"Levy, what on earth are you reading?" Lucy asked, obviously shocked as she walked in on her friend reading a book far out of her usual repertoire.
"Car manual," Levy replied absentmindedly.
"What?"
"The manual for my car," Levy elaborated with a sigh.
"Yeah, I got that the first time, but why?" Lucy plopped down onto the sofa beside her housemate. "I thought Gajeel fixed your car?"
"He does," Levy said. Her nose was still buried in the book.
"So why are you reading a car manual?"
Levy only hummed in response, so Lucy pulled the book from her hands.
"Lu! I was reading that," Levy complained.
"Answer my questions and you can have it back," Lucy said with a laugh.
"Gajeel had an idea," Levy began. "Usually people give up stuff for lent, but having been students for years we're too used to giving stuff up. So he suggested that we should 'share a skill' or learn something from each other. We thought it'd be a better challenge."
"And this leads to you reading a car manual?"
"Well Gajeel is going to teach me how to fix basic bits of my car," Levy explained. "And I'm going to teach him French."
"French?"
"Well we want to go on holiday next summer and he picked France so…"
"So you're reading ahead?"
"Yup," Levy said and snatched the book back.
"Well good luck with that," Lucy said, unheard by Levy. She jumped up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen where she found Juvia cooking.
"Lucy, do you want to try a cupcake?"
"What flavour?" Lucy asked.
"Lemon," Juvia replied. "Have one of those ones that spilled over, I'm saving the nice ones for icing once they've cooled."
Lucy picked up a wonky looking cupcake and took a bite.
"You know, when you first started baking you were actually awful. But this is amazing! You've improved so much!" Lucy shoved the rest of the cupcake in her mouth.
"I'm practicing for Gray's birthday," Juvia admitted. She took another of the wonky cupcakes and took a bite. "Hmm, you don't think it's too lemony?"
"Well I like lemon cake so I wouldn't complain," Lucy replied. "But I wouldn't put any more in."
"Okay," Juvia mumbled. "Are you cooking lunch? Do you want me to clear a work surface?" Juvia's baking had taken up most of the available workspace in the kitchen.
"I'm just making a sandwich so I'll make do," Lucy said. "We were all going to go to that new steak house before the cinema tonight."
"What are you seeing?"
"That new martial arts film the boys want to see," Lucy said with a groan. She had little interest in the film as she knew the boys and Erza would spend the entire time nitpicking the prowess of the actors in the fights.
"Is Gray going?"
"Probably," Lucy said. "Why? Do you want to come?"
"I wouldn't want to intrude," Juvia said shyly as she mixed the butter icing.
"Nonsense, just come anyway," Lucy said. "I'll text Natsu and let him know you're coming."
"Lucy! No! You can't do that!"
Lucy had already whipped her phone out and was halfway through writing the text.
"I can."
"No, I shouldn't!"
"Oops, I sent it!" Lucy grinned. "You have to come now."
"But what do I wear?"
"It's the cinema! No one cares," Lucy said. She pulled out the lettuce and salad cream from the fridge and began making her sandwich. Juvia returned to her icing, but Lucy could hear her muttering about clothing combinations. "Juvia?"
"Hmm?"
"What do you think my best skill is?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well Gajeel is good at fixing cars and stuff, Levy is great at languages and stuff, what am I good at?"
"Writing? Isn't that your job?" Juvia suggested. "Fashion? You always look nice. I don't know, probably writing."
"Thanks," Lucy said. She pondered for a moment, was writing a skill she could teach? Levy and Gajeel's challenge had her thinking.
"Yes! Yes! Die!" Natsu screamed at the TV screen.
"No! You arse!" Gray groaned as his player collapsed.
"No, you just suck," Natsu teased.
"I suck? Really? I beat you last time!"
"That was a fluke."
Author's note: No idea where this was going but I'm clearing out my drafts so...