AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima!
I've managed to find half an hour (yay!), ironically at the usual time! So here's the next chapter!
Chapter Four - Chance Encounters
Ever sat impatiently next to Laxus, repeatedly pointing out they needed to leave immediately, but he wouldn't budge. Normally he'd heed his assistant's warnings the first time but he was totally intrigued with the expression on his cousin's face. One minute he'd clearly been looking for a waitress that could get him his next pint and then the next his face had taken on this strange expression that looked very similar to shock. Getting annoyed with his persistent assistant, he turned to face her and gave her a perfectly serious challenge. She was to get herself another drink and go 'distract' the police men in the booth. She looked at him quizzically, wondering why they needed distracting and seen her boss' attention turn straight back to Gajeel sitting on a barstool on the other side of Bacchus and Bixslow. She took one look at Gajeel and decided to just do what she was told. If her boss wanted to stare at his cousin pulling faces all night, that was his choice. She bought a double vodka and diet cola this time, feeling very sure of the fact that she was going to need it, and headed in the direction of the occupied table.
Levy became aware of the rather large man staring at her from a barstool almost instantly. It was part of her job to realise when a customer needed another drink, but he seemed to