She is both, hellfire and holy water. And the flavour you taste depends on how you treat her.

- Sneha Pal


Chapter Four: Gajeel and Levy

Gajeel was sitting at a table that was pushed up against the wall in a darkened corner of the guildhall, where he could see everything but went unseen by most. Just how he liked it. He'd fight anyone head on, but it was a point of pride that whenever he wanted to, he could hide in plain sight. Being 6'5" with multiple piercings, red eyes, and having hair that was as untameable and as wild as the man himself, it was no small feat to be inconspicuous in a crowded room.

Mira had bought him a pitcher of beer and a mug when he'd first arrived. Aside from exchanging a few blows with Laxus and slamming Natsu into the ground for an extra bit of fun, he hadn't left his seat.

He'd watched Natsu invite some busty blonde to join his team. At first he'd thought the kid was finally showing some interest in a woman, what with grabbing her hand and then hugging her, but a quick sniff showed zero arousal coming off the pinkette. He wasn't claiming her, but...there was something odd in the air around Briquette Balls, a whiff of protection flaring off the fire mage around the blonde whenever frost princess got too close.

Gajeel didn't give it more than a moment's thought. As long as there was no claim, the field was wide open, as far as he was concerned. Gajeel found himself studying the blonde. She had been almost twitching in excitement when Natsu offered her a spot on his team. He scoffed at that. He didn't have a team, aside from his exceed, Pantherlily, and he was doing just fine.

His eyes raked her up and down. Lucy. She'd introduced herself. Just his type. Big hair, big breasts, and a big smile. Gajeel Redfox, iron-dragon slayer and sex god, knew exactly what to do to make that smile bigger, too.

She was a cute thing with her blonde ponytail and a certain eagerness that he wouldn't mind exploiting, at least for a night.

He was contemplating going up to the girl when he caught the scent of something mouthwatering. He flicked his gaze over and found the source: some small, blue-haired chick with zero rack to speak of; her head was turned to watch Lucy and Natsu talking, her wavy blue hair obscuring her face.

He scowled that some tiny no-titted thing might have caught his attention. No, he must be mistaken. That delectable aroma was coming from somewhere else. His dragon senses had never been wrong before, but then again he'd just been on a five month mission with a bunch of guys not prone to washing their laundry—himself included—so maybe he was wrong? He took a deeper sniff, the scent of buttercream and tangerines invaded his olfactory cavity. His mouth filled with saliva. Then the girl turned her head and he caught sight of her face in profile.

Fuck. He bit his lip, hard. He was no poet, but this girl had the face of an angel. The caramel eyes were huge, thick-lashed and expressive. Skin like porcelain, but with a stubborn chin. He liked that. Lucy was all but forgotten as he focused on Levy. He breathed in her scent again and felt his pants grow tight.

Like hell am I sitting across a room from a girl getting a boner like I'm fourteen!

He drank his beer, inhaling the scent of hops and barley and gave a soft sigh of relief when his pants slackened once again. He might have to ease up on the deep breaths around this girl, a thought that irritated him to no end.

Just because she had a face and a scent he found appealing shouldn't have reduced him to some salivating idiot. He was better than that! He bestowed his abundant favours on many women, always the predator, never the prey, but now short stack was reducing him to a horny teenager? Nope. No, sirree. Not him. Nice try, small fry.

Despite his internal protests that there was no way he would succumb to some woman based on her smell and maybe her face—neither of which had been a huge factor in all his previous conquests—he still somehow managed to eavesdrop on her conversation with Lucy. Gray had lost his shirt and pants like the dumbass stripper he was. Gajeel then caught the unmistakable scent of desire and almost growled before he realized it was coming off Lucy, not Levy.

About time someone gave popsicle dick a tumble. He couldn't tell yet what Gray thought of Lucy, seeing as the ice make wizard was preoccupied with finding his clothes. Out of the corner of his eye, Gajeel spotted Cana surreptitiously kick Gray's shirt under a bar stool.

He heard Busty asking for the bluenette's help in throwing a party, allegedly for the dragon slayers but really for Erza. That didn't sound bad to him. He had a bit of a soft spot for The Titania. They usually sparred together, and the redhead knew how to throw a punch. That alone would have commanded his respect, but she was a ballsy chick who scared the shit out of pyro pants and the icy stripper on a regular basis, which was always fucking hilarious.

His attention was drawn to the blonde bouncing up and down on her heels. He heard Levy agreeing to help her plan the party.

Blondie's hopping around like a bunny, he thought distractedly, but his focus was on Levy. She was a feisty thing. She had already demanded Gray and Natsu write her a list of party ideas and then the sly little minx was conspiring to get the old man to pay for it. He watched her disappear into the back to Makarov's private office.

She's got spirit, that's for sure.

