This was an AU Prompt given to me on Tumblr! Enjoy!
Mysterious and dangerous. That was the description of Levy's new neighbor. He had moved in a little over a month ago, and while she had caught herself staring at him at first maybe slightly out of fear she had recently caught herself staring at him for a very different reason. He was sort of beautiful. Tall, ungodly tall-well most people were compared to her short stature- very well built, long, black unruly hair and piercing. Oh the piercings. The man had them on his arms, eyebrows, either side of his nose and under his lips. They were intriguing, that's the word she was going to use, intriguing. And she couldn't help but be curious if he had more and where they might be.
The man usually seemed to be in a foul mood so she hadn't been too keen on introducing herself to him at first plus he would leave early in the morning and get back late in the evening, so she never really had the chance to meet him in the first place.
It was one warm spring evening and Levy was watering the flowers in her back yard garden; she was rather proud of them, her best friend from high school had helped her get them started and she had somehow successfully managed to keep them alive. Her neighbor had walked out into his own backyard to turn his grill on, Levy felt like she was being watched so she carefully stood back up from where she was currently bent over pulling some weeds and pushing back a stray lock of blue hair she turned and caught his eyes. The man looked flustered and she couldn't help but smile.
"Hi," the man said simply. "Uh, I'm Gajeel Redfox." He walked over and before Levy realized it she had met him halfway.
"Hello! I'm Levy, Levy McGarden," she smiled warmly at him, yeah he was definitely sort of beautiful close up.
The man laughed in an odd manner and Levy raised an eyebrow, "Gihi! Levy McGarden out in her garden!" He seemed way too proud of his joke and beamed at her while continuing to laugh in his strange way.
She couldn't help but laugh at his horrible joke and that laugh was way too cute. "That's a first actually. Haven't heard that one," she awkwardly responded to him while still chuckling to herself. He's a pretty nice guy after all.
The man looked back towards to his and seemed to frown, "I uh, gotta get back inside. It's nice to meet ya shrimp!"
"Shrimp?" She was appalled at his sudden nickname for her, she hadn't known him but for a few short minutes and he was already giving her a nickname?
"Yer so small! And...cute." she noticed the blush he tried to hide as he played off trying to scratch his nose and she couldn't help but forgive the large man. She liked this guy. She liked this guy? She was lost in her thoughts and almost didn't hear him speak again, "Anyway I gotta get goin, Lily's prolly' mad at me that I ain't back yet."
Lily. A girl? Of course he'd have a girlfriend. That's just her luck. "Oh I'm sorry to have kept you! It was great meeting you! Have a good day!" She retreated back into her house before he could say anything else.
A few weeks had passed and she hadn't heard mention of "Lily" since that day. Their meetings had become much more common, she had invited him over a few times and while he never stayed over too long they always had a good time. He was nothing like what he portrayed, he was funny, sweet, a bit brash and incredibly flirtatious. She also realized he had never invited her over, but she shrugged it off to him being a man and probably not wanting to clean his house.
Another week and still no mention of Lily, Levy was feeling good about this and the fact she had never seen a woman come or go from the house next door, so when a couple lights in her kitchen thankfully blew out she took the opportunity to make her move. She caught him one day after he had returned home from the store and asked him to help change the light bulbs in exchange for making him dinner. He agreed; score!
The evening had gone rather well and after dinner they found themselves on the couch watching some movie Gajeel was gushing over, Levy sat close to him and ever so slowly she leaned into his shoulder, when she felt his arm wrap around her she couldn't help the smile that crept across her face and she rested her head against him.
A few short minutes later Gajeel shot up off the couch, "Shit! I told Lily I was only going out to the store! Sorry shrimp!" And he was gone, leaving Levy flabbergasted. What the hell just happened?
A few days later and while he was still as flirty as ever Levy had had enough, she backed off and only kept her conversations with the man short and to the point. So it was a rather odd sight one early Saturday morning that strange noises pulled her to the window looking out into the backyard.
She had heard yelling and various curses coming from who could only be her neighbor. She opened the window and looked out in shock to see the large man, clad only in gym shorts and boots chasing a black cat through her garden. He had managed to break a few rosebushes and was now trampling through the tulips whistling as said cat managed to keep away from him. She couldn't help but laugh, even at the cost of the destruction of her plants.
That's when he turned and his eyes met hers, "Oh. Shit. Um, my cat ran into your garden and I thought you were out and well now here I am running through your garden... and how long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," she laughed. The cat took a turn and ran towards the open window leaping up into Levy's arms. "Oh!"
"Well huh, Lily seems to like ya." Gajeel walked over to the back door, opening it and kicking off his muddy boots he stepped inside.
"Lily?" Levy looked up quizzinlgy at the man that was now standing in front of her.
"Yeah, my cat. Lily, short for Pantherlily. He usually hates people so I never invite anyone over."
Lily was his cat. Lily was his cat. Oh dear Mavis Lily was his CAT! Not a woman! Levy smiled as she held the black cat in her arms.
"He likes me huh?" There was a double meaning there and she hoped he caught on.
He moved closer to her with a smile on his own face, "He sure does." He wrapped his arm around her waist and cupping her chin with the fingers of his other hand gently lifted her face up to meet her lips with his in a small yet passionate kiss.
Lily purred.
