Notes: Posted this to tumblr, since it's a bit longer decided to post here as well. It's a bit rushed and OOC, but I had fun writing. I may write a sequel if the inspiration hits, so if you enjoy it and would like that please tell me. Otherwise, enjoy the fic!

Prompt: "i thought someone was breaking into my apartment but it turns out you just forgot your key and thought this was your place" AU

Levy almost didn't notice the noise at the door, as lost in her book as she was. In fact, at first she thought she was just imagining it. She knew better than to read horror novels late at night, they always freaked her out. So when the thumping near the door started, she just brushed it off as her imagination.

And sure enough it soon faded until she all but forgot about it.

At least until the scratching near the window started.

Fear shot through her, adrenaline making her pulse race and her heart pound painfully against her ribcage. She knew for a fact she wasn't imagining that, which meant there was someone—or something—outside her window and trying to get in.

The window that her back was facing.

Her breath was frozen in her lungs and she slid her hand across the couch, not daring to look away from the book in her lap. The letters seemed to swim on the page, no longer forming words, but she didn't dare move more for fear of alerting the intruder to her presence.

Her fingers brushed the cool screen of her phone and she closed her hand around it, sliding it closer to her, just as she heard the bang on the glass.

She couldn't stop the startled shriek and threw herself to the floor, phone flying across the room with a clatter. Her heart slammed against her ribcage and she quickly went through all the possible actions she could take. If she bolted for the front door she'd probably make it there before they got inside, but what if there was someone waiting there? If she ran for the bedroom then she'd be virtually locked in there, but if they were just here for stuff they might leave her be.

She looked towards where her phone had landed. It was closer to the window than she'd like so she couldn't very well run and snag it without being seen, and if they broke in when she was grabbing it she'd be cornered with nowhere to go.

Maybe if she headed for the kitchen she could grab something to use as a weapon …

Another sound came from the window, and she bit her lip, pushing herself up to peer over the back of the couch. She could just barely make out a huge, hulking figure on the balcony before she dropped back to the floor.

Okay, fighting was no longer an option. They'd wipe the floor with her, even if she armed herself. Her best option would probably be hiding, which meant getting to the bedroom and the closet in there. She'd probably be able to hold the door closed with something until they left.

"Oi!"

The voice was deep and she was pretty sure her heart skipped a beat.

"If that's you Natsu I'm gonna kill ya!" The window shook from the force of his pounding and she squeaked, pressing herself harder against the floor.

I'm going to die.

"Let me in already. I forgot my keys and its damn cold outside."

Why was he doing this? Did he think she was his partner? But if so … why was he talking about keys? She knew for a fact she'd never given him keys and she doubted Lucy had given him her pair. Unless he'd taken them by force …

"This ain't funny!" he huffed, and when he banged on the window again she flinched, sure it would break.

But he wasn't breaking it … which was a good sign. Right?

Maybe it was all just a big misunderstanding. Maybe he wasn't trying to break in and murder her.

With a shaky breath she pulled herself up using the couch, sticking close to in case this was a ruse.

The form was still pressed against the window, she thought she could make out hands pressed against it and a face peering inside. Metal seemed to glitter on his face, dark hair falling around him like shadows. He was dressed all in black and she felt the fear spike again.

It's a ruse. I'm going to die.

"Please leave!" she called, her voice far too squeaky for her liking.

The face peered closer, eyes looking like pools of black in the lighting.

If she weren't so afraid she'd probably find him attractive.

"Natsu?"

"You have the wrong room."

He huffed, breath leaving a cloud of steam on the window, and leaned back into shadow. More metal glittered on his arms as he crossed his arms over his chest, and she inched forward a bit more, eyes flashing to the phone. If she started moving away from the couch would he notice?

"Yer not Natsu."

"You can stop yelling." With each word she felt some of the fear fade and she sat up straighter, still gripping the back of the couch with white knuckles. "But you're right, I'm not this Natsu person." Her phone vibrated on the floor and her gaze flicked towards it. "So you should just be on your way."

He didn't make a move to leave and she didn't dare move.

Then his shoulders started to shake and she heard the strangest sound. It took her a beat to realize he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Her voice was sharper than she'd meant, and she found herself rising to her feet to place her hands on her hips.

"Sorry," he huffed, leaning back against the railing. He was still in shadows, but his teeth glittered with his grin. "I just realized I've been trying to get into this apartment for the past 10 minutes at least, convinced it was my own."

"Well it's not. So you should leave."

He shook his head, sliding to the balcony floor and she found herself moving around the couch and towards her phone. She froze when his gaze locked on her, seeming to pierce her through the glass. His eyes weren't black, but a deep brown that seemed almost red in the lighting.

"I'm sorry."

She blinked in surprise, forgetting about her phone for a moment.

"What?"

He shrugged, shifting so the light half illuminated his face. His lips were drawn tight, a furrow forming between his brows.

"You were probably scared senseless when some imbecile started pounding on your window."

Well, he wasn't wrong … but for some reason Levy found herself shaking her head and moving closer to the balcony doors. Against her better judgement she flicked the lock and opened it, staring down at the man.

"I will admit I thought you were coming to murder me." He chuckled and wow he had a great smile. "And I'm still not really convinced you're not." She paused, shivering a bit at the blast of cold. "But you didn't actually break anything and its cold outside, so I'm going against my better judgement and inviting you in until you figure out where your apartment really is."

He chuckled, pulling himself to his feet, and she could only gape up at him. He'd looked big when she'd been pressed to the floor, but being up close like this she realized just how big he really was.

She was pretty sure he could bench press her with those muscles.

"But," she said, before allowing him inside. "If you try anything I will not hesitate to tie you up and call the cops."

He smirked and she felt her toes curl when he leaned close.

"Maybe I like being tied up."

Her cheeks flamed as he chuckled and she stumbled back, pressing her hands to her face.

"No more of that," she huffed, quickly grabbing her phone. "I mean it."

He chuckled again and followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. She knew she was being an idiot, but for some reason she felt like she could trust him. Even though her stomach twisted with fear and something she refused to name, something that made her skin feel too warm and her heart race for a whole other reason than before.

She forced her thoughts off that track, peering at him from under her bangs.

"Do you need to call someone?" she asked, holding her phone out. He glanced at the phone, shaking his head.

"Nah."

She hummed, sliding the phone into her pocket and within easy reach should she need it. She had a feeling she wouldn't though.

The previous fear still hovered on the edge of her mind, but she no longer felt like her life was in immediate danger. In fact … she actually felt safer with him around.

She shook her head and moved back to the couch and her book, sitting with her back against the armrest so she could keep an eye on her visitor.

"So, where do you live?" she asked, pulling her knees to her chest. "It seems only fair that I know, since you know where I live."

He chuckled, moving further into the room. Her eyes tracked him, watching as he paused at her countless bookshelves. He arched a brow at the sheer number of books and she glared at him, daring him to say something.

"You're a bookworm, ain't ya?"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

He chuckled again, turning his attention to her collection of DVDs. "Nah, just not my cup of tea."

"Oh? And what is your cup of tea? Black or green?"

He pursed his lips, shooting a look over his shoulder as he tugged something from the shelf. "Music actually," he said, flashing the CD in her direction. It was her favorite, a no-name artist that no longer played.

"Playing or listening?"

"Both." His eyes scanned the CD and he slid it back to the shelf, moving along through the room.

"You know, you never answered my question."

"Hmm." He paused in front of her wall of photos, and she pursed her lips.

"Where do you live?"

He didn't answer right away and she felt annoyance bubble within her.

"Who're they?" He pointed at one of the pictures and she huffed, shooting a glare at him. She got to her feet and moved to his side to get a better look at the pictures.

"My friends."

"Hmm. Only friends?"

"Why does that matter?"

He flashed a grin down at her and she puffed her cheeks out, her lips curling down in a scowl.

"Just curious."

"Well, stop."

He arched a brow, metal rings glittering in the light.

"Something wrong, bookworm?"

"Yesss," she practically hissed the word, her hands slamming down on her hips as she glared up at him. "First you scare the wits out of me by trying to break in to my apartment, and now you're dodging questions while nosing around my apartment and asking me questions. I'm starting to think I should've called the cops when you were trapped outside."

He pressed his lips together, shoulders shaking with his laughter. Her annoyance surged and she smacked his arm, which only fueled his laughter.

"That's it!" she snapped, pushing him towards the door. "I'm kicking you out!"

"Wait." She paused, not that it mattered. He barely moved even when she used all her strength. "I'm sorry." He grinned down at her, and she had to fight to hold on to her anger. It wasn't fair for one person to be so cute. "Do you really want to know where I live?"

"Well it's only fair!"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I live one floor up."

She gaped up at him, words not quite registering. "And when did you figure that out?"

He shrugged, glancing around the room. "When I got a good look inside. The layout is almost the same as my place."

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Then she started laughing, the sound almost manic. She couldn't believe she'd been put through all of that, because he'd miscounted and been a floor off. She kept laughing until pain flared in her sides and she gasped for breath.

"Are ya having some sort of mental break?"

"I don't know," she gasped between laughs. "Maybe."

Hands steered her towards the couch and she found herself falling on it, gasping in breaths as the laughter started to fade. She wiped at her eyes, shooting a glance up at him. A few stray giggles slipped out but for the most part she managed to collect herself.

"Sorry," she breathed.

"Eh, don't be. I've sort of been waiting for that."

For some reason that made her laugh again and she shook her head. "I have to say, when this night started I never imagined this happening."

He shrugged and she stared at him. He'd knelt in front of her, his face nearly level with hers, and she got a chance to really study his features. He really was beautiful …

"I should go."

It was so sudden, jerking her back into her body. Only then did she realize how close they were.

She could practically taste him with each breath.

"Yeah," she agreed, surprised by the reluctance in her voice.

He was a stranger. She didn't even know his name. For all she knew he really was a murderer who broke into people's homes.

But she still found her heart twisting with longing.

"You should let me cook for you," he said, pushing himself to his feet. "As an apology for tonight."

She blinked up at him for a few beats before realizing she had to say something.

"I—yeah. That would be really great."

He flashed a grin and she rose to her feet, following him to the door.

They hovered in the entry way, both staring in silence. She wanted to say something, maybe offer him coffee and invite him to stay the night …

Her cheeks flamed at the direction her thoughts went and she quickly ducked her head, hoping to hide her blush.

"I'm going to go," he said. He had the door cracked when she reached out.

"Wait!" He paused, and when he looked back the hopeful glint in his eyes almost had her swallowing her tongue. "I never got your name."

"Gajeel."

She rolled the name in her head, enjoying the way it sounded far more than she should've.

"Levy."

He lingered for a beat more, before dipping his head in farewell.

"See you around, Levy."

The door clicked shut behind him, too loud in the sudden silence, and Levy could only stare at the white wood. She could hear his clumping footsteps as he headed down the hall, and she moved into the living room. She paused at the doorway, staring towards the balcony.

One floor up lived a man named Gajeel who liked music and wasn't very good at counting, a man who apologized for attempting to break in and got far too comfortable in a stranger's home.

Levy's lips twitched with a smile and she flicked the lock on the door, moving back to the couch.

Her phone vibrated as she sat and she tugged it out of her pocket, wincing at the text. Lucy seemed to be a tad annoyed about being ignored.

Sorry. Some guy tried to break in, but it was all a misunderstanding and now he's going to make me dinner.

Did I mention he's cute?

Levy dropped the phone to the couch, following it down. She pressed her face against the cushions, barely able to stop herself from completely freaking out. With her attention diverted she didn't notice when the phone lit up with a new text.

What do you mean someone tried to break in? Are you okay?

Wait … are you going on a date with him?

Levy?

Levy!