He watched as Lucy asked for Mira's help in throwing a party. Mira was agreeing practically before blondie could get the words out. Both of them were blathering in voices that got higher and shriller the more enthusiastic they got. Gajeel saw Laxus putting on his headphones to block it out. Natsu was too busy shoving his face full of food to notice. Wendy started wincing, but Gajeel knew she was far too polite to say anything.

After what seemed like ages, Levy finally returned from hitting up Makarov. It was a small mercy for all the dragon slayers when blondie left Mira to go sit back down.

Levy stood at the head of the table, examining her cuticles with feigned indifference, but a smug smile played on her lips.

"How much did you get?" Lucy asked.

When Levy told the group the amount Makarov agreed to, Gray let out a low, appreciative whistle. The bluenette neither blushed nor simpered, seeming to have utter confidence in her negotiating skills. Gajeel had never heard of Gramps forking out for a party before and his respect for the blue-haired girl rose up a notch.

He watched as Levy snatched up the lists the boys had made, a frown immediately crossing her face.

"What is with this list, Natsu?" she asked rhetorically before reading out, "'Fire pits filled with roasted pigs, fire chickens and other assorted meats? You spelled 'assorted,' wrong, by the way. There's only one 't'," she corrected peevishly.

Natsu grumbled, "Like I care."

She stared daggers at him, but finished reading the list. "And some dragon balloons?'" She flashed incredulous eyes at the pinkette, her mouth turned downward in distaste, "This is the shittiest list I've ever seen."

"Oi! I like food! And balloons!" Natsu protested. "Oh, and some raw fish for Happy, can't forget him."

Natsu half-rose in his seat, reaching up to grab the list from Levy, pen in hand ready to write. Levy held the list as far away as her small arm would allow. Natsu could've easily reached it, if he could be bothered to stand up, which he couldn't.

He sat back down with a humph, grumbling under his breath, but Gajeel could hear him just fine, "I thought this was supposed to be for a party I would like, too."

Levy had already moved on.

"Gray, this isn't even a list!" Her tone annoyed as she read, "'I can make ice for the party'." Levy rolled her eyes. "You two are useless."

"What are you talking about? Every party needs ice!" Gray protested.

"I asked you two to brainstorm, this isn't brains and as for storm, my plants leak more water than this!"

"Gi-hi-hi-hi!" The cackle escaped from his lips before he knew it was coming out.

Huge, fudgy eyes clashed with his own. Levy put her hands on her hips and bellowed, "Hey, you! If you think it's so much fun to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, then you might as well get over here and help us!"

Lucy tugged on her best friend's arm, whispering, "Uh, are you sure that's a good idea? That guy doesn't look too friendly. He might just want to be left alone."

"I've got this, Lu," Levy admonished, shaking the blonde's hand off.

Gajeel had heard this little pipsqueak earlier, using uppity words he sure as hell didn't understand. Sure, she got Gray and Natsu to assist her, but those bleeding heart wimps were pushovers! The old man helped her, but that was out of self-preservation to keep his guild from getting wrecked. Plus, Gramps was a sucker for a pretty face.

"Might wanna listen to your friend, shorty." Gajeel rose to his full height on the pretense of pouring himself another beer.

He scooped up the mug and took a long swig, then slowly swiped his mouth with his backhand. He leaned forward so that Levy could see his red eyes and the snarl on his metal-covered face. It was the type of glowering look that had never failed to send royal guards scampering. He could hear Lucy gulp and even hear the blonde's heart racing under her ample chest.

Levy took one sharp intake of breath, but her heartbeat was normal. She stalked over to his table, a good foot and a half shorter than him.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" She glared up at him, all bright caramel eyes and flushed pink cheeks.

"Shrimp, I ain't gotta try to do nothing," he rolled his massive shoulders and stared down at her, a feral grin showing sharp canines.

Levy remained unmoved and unimpressed. "Oh, where do I start? Double negatives and poor grammar.

"Basics first, lout." she held up her hand and started counting off on her fingers. "One – I'm not a 'shrimp'."

She held up a second finger. "Two – saying you 'ain't gotta try to do nothing' is a double negative meaning the opposite, that you are trying to do something."

A third finger went up. "Three – there's no such word as 'ain't'!"

"There ain't?" Gajeel was caught off guard, sure she was mistaken.

"No, there ain't," Levy teased before she broke out into a fit of giggles.

Hearing her lilting laugh and seeing her face radiate joy broke something inside him.

Mine, mine, mine, chanted a jubilant voice.

Dammit. Lock it down. He dodged her gaze and breathed through his mouth. That was a mistake. She was standing so close he could practically taste her scent. Like cake batter and marmalade. It should've been cloyingly sweet, but it wasn't. It clawed at his insides. Demanding. Determined. Desirous.

