A high school AU in which Gajeel is the new kid and he and Levy don't exactly get along…yet.
A/N: This is ended up being waaaay longer than I intended and it didn't end exactly how I wanted to, but I decided to just roll with it.
I hope you enjoy the first installment of It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To!
"Levy, if you had to choose between Gajeel and your books, which one would you pick?"
"My books, of course!" she huffed. "What was Lucy thinking with a question like that?"
At a quickened pace and with an armful of books, Levy made her way down the stairs and to the library. Class had ended thirty minutes ago, but she stayed after to catch up on work she missed when she was sick at home earlier in the week. Now she was at risk of missing the next train home and she had to get to the library and out of here. The second she reached the bottom step, she floored her way down the hall and used her whole body, small as it was, to push open a door only to be met with an opposing force that sent her flying back and onto her butt. Rubbing her sore bottom, she looked around and found herself surrounded by all of the textbooks she was previously carrying.
"Really?" she groaned. She was definitely going to miss the train now. "Well, isn't this fantastic?"
"Hey, are y – oh, it's just you, Shorty."
Speak of the devil. Levy recognized that low voice instantly. She frowned as Gajeel Redfox loomed over her with his arms crossed and one brow raised. His ridiculously thick hair was pulled back by a hair tie, but that didn't make him look any less menacing. She stiffened as he leaned towards her.
"Are ya gonna sit there all day or what?"
Levy gasped as he grabbed her arm and hoisted her up as though it was nothing. She stared at him as he bent down to pick up the books she had dropped. When he had them stacked neatly and placed half of the books in her hands and carried the rest, she continued to stare at him, speechless. He seemed to be uncomfortable with her lack of a response and became mildly annoyed.
"Quit yer starin', Shorty," he grumbled. He walked ahead of her and held the door open. "Yer going to the library, right?"
"What are you doing?" Levy blurted. "You usually tease me and Jet and Droy and you always get grumpy whenever I talk to you. This morning you kept poking me in the back during class and I couldn't concentrate. You just moved here and –"
"Alright, I get it," he interrupted. He closed the door and faced her with a guilty look on his face. "I haven't been that nice to ya. I'm…sorry."
A little taken aback, she opened my mouth in surprise, forming a perfect "o". She shifted from side to side, unsure of how to respond. They stood in the hallway, the awkward silence so thick that it could sliced with a knife. Countless thoughts swirled through Levy's head. Should she forgive him? Ask him why the sudden change of heart? Tell him that she needs more than that? The books she carried strained my fingers and tried to adjust them to a more comfortable position but almost dropped them again in the process.
"Let me hold those."
He attempted to lift them from her hands, but was refused. He paused and stepped back as she looked him in the eyes. The hostile glint that Levy was used to was no longer there and was replaced with regret and even the slightest hint of sorrow. A pang in her heart told her that something was going to change. She turned away as she thought of what to say.
"Hey, I really am sorry."
"I can see that," Levy answered softly. The nearest clock chimed, signaling the start of the next hour, and she could see that the sun was beginning to set. Now there was no way she was going to catch her train. "Can I ask why?"
Her hazel eyes watched Gajeel as he leaned against the nearest wall and sighed.
"This is gonna sound like a lame excuse, but I didn't realize that I was actin' like…such an ass to ya," he answered. "I'm not a morning person and I thought it'd be easier to act how I usually do instead of like some lost loser, but that didn't work. I was an ass. I'm sorry, Shorty, I don't –"
"It's okay, I forgive you." She cut him off and gave him a small smile. Slack-jawed, Gajeel stared at her. She laughed as he recovered and stood up straight.
"What do ya mean?" he asked cautiously.
"I accept your apology and I forgive you." A faint tint of red appeared on Levy's cheeks as she continued to speak. "Truthfully, I was annoyed with you earlier and was a little worked up over something Lucy had said, but that's okay now."
"Was it that question about whether you'd choose yer books or me?" A sheepish look appeared on his face and he avoided her eyes.
"How did you know?" Levy couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.
"Ya sure ask a lot of questions, Shorty."
"Gajeel."
He stayed silent and continued to avoid meeting her eyes. Levy pursed her lips and turned on her heel. She walked past him and pushed the door open.
"I'm going to put these back so if you feel like answering later, go ahead. I won't push you."
She left him and made her way to the library. The red light of the setting sun streamed through windows of the hallway that led to the library entrance. Discontented by Gajeel's lack of a response, she frowned. Why did he apologize but not answer her simple question? She just didn't understand.
