AN: More semantics. And denial. And Lily.
Dislcaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail – Hiro Mashima does.
"(to) flirt": verb. If you flirt with someone, you behave as if you are sexually attracted to them, in a playful or not very serious way.
"I don't flirt."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Gajeel glared down at the Exceed seated beside him, as though mentally daring him to disagree. Pantherlily gave him a look that said he didn't believe a word. Gajeel bristled.
"I don't–"
"And what would you call it then, if I may ask?"
The dragonslayer opened his mouth to retaliate, but closed it with an audible snap as his brows furrowed.
"...teasing," he said, finally.
"Which is practically the same thing."
"Ain't."
Lily gave him another crooked look – accompanied by a raised brow and a dry smile. "Who are you trying to convince here, again?"
"You, but it ain't doing shit, is it?"
"Well, if the evidence wasn't so obvious, I might have been persuaded," he said with a shrug.
"What evidence?" Gajeel asked. Lily rolled his eyes.
"You want the full list?"
"Enlighten me."
The Exceed shrugged, lifting a small paw to tick off the different points. "There's the nicknames, the touches, the glaringly obvious–"
"Nicknames don't count."
"They do. Now, the glaringly obviou–"
"How do names count? And since when?"
"Only since the dawn of time, Gajeel. And seriously – 'Shorty'? You know that's an urban endearment for 'girlfriend', right?"
"...shaddup."
"And 'Shrimp' – now that's just adorable. We've all agreed that's our favourite."
Gajeel almost spluttered at that. "Who the hell are 'we'?"
Lily raised another brow. "Just the entire female population of this guild – most of which were present during your less-than-subtle performance the other night."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
…
"Names still don't count."
Lily sighed, rolling his eyes. "And the touches?"
"..."
"Nothing to say to that?" the Exceed asked with a smirk.
Gajeel glowered, crossing his arms with what he hoped was an indifferent shrug of his shoulders. "So I ruffle her damn hair once in a while – it's more patronizing than anything."
"And your habit of lifting her up by her dress?"
"...bullying."
Lily snorted at that. "You're way too transparent, you oaf. If she had pigtails you'd dip them in ink."
Gajeel frowned. "What does that even mean?" Lily ignored him. "And what were you saying about some glaringly obvious shit?"
The Exceed smirked. "Not 'shit'. You. And everything you do around her."
"Like what?" Gajeel asked, wondering if he really was that obvious.
"Watching her when you think no one is looking, for one."
Apparently he was. Damn it.
"Then there's the stalking, of course."
"I wasn't bloody–"
"And," Lily cut him off, giving him a look, one brow raised rather smugly. "the stunt you pulled last night outside the dormitory."
Gajeel shrugged at that. "So? Not like she minded much."
Lily smirked. "Finally you're honest about something. So you can admit to actually making a move, but everything leading up to that is out of the question?" Gajeel opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted by a book slamming down on his table, accompanied by a very livid bookworm.
"This is all your fault, you know," she hissed at him. Gajeel regarded the script mage with a raised brow.
"The hell's got your panties in a twist, Shrimp?"
She looked furious – or was that an embarrassed blush? It was hard to tell sometimes. Crossing her arms over her chest with an indignant huff, she gave him a look, motioning over her shoulder to something behind her. Letting his gaze follow the movement, Gajeel felt a grin tug at his lips at the sight of the women not-so-subtly watching them from a few tables over. Titania was looking rather red in the face, too, he saw, much to his amusement.
"Stop that!" Levy hissed, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Stop what?" he asked, popping a random piece of metal in his mouth. On second thought, it might have been a spoon. Barmaid might be angry about that.
Oh well.
"Grinning like that – you look like you're about to devour something," she mumbled. He raised a brow at that, flicking his gaze quickly down her petite form, making her blush deepen and an indignant squeak to escape her. "Gajeel–!"
"Relax, Shorty – I'm only messing with you. Now are you going to sit your ass down, or are you going to keep giving me an eyeful?" he asked, gaze swivelling pointedly to her bare legs as another wicked grin stretched across his face. From beside him, Lily rolled his eyes, and was promptly ignored by the dragonslayer.
"Oooh – you're impossible!" She seated herself across from him, tucking her legs underneath the table and out of sight. He smirked at the action.
"The hell are you so shy for, anyway?" he asked. She averted her gaze, mumbling something under her breath as another blush tinted her cheeks. Apparently, the girls had cornered her when she'd come in the night before, and the result hadn't been pleasant. Hence the gossip-counsel across the hall. Gajeel smirked.
"They enjoy the show, at least?"
"Gajeel!" she snapped, cheeks now colouring vividly. "What is up with you today?"
He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't tease you now without being questioned?" he asked.
She averted her gaze quickly. Too quickly. "Didn't say that," she mumbled under her breath. He smirked.
"So did they?"
"Did they what?"
His smile was wicked. "Enjoy the show?" he asked again. She blushed all the way into her hairline, and he laughed at the sight. "You're making this too easy, Shorty – I'm only doing it because I can, you know."
She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly embarrassed. "And who gave you permission?"
He grinned. "You."
She spluttered, and the action was strangely...cute. "I did? When?"
He shrugged. "You're clearly into me, which gives me teasing rights. Logic."
She gaped at him. "W-wait a minute – I am–what about you? You're the one who kissed me!" she hissed.
Gajeel only grinned in reply.
Placing her hands on the table with a miffed sort of sound, Levy pushed herself to her feet, but only got as far as standing up before he grabbed her arm.
"Oye, Shorty – there's something I forgot got to tell you."
She met his gaze, and – by the look that stretched across her face at the glaringly apparent mischief on his – immediately regretted it. Gajeel couldn't help himself.