A growl thundered through his chest, which caused the blonde bunny to give a frightened "Eep!", but the little spitfire in front of him didn't bat an eyelash. She stood there, smiling expectantly up at him. They faced off for a long moment before he relented.

"Guess I'm your only hope, Shrimp," he said. "Them two idiots are dumber than a bag of rocks."

"Those two idiots, not them," Levy corrected primly, her voice like a schoolmarm.

"Right here. We're literally sitting right here, guys," Natsu mumbled.

"A fine way to treat friends," added Gray, "especially when you're asking those friends to help you."

Gajeel and Levy ignored them and exchanged grins. Levy couldn't understand why Lucy was acting terrified—this big lummox won't hurt her. When Gajeel realized that he was smiling, his face formed into his usual scowl.

"Gajeel Redfox," he barked out, not bothering to extend a hand.

"Levy McGarden." Her smile had disappeared and she folded her arms across her chest—what there was of it, Gajeel thought.

"Yeah, I know," he said.

Levy shot him a suspicious look so he supplied, "We dragon slayers got enhanced senses. Hearing, smell, sight…" Taste. He suddenly pictured Levy lying beneath him, his tongue slowly dragging across her collarbone. He frowned deeply, what was this shrimp doing to him?

"So I heard you talking earlier to pinky and the ice prick," he continued robotically, turning his face away from her and taking shallow breaths. With great difficulty, he managed to banish the image of her writhing underneath him, but he suddenly had an insatiable craving for birthday cake—the kind that kids ate—with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.

He blinked a couple of times and noticed Levy had gestured that they should return to her table and was waiting for him to join her. Gajeel grabbed his pitcher and his mug of beer, then followed her, his nose wrinkling as he sat beside Natsu. Dragon slayers didn't particularly enjoy the scent of other dragon slayers, with Wendy being the sole exception. He wasn't sure if it was because she was female or because she was the sky dragon slayer, but Wendy smelled like fresh air and faint herbs. An innocuous, neutral smell.

Natsu smelled of smoke, but not the good ol' forge-fire smoke that Gajeel knew he smelled like, but more earthy, like a campfire. Ugh, disgusting.

He had mostly gotten used to it, but that was one of the main reasons the male dragon slayers hardly sat together. That, and the fact they didn't like each other much.

"So what's your magic, Shrimp?" he asked.

"Solid script magic," Levy answered, not even bothering to ask him not to call her 'shrimp' anymore. "What's yours?"

"Iron dragon slayer. Flame Retardant is the fire dragon slayer, the blonde spark plug is Laxus—he's the old man's grandson and the lightning dragon slayer—and finally Wendy is our sky dragon slayer–she can heal, too." The fact that Wendy was the only one Gajeel didn't insult wasn't missed by Levy.

"What kind of guild master sends all the dragon slayers away on a five month mission?" Lucy wondered.

"A smart one." Laxus was up at the bar now, doing shots with the Thunder God Tribe, but his deep voice carried to their table. Gajeel nodded in agreement before turning back to Levy.

"Solid script magic? Never heard of it," he replied with a dismissive snort.

Levy practically pounced, moving far faster than he would've thought a girl her size could.

While flourishing her hand over his head, she announced: "Solid script: anvil!" and in the next instant, his hand reflectively swung up, catching a freaking anvil a scant inch away from his skull.

"Did you just… " He took a moment to absorb the very idea of this shrimp dropping anvils on him. Gray, Natsu and Lucy all looked petrified. Happy had flown protectively behind Levy, tears forming but seeming determined to whisk her away if Gajeel tried to lay a finger on her. Levy alone seemed unfazed.

"I knew you could catch it." She smiled sweetly, guileless brown eyes staring up at him, the picture of innocence.

Did she? Or was she just fucking with him? His sense of smell was scrambling his brain and he was questioning if his eyesight was working properly when he was getting caught up in fantasizing about Ms. Flat Chest. He had a feeling that either way, catching the anvil or letting it brain him, it made absolutely no difference to her.

This girl is both the angel and the devil on your shoulders. He had the oddest sensation that she would be his undoing.

The tension in the room was palpable as the table stared at him. Gajeel hefted the anvil to eye level, pleased to see it was made of wrought iron and steel. He chomped down on it, taking an enormous bite.

"I needed a snack, Shrimp," he said between mouthfuls. He gobbled the whole thing up, then let out a loud belch for good measure.

"Have you finished showing off now?" Levy asked, arching one eyebrow.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi," he chortled, almost spitting out shrapnel. He wondered if he had ever met another woman before who was this challenging. None sprang to mind.

"Never," he said, bending his elbow to flex his magnificent right bicep.

