Disclaimer: I don't own fairy tail or it's characters, Hiro Mashima does.
Levy sat in at the bar of Fairy Tail, a stein of liquor next to her pile of books and the carefully overturned papers of the manuscript on the counter. Already more than half had been consumed.
The demon, Mirajane had filled her order but continued to look at her, pretending to wipe the counter down. The rag traced lazy circles over the wood as she finally spoke. "Something the matter, Levy-chan?" The white haired S-class mage eyed the bluenette with a look of concern.
"Ever wonder what things look like to other people from their perspective?" Levy nodded with mock seriousness at Mirajane and gave a short, sharp laugh then spun towards the rest of the guild's hall. Mira shook her head, unsure what to make of the script mage's behavior but taking note. She tried to keep tabs on everyone within the guild.
Watching her guild mates boisterous behavior, she leaned back and watched as the fire dragon slayer Natsu began to egg his teammate, the ice mage Gray, on.
Soon the majority of the guild was involved in a brawl. The fight had rapidly ascended from a fistfight to an all-out battle royale of magic users and flames, lightning and ice all flew past onlookers. Elfman shouted something about what it means to be a real man. Gray continued to trade insults and blows with Natsu. Erza joined in after someone knocked her cake off the table. The iron dragon slayer Gajeel turned his arm to a sword and parried Erza's katana strike. Levy shifted herself and continued to look on, this was the norm for Fairy Tail, after all. Her expression was almost detached, clinical, as if she were just taking notes on their activities.
A chunk of ice sailed towards her head, likely a piece of Gray's ice-make: arrows, but she wasn't sure. Sighing, she pulled out her quill and cast her own magic. "Solid Script: Guard." A barrier of magic origin blocked the frozen projectile and it slid safely to the floor.
Rain began to fall inside the guild as Juvia joined in the battle for some perceived slight against "Gray-sama..." Levy couldn't make out the details over the din of the fighting. The bluenette reached for her drink only to realize her books and Lucy's manuscript were beginning to get damp. Seeing that, the script mage decided it was time to leave. The bluenette placed the books close to her chest and walked through the door heading home for Fairy Hills.
Gajeel saw her leave. The dragon slayer noted the slumped shoulders and the defeated appearance. He assumed the slight shiver he saw was due to the cold. After all, it was midway through winter in Fiore. And still she doesn't dress properly... Gajeel wondered to himself. The iron dragon slayer figured he ought to follow Levy home, just in case she'd been hurt in the guild's fight. The script mage really was acting out of sorts today.
The iron dragon sniffed the air carefully not detecting any blood, so that was a good sign at least. However there was the heady scent of alcohol and the Shrimp didn't drink. Not usually, Gajeel thought. Running his fingers through his long black hair her sighed and walked after her, careful to not walk to fast, lest she think too much of the gesture.
"Oy, Shrimp." He called out to her after they were out of earshot of the guild.
"G-gajeel-san. W-why are you following me?" The Shrimp seems particularly jumpy tonight. "And my name's not Shrimp."
The dragon slayer ignored her and countered, "and why are you running off so early tonight? And without your puppies following you?"
"I-i have some work to do. S-some research I'd like to get done back in my room." I don't believe that for a second, not with the way you're blushing, the dragon slayer thought. She slowly backed away as she spoke, backing ever closer to the snow bank. Gajeel opened his mouth to warn her but too late and the damage was done. The script mage tripped, falling backwards into the snow. Her books and papers scattered everywhere, worsened by the stiff, winter wind.
Standing and brushing herself off, Levy scowled. Gajeel reached over and placed his hand on her head, ruffling her azure hair. She blushed only to realize he was just dusting off the clinging snowflakes. The bluenette puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
Bending down the dragon slayer helped her pick up her books, stacking them carefully. Most were in languages he couldn't read, and one seemed to just be some horror novel. Another though was a tome on the myths surrounding dragons. It's cracked leather spine promised the text within was ancient. Many of the others looked about as old. His eyes lingered a second on the cover wondering what information it contained before placing it back on the pile. Maybe she really is working on something, Gajeel mused. "Well if you are researching you'll need these then. Heh, Shrimp?" He considered teasing the solid script mage but thought better of it and handed the pile back to her, adding it to those she had already collected herself.
The script mage stooped hastily picked the dropped pieces of parchment out of the snow, adding them further to the pile. "Excuse me, Gajeel-san. I-i'll see you tomorrow. At the guild?" Levy excused herself curtly and turned on her heel. The bluenette tucked the papers and books close and ran around the corner towards the dormitory.
"I wonder what that was all about," the dragon slayer mumbled to himself. He sighed with frustration and stretched, pausing as he caught sight of a few scattered sheets of paper laying in the snow still. He picked them up. "I should return these to her." Though it's getting late, and I don't want to be around Fairy Hills in the evening. Titania might be there. I can just return them tomorrow, he thought.
"What do you make of this, Lil?" Gajeel looked at the papers back in the flat he rented out and shared with Pantherlily, his black Exceed partner. The iron dragon pointed to the neat lines of type and the red ink crossing out and circling some sections. "The shrimp had it with some of her books, and one was even on dragons."
"Looks like a manuscript. A draft for a story. Levy loves to read, does she not? Always has her nose in a book? Perhaps she is writing a novel. Though, it looks kinda like an erotic romance..." The iron dragon slayer hastily pulled the papers away before his "cat" could see anymore. "Curious to see what she likes, are you?" A teasing tone colored his voice.
"Watch it, Cat." Gajeel growled to the Exceed, a slight flush coloring his cheeks despite himself. "I thought it might have some of her notes written in it."
The iron dragon slayer began to read, a bit slow but steadily. The dragon slayer's cheeks flushed further seeing prose of what seemed to be himself and a certain solid script writer with blue hair. Just what was the shrimp thinking writing something like this? And the writing style is terrible. Even I can see that... He would have expected better from someone as intelligent and well-read as Levy. Oh, she liked that did she? Gajeel guessed he could do that. Really all she had to do was ask. "Gihi..."
Author's note: Well there is the second chapter, I hope it came out okay. The next one may take a bit for me to update as I am starting classes Monday.