"Lexicology."
…
And here he'd thought she couldn't possibly blush more than she already had. The decision to snag that thesaurus from her extensive collection was clearly one of his brighter ideas. Point, Gajeel.
From across the room, Cana cat-called rather loudly, punctuating – for Gajeel's sake, at least – an already epic moment of expert banter, and making the little mage before him curl in on herself in mortification. Pointing an accusing finger at him, she opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it, and then promptly closed it fully with a snap. Spinning around on her heel, she then proceeded to stalk out of the guild in a seething rush, hair flying about her face and her book forgotten. The eyes of nearly all the girls in the room followed her path until she was out of sight before – and collectively, in an almost freakish, telepathic kind of way – swivelled back to land on Gajeel.
…
"You are so flirting."
"Shaddup!"
It really wasn't his fault.
"Oye, Shorty!"
Seriously though, he hadn't done anything, and here she was, overreacting and throwing everything out of proportions. And even worse – here he was, chasing her down to – and curse Lily and his damn reasoning –apologize. Or something of that nature. He wasn't exactly known for apologizing or admitting fault, so anything could happen, really.
"Leave me alone!"
Picking up his pace until he'd caught up with her, Gajeel planted himself in front of the irate bluenette, making her stagger as she caught herself before she barrelled right into him. His hands caught her shoulders to steady her and to keep her from falling on her ass, and she glared at him with all the vicious intimidation of an angry rodent. He repressed the urge to grin at the sight.
"List–"
"Why are you always being such a jerk?" she asked, cutting him off. Gajeel rolled his eyes.
"I would explain, if you'd let me get a damn word in."
She huffed. "So you can continue to make fun of me? No thank you."
He felt like rolling his eyes again, but he wasn't a sixteen year old girl, so he didn't. "I ain't making fun of you, Shortstuff."
Her look held as much belief in his words as Lily's had minutes earlier. Gajeel sighed. Damn woman.
"Alright, so maybe I make fun of you a little."
A raised brow was all he got for that, and he threw his hands up in irritation.
"Fine! A lot. Often. Bloody intentionally, too – are ya happy now?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "And why do you make fun of me, Gajeel?" she asked, and there was an odd light in her brown eyes that made his brows furrow sharply.
Wait a minute...
"You've been talking to Lily."
She smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're collaborating."
She grinned at that. "Another big word – are you trying to seduce me, Gajeel?"
He snorted, leaning closer. "That depends – what have you been scheming with my cat, midget?"
She looked suspiciously innocent, blinking her large eyes at him demurely. "Nothing serious – but he made me aware of some things I'd been blind to," she said simply. Gajeel leaned even closer, almost nudging his nose against hers and attempting his best to glare her into submission.
"And what, exactly, would that be?"
Her smile was pure innocence and wicked evil all wrapped up into one shiny, shiny package, and he knew what was coming before she even said it.
"Just your adorable attempts at flirting."
Damn you, you bloody good-for-nothing cat.
"I don't flirt."
"Sure you don't. Except you do – I can tell now," she said with a wink.
He almost spluttered again. Almost. "The hell you c–"
She grinned. "Just admit it, won't you? Anyone can tell you the same, especially after that little experiment I did just now."
"What exp–" Ah. Of course. The temperamental episode in the guild hall. Planned.
Sneaky shrimp.
Her grin was triumphant. "Ready to say it yet?"
He snorted, turning his head away haughtily. "Or what?"
...he could almost feel her smile.
"Or no more kisses for you, Mr. Semantics."
Another snort – and another attempt at nonchalance. "So? Think I care about shit like that? Tch. Get over yourself, bookworm."
She raised an elegant brow, then promptly turned on her heel...
...and left.
…
"Oye!"
She waved a hand over her shoulder in a mock imitation of his trademark dismissal. "Sorry – busy getting over myself here. Please come back when you've successfully swallowed your pride."
Gajeel growled, hackles rising at her spunk, and resisted the urge to stamp his foot like an angry toddler – despite feeling very much entitled to do so, thank you.
Alright. Nonchalance: failed. Time for plan B.
"Fine! You're bloody right – happy now?"
She stopped, back still turned to him, but he was damned if she wasn't grinning. She didn't turn around, though, as if waiting for something.
Damn manipulative wench.
"If you want more than that, you're going to have t–" He didn't' get to finish his sentence as she suddenly spun around, covering the short distance between them in three quick running steps, before throwing her arms around his neck and planting her mouth quite firmly on his. And despite the fact that she'd caught him completely off guard – although he wasn't going to admit that to anyone any time soon – Gajeel prided himself on actually thinking to catch her so she didn't just dangle from his neck like like an oversized, human necklace.
And it gave him a chance to cop a feel, anyway, so win for him.
Pulling away, she grinned. "See? Wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked, eyes twinkling mischievously. Gajeel snorted.
"Unless you've failed to notice, midget – I didn't say anything."
She rolled her eyes. "You admitted I was right, which is enough for me – I know what to reasonably expect from you, and that's about as far as I'm going to push that argument."
Gajeel smirked. "So basically, you're giving up?"
She raised a slim brow at that. "Not quite. I simply...know when to forfeit."
"Tch. Semantics."
She grinned. "Exactly. I'll admit to giving up when you admit to flirting like a schoolgirl. That way, we both win."
Her arms were still around his neck, and her eyes were very, very large and very, very brown up close, and the smile on her face was the smile of someone who were too bloody clever for their own damn good.
…
...
"Whenever you're ready, Gajeel."
"I'm not saying it, damn it!"
AN: Fufufufufufu.