Levy halted when she heard heavier footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Gajeel walking towards her rather quickly. He stopped in front of her with maybe two feet in between them and was a little pink in the face. Quietly, she waited for him to say something.
"I asked Natsu to ask Lucy to ask ya that question," he said through gritted teeth. Now he was bright red. Perplexed, Levy tilted her head and furrowed her brow.
"Why…that question?"
"I wanted to know what ya thought of me." At this point, he couldn't look her in the eye and broke into a cold sweat. He grimaced as Levy opened her mouth to question him again.
"Why…?"
"Well, yer pretty damn cute, McGarden, that's why!" he growled furiously.
That's when he reached his breaking point. Unable to take it anymore, he left and walked ahead of her to the library. Flustered by his sudden and unforeseen confession, her jaw dropped, but with characteristic determination and flexibility, she managed to recover quickly. Levy whipped around and followed him, causing him to quicken his pace.
"Wait, Gajeel!" she called out. But her attempt to stop him proved to be fruitless as he charged right into the library without looking back.
She burst through the doors and looked around to see where he had gone. She found that he had already disappeared and took to searching up and down the aisles for him. He was in the last one, putting the books away. The sight of a diligent and quiet Gajeel contrasted from how Levy usually saw him. A small smile crept up on her face as she neared his hulking figure.
"Gajeel."
She placed her pile of books on the floor and lightly touched his arm. He stopped and looked her. He was beet red and any ounce of hostility that usually appeared on his face was all gone. Unable to hold eye contact with her for long, he averted his eyes and pretended to be preoccupied with a presumably loose button on his sleeve.
"What, Shorty?" he grunted while deliberately fumbling with his sleeve.
When Levy first saw Gajeel, she was intimidated by his gorilla like build and surly expression. She felt the same when he took the desk behind her. When he started to blend in with the rest of their classmates, she felt more at ease with him. When he would pester her during class or gibe Jet and Droy, she grew frustrated and wanted to distance herself from him. When he apologized, her heart softened and she forgave him. When he told her that she was cute, she found herself following him.
"Gajeel Redfox."
The conviction in her voice and the use of his full name defeated him. He sighed and reluctantly met her eyes. She stood tall despite her small stature; this was the reason he initially took interest in her. He took in how her blue hair cascaded to her shoulders, how the sunset lit up her face, how there was dust on her blazer from when she fell earlier. Levy McGarden stood before him and he wanted to hide, but he also couldn't be happier.
"Y-yeah?" he stuttered.
He cursed himself. Yeah, keep it up, Redfox, you must look so tough right now, he thought.
He didn't quite know what he was expecting, but he definitely didn't expect Levy to duck her head and hold out her hand. Flummoxed, he glanced at the top of her bowed head and then stared at her outstretched hand. What was this, a surrender? A call for a treaty? Were they in the midst of a battle?
When he didn't do anything, Levy lifted her head and retracted her hand. Now it was her turn to be embarrassed. She cleared her throat and adjusted the headband that kept her bangs out of her flushed face. The confidence she had just seconds ago was gone and was replaced with unadulterated awkwardness.
"Okay, um, well." She laughed to ease the uncomfortable ambience. "Maybe I shouldn't have started that way."
And with one deep breath, she was able to regain what she had lost. She held out her hand again and smiled in a way that made Gajeel's heart skip a beat and his breath catch.
"Gajeel, let's get along from now on, okay?"
The situation was unusual, but Gajeel found himself unable to think, captivated by Shorty's smile. His hand slipped into hers and her soft fingers enveloped his calloused hand.
"S-sure thing."
She released his hand and continued to smile, a pink tint apparent on her cheeks. Gajeel felt his own face heat up again and he took a small step back.
"The hell was that?" he grumbled. Clearly embarrassed but pleased, Levy laughed.
"A negotiation of sorts." She crossed one leg over the other and swayed from side to side. "A treaty, perhaps? A deal? An unorthodox approach to becoming closer to someone? A roundabout way of saying that I'm flattered by your feelings?"
He blinked and let her words sink in.
"Do you mean…?" He trailed off, uncertain of whether he should continue or not.
"It means that we should get along, first."
He did his best to suppress his grin, but ended up making a rather smug face instead. Levy reddened and narrowed her eyes before crouching down to begin putting away her stack of books
"I said let's get along first, Gajeel."
He chuckled and returned to his stack of borrowed books. Now that she wasn't looking at him, he grinned without restraint.
"I heard ya, Shorty."