Levy's eyes flicked to it, her mouth pressed into a small line. "Do you think you could bottle it up for a bit and help us plan this damn party?"

"Nothing about me can be bottled, Shrimp," he waggled his iron-studded eyebrows at her, "but yeah, I can't do worse than Cinder Balls and Frozen Nips."

"Hey!"

"Oi!"

"He's got a point," Levy acknowledged, flapping her hand dismissively at the pair. "Your lists sucked."

Natsu and Gray exchanged disgruntled looks and Gajeel heard Natsu whisper, "You're so damn picky."

Gajeel pretended he didn't hear the pinkette.

"It's simple. Erza likes armour, weapons and strawberry cake," he offered. Levy rolled her eyes at him.

Lucy pressed her hands wide on the tabletop and bent forward sharply, causing her cleavage to surge to new heights.

"But we're going for subtle here," she said without a trace of irony.

Gajeel had no idea how she didn't notice she was almost flashing them. He smelled fresh blood and surmised Max's nose was bleeding from the bird's eye view she was giving a certain corner of the guildhall.

Completely oblivious, Lucy continued, "The strawberry cake is a good idea, we can definitely incorporate that, but we can't just hold it in an armoury or museum."

Gajeel shifted in his seat slightly, effectively blocking anyone aside their immediate table from seeing Lucy's heaving tits. Behind him, he could hear Max muttering, "You're an asshole, man."

Gajeel resisted the urge to turn and wink at Max to rub some salt into the wound. Instead, he refocused on the group.

"An outdoor space is better for the slayers. More people means more noise, more smells." He wrinkled his nose and fanned his face for emphasis.

"Lug Nuts is right," Natsu offered, seeming annoyed at having to agree with anything Gajeel said. "Outside is better, maybe a garden?"

"Something like a banquet hall might work," Lucy suggested slowly. She glanced down and absentmindedly tugged her red top back up; it dialled her cleavage level back down to massive from critical overload.

Levy seemed pleased that she was finally getting some decent ideas, her caramel eyes sparkled with fervour.

"Good, can we all check out some places tomorrow? We can all head in a different direction. Lucy can go East, I'll go West, Gajeel can go South and Gray and Natsu can go North."

"Huh? Why do I have to be stuck with the porn popsicle?"

"More like what have I done to deserve being stuck with you, scorched scrotum," Gray seethed as he started undoing his pants.

"Hey! Get your pants back on, frosty," Gajeel warned, gray scales appeared on his left arm as he prepared to use his iron dragon's club.

Gray tugged his pants back up and Gajeel heard several disappointed sighs from all around the guildhall. Gray spat out, "It's not like I have any control over it!"

"Get control over it, ice dick," Gajeel growled menacingly but let his arm return to normal.

Lucy jumped in, "Levy, we both work at the bookstore tomorrow morning, remember?"

Levy clacked with her tongue, doing a quick revision. "Good news, boys. You're separated. Natsu go East, Gray head West, Gajeel can still go South, and who can go North?"

"I can!" Mira's offered sweetly from the bar. "If my brother doesn't mind helping out Makarov for a bit tomorrow."

"I'll keep my eye on things here like a real man," Elfman agreed. Gajeel, Gray and Natsu all shared an eye roll over Elfman's favourite phrase.

"Then it's all settled," said Levy. She sat back with a contented air for a moment and then speculated, "I wonder who will get bragging rights to say they found the ideal location?"

She couldn't have said anything more perfect to light a fire under all of them. Gajeel wondered if she knew how highly competitive Gray, Natsu and him all were. He could see Gray and Natsu sizing each other up. Gajeel carefully schooled his face into its normal, indifferent expression. When Natsu and Gray got around to looking at him, he looked almost bored. Dismissing him, they went back to challenging each other.

Lucy added some fuel to the fire when she declared Mira would be the one to find the perfect party location. That earned her a wide grin from the take-over mage and rumblings from Gray and Natsu.

Gajeel caught himself studying Levy. Even though he knew she had deliberately pitted him, Gray and Natsu against each other, he couldn't help but admire her cleverness.

There was no way he was going to lose tomorrow.


Beta: xSteleAliniax


A/N: Alright, you guys are awesome! Over 50 followers for this story so far! You are all brilliant and amazing! Kittens and waffles for everyone! Glitter guns and hot anime guys for all! Thank you so much for reading! It really does keep me motivated!

To all my reviewers! THANKS! MasterGildarts, ShanaHollows, elorlan, xSteleAliniax, Celistastar, and silver light of dawn, you guys rock my world!

What did you guys think of this chapter? I have a huge soft spot for Gajeel and Levy and this chapter was such a thrill to write. They are my favourite couple outside of Natsu and Lucy. How about you guys? What couples do you like together?

I think Sunday will be my posting day. It seems to work best with my schedule.