person a seducing person b into taking a few steps back/backing them against the wall ("oh look, how did that mistletoe get right there?")
Trying my hand at another AU OneShot! Enjoy!
"Are you going to say something or are you just going to stare at her and brood all night?"
The voice just barely pricked at the edge of his attention. Red eyes flicked over to the black cat standing on the table to his left with arms crossed. The Iron Dragon Slayer concealed half of his flushed face with the large mug of hot spiced rum, the same beverage that had the whole guild hall in its usual uproar. The noise and activity was deafening, but it was almost Christmas, and like every other event big and small, they had to celebrate. By getting uproariously drunk. And singing.
Gajeel, on the other hand, settled for quietly approaching the abandonment of sobriety. Partly because he couldn't shut his thoughts up or take his off a certain blunette, and partly because some apparent new custom had him intrigued. "I ain't broodin' Lil." The man rumbled in response, setting his gaze back onto the girl. "I'm thinkin'."
Levy was three sheets to the wind already, and had spilled her drink at least twice. Rosy-cheeked, beaming, she was a ball of uncoordinated sunshine and even if he hadn't been trying to some up with some kind of plan, he would still be staring at her.
"Well she'll be in bed by the time you come up with anything, at this rate." The Exceed replied, following Gajeel's stare to the solid script mage.
His gaze flicked up to the green and white plant, strung up and tied with a red bow over the corner of the bar. He had observed, over the course of the evening, intriguing activity under what looked like just some innocuous plant. Juvia had first dragged Gray by the collar, spinning him around and shouting something about love and romance, and all but pinned him under the decoration before he could weasel himself away from her ,but not without a kiss on the cheek. Evergreen and Elfman ended up beneath it on accident, while trying to refill drinks, and nearly self combusted with their blushes before turning away from each other. Later in the night, Bisca and Alzack had, more intentionally, situated themselves under it and kissed.
The not knowing continued to pull at Gajeel, and he narrowed his eyes. "Lily." The black cat looked back to him and hummed in acknowledgement. "What is that thing?" With a nod of his head he gestured to the item, and it took a moment for Lily's gaze to find it and understand what Gajeel had referred to.
A small smirk played on the cat's face when it all came together. "That's mistletoe." He responded, simply, looking from the corner of his eye to his friend.
He swung his gaze back to the cat, annoyance on his features. "And? I'm askin' what it's for. Why's everyone bein' so weird around it?"
Much to his frustration, Lily answered him first with a laugh. The Exceed was savoring this, no doubt about it. "It's a tradition, for Christmas here in EarthLand. You're supposed to kiss if you find yourself under it with another person."
Gajeel's brows raised in surprise first. He turned his gaze downwards in thought, his free hand gripping his chin. "Interestin'." He said, looking back to the cheery blunette, who was now standing with Lucy, singing or shouting he couldn't figure which. "Very interestin'."
The dragon slayer turned up the mug and down the three-fourths of beverage left like it was water, letting it warm his core and provide him with that last buzz of courage. He slammed the mug down and abruptly rose to his feet, striding across the hall.
Levy, meanwhile, was mid carol with Lucy when she swung her arm outwards, mug in hand. It would have spilled entirely, had she not felt someone grab it and smoothly pull it from her grasp.
"Ya tryin' to waste all the alcohol tonight, shrimp?" Honey-colored eyes flew up to meet his red ones, nearly robbing him of his resolve on the spot.
"Gajeel!" She exclaimed up at the taller man with a bright smile, which quickly broke into bubbly laughter. "I wasn't gonna spill."
"Ya have twice already."
"I have not!" She protested, puffing her cheeks in adorable frustration.
Oh yes, she was drunk. Which would either make this easier and more amusing, or turn into a slap on the face. "Are ya sure?" His voice had dropped a few tones. Gajeel bent forward, putting himself very close to her. Levy's already flushed face flared as she stiffened with the sudden proximity. He reached out, boldly, and brushed his thumb down the side of her neck, back along her collarbone, settling on the front of the collar of her yellow sweater dress. "Cause ya have some here," He tapped a small round stain, "And down here." Smoothly, he reached down and gently poked her stomach, where another small, unfortunate stain was. "All over this nice dress."
It took Levy until that moment to realize fully how close he was, how hushed and husky his voice was, and she stumbled backwards a few steps. She could have sworn she saw his eyes flick up to something behind her, before settling back on her.
His lips curled into an amused grin and he tilted his head a little. "What's a'matter?" Gajeel called to her, feigning ignorance.
"N-Nothing!" Levy waved her hands in front of her, face red.
Gajeel straightened up, holding her drink out to his side still, and took a few steps to bring himself back into her bubble, towering over her. "Then why are ya blushin' so much, shorty?" The distressed flailing and sudden hiding of her face brought a rush of satisfaction. But not as much as the couple more steps back that she took.
"I'm-I'm not!"
He was back in her space again, his face very close to hers. Her eyes went wide and her breath caught in her throat. What is he doing?! Her thoughts and heart raced, and the endless flutter in her stomach was all she could feel.
"You are." Gajeel all but whispered, voice rumbling, to her. "I'd think ya like me, blushin' like that."
Levy threw her hands over her face again and practically squealed. "Stupid Gajeel!" She mumbled into her hands. The blunette was far too flustered and intoxicated to process his sudden advances, let alone find a coherent way to speak to him.
Not that these advances were unwelcome. She'd be lying to herself if she tried to say this was unwelcome. Or that she hadn't wished on many an occasion that he would just make the first move because the tension and "does he/doesn't he" was suffocating. Hell if she had the guts to make a move herself, because imagine the mortification if he didn't feel the same way and it was a true shot in the dark? But she hadn't planned for how she would actually handle the scenario if he did make a move. And it was now abundantly clear that she was an awkward, blundering, drunk noodle of a person that had almost forgotten how to breathe. And she was going to make an idiot of herself and drive him off before anything even happened.
"Am I too close?" His lips practically brushed the rim of her ear, the warm breath fanning against her and startling the blunette back to the present. Her every sense electrified as a wave of adrenaline pulsed through her, and she wanted to both melt and jump out of her skin at the same time.
Not close enough. Levy's thoughts answered immediately, before she could stop them as she jumped back a little more.
"Gihe! How bold o' ya, shrimp." Levy's eyes went wide in horror when she realized that she had, in fact, said that out loud.
"W-wait, I, that's not what I," Levy tried to cover it up, to dig herself back out of the massive hole of embarrassment with a few more steps backward, but she couldn't think of a single thing and her back finally met the bar. Trapped, the small mage watched Gajeel take the final few agonizingly and tauntingly slow steps towards her to close the distance again.
He stopped, painfully close. It took a moment, but a triumphant smile beamed across his face and his trademark 'gihe!' chuckle shook him. That was almost too easy! He thought, astronomically pleased with himself.
Levy tilted her head and furrowed her brow in unamused confusion, feeling now that this might have all just been a mean joke. Seeing where her thoughts were going, Gajeel looked up slightly and gestured with a nod of his head. "Look up, Levy."
The blunette followed his gaze and her eyes widened, with another blazing blush, when she found herself beneath the mistletoe. Shocked and questioning eyes fell back to him, just in time to catch him leaning over her again, his free hand rested on the bar behind her. Gajeel? Are you really…?
Those red cheeks, the tousled blue hair, the flustered expression, and the way her chest heaved all worked together to try and destroy his composed, intentionally suave demeanor. It was an active effort to not come apart at the seams with his desire for the adorable creature that he, apparently, could rattle so easily. He was thankful for the mug in one hand, and the bar that he could grip tightly to steady himself.
"Y'know the rules, right?" He prodded, tilting his head with that ever-present smile.
Levy's breathing went ragged, and she swallowed hard. "Finally." She breathed, before both, tiny hands, took a hold of the front of his jacket and she pulled herself up to close the distance between them.