in the first place- because she answers her own question.

He merely grunts and takes advantage of the fact that he has longer legs.

"Huh? Mira, is he getting farther away?"

—

His attempt to get away from them fails because he somehow ends up sitting with the two of them as well as a few others. To be more specific it was the ones who had been involved in the fight but had split as soon as they had seen Gildarts crashing through the other students. He's pretty sure he saw the teacher landing a few hits as well.

Gajeel stares longingly at his dark table across the cafeteria.

"We were already together, why not eat lunch with your friends for once?" Lucy grins at him, eyebrows raised and cheeks a happy pink, "you can go back to your oh-so-scary table tomorrow." She teases.

He turns his gaze to the blonde and frowns at her. "Bold of you to assume we're friends."

Her smile falters and she rolls her eyes. "You're so mean Gajeel." She huffs and reaches for her sweet bun. Her fingers hit the bottom of her lunchbox and she squawks in indignation.

"My food! Are you serious Natsu?"

This was another reason he sat at his table.

These fuckers were much too loud and sometimes a guy just wanted to eat his food quietly while thinking about his cat.

Speaking of his cat he glances at the pink haired boy. Natsu was laughing as Lucy tried to shove him off the bench.

"Oi, Salamander, Wendy wants to know if you're still bringing your weak ass cat over today." It was no secret that the two of them had playdates for their cats every weekend and the other boy attempted to devour everything that was in their fridge.

"Of course, I'm bringing Happy over! And he isn't weak your cat is just grossly muscular, what'd you do to get him that big?" Natsu complains, lower lip jutting out in a pout at Gajeels words and Lucy still trying to push him off the bench.

Gajeel smirks, the smugness just rolling off of him. Salamander wishes he could have a cat like Lily.

"I feed him other cats."

Gray pauses in his eating and frowns bothered by the information he was forced to hear. He doubts that it's actually true but the serious expression on Gajeel's face made it hard to determine if he really was joking.

Gajeel notices him looking and bares his teeth, much like an animal.

Disturbing.

The shirtless boy shakes his head and continues eating.

Gajeel turns his attention elsewhere when Gray finally looks away like the weak beta male he is. Soon after he notices that Mira was staring at him, had been for the past- he glances up at the clock on the wall – five minutes. She had this contemplative look on her face, her crystal blue eyes darting from his chest to his face every now and then. She wasn't the type to go looking for a fight, but she had been looking five minutes too long and Gajeel, however, was the type. His ruby gaze slides over to her.

"See somethin' you like?" He leers.

Mira blinks and her lips curl into a pleasant smile.

"You look very nice today, Gajeel! I was just trying to figure out what band that was on your shirt." She giggles, sounding like tinkling bells. It only serves to make him scowl even more. The hell was she laughing at?

He takes a quick glance at his outfit, steadfastly ignoring the faint blush on his cheeks. (he didn't look nice, he looked badass.) It's a long sleeved burgundy colored t-shirt, kinda baggy, with the band name clearly printed on the front and if he's being honest, he has no idea where he even got the shirt from, he doesn't even know the band. Then there are his black jeans and his combat boots. He's entirely out of uniform.

Nonetheless, he squints at her," you can't read?" He asks bluntly. "Shit's right there."

There's a vague gesture to his chest.

Mirajane bats her eyelashes and tilts her head before her eyes widen a bit. He absentmindedly notices the way her little ponytail bounces with her movements.

"Oh my! There it is right there, I'm so silly." She giggles again seeming so amused, the sound makes him uneasy. "I couldn't see it with all the designs overlapping each other."

Gajeel merely scowls at her and nods briskly. He was always thrown off by her bubbly character and the way that shit could just flip to her being downright wicked.

Not that he was scared of her or nothin'.

He chugs his can of soda and is just about to go dump his tray when he hears her voice again.

"You know," she begins," Laxus likes that band too, I think he has the same shirt."

There's a little smile on her face and he doesn't like the way she said that. Putting way too much emphasis on that guy's name like it was supposed to mean something.

He clicks his tongue, mildly annoyed and slightly confused. Who cares about that big blonde bastard and what shitty bands he likes. Gajeel side-eyes her before he makes a hasty retreat right out of the cafeteria, knocking his shoulder into someone, barely sparing them a glance only seeing a flash of black hair as he stomps away.

—

"A shrimp? In my halls?" Gajeel taunts loudly, enjoying the immediate look of dismay on the short girl's face. He'd spotted the familiar head of blue hair after roaming the halls for a bit, waiting for the end of the lunch break. She was putting up a poster, something about the 'after school festivities'. He snorts seeing how low it was placed on the wall. He was surprised to see her alone, her man servants nowhere to be found. In fact, there was barely anyone in the hall, everyone either staying in class or still in the cafeteria.

"More likely than you think!" His mouth was open but that hadn't been his voice. Gajeel's nose scrunches up and he looks around until he spots Lisanna walks past him laughing.

"Nice one Gajeel." She gives him a thumbs up with a cheerful little grin.

He glowers at the back of her head, these Strauss siblings were getting entirely too comfortable interacting with him. Next thing he'd know he'd have Elfman yapping in his ear about manliness.

He needed to fix that immediately.

"Fuck off!"

It's not his best but the way she turns around to look at him, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed in offense, reveals that maybe it was good enough. Her previous thumbs up changes and he finds himself being aggressively thumbed down.

He flips her off in response.

"Was that really necessary?" Gajeel looks over at Levy who had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"Wouldn't have done it if it wasn't." He tells her gruffly.

She shakes her head looking begrudgingly amused like she just saw a child do something inappropriate but just funny enough that they avoided punishment.

"What are you doing out here anyway? You're normally one of the stragglers." She glances at him curiously.

He shrugs," Switchin ' things up."

"Hm." Levy purses her lips, "really? That's not like you. You're not really the spontaneous type." She teases and signals him to follow her with a little wave.

Gajeels rolls his eyes, "Tch. You don't know shit. I'm hella' spontaneous."

The blue haired girl laughs at his grumbling as she moves onto the next hall.

After being roped into helping Levy put up the rest of the posters (crookedly at that) the two spent the remaining lunch period near the cafeteria doors. Levy was waiting for Lucy and Gajeel, well, Gajeel didn't really know why he was waiting around.

He glances about, the halls still deserted. This was actually the perfect time to go duck off into the bathrooms.

He didn't really feel like going to his next class.

The short girl is in the midst of spewing out names he didn't know and situations he didn't really care about. He believes it was about a show or a book. Either way, he pushes off of the wall they had been comfortably leaning against and gives a curt," bye."

"And they definitely,-Oh!" Levy frowns at his audacity, crossing her arms as she watches him walk off.

Just as that happens the bell rings, and students start filling the halls. That rude jerk becomes less visible until it's just a sea of faces.

Thanks for reading, tell me what you think or even what I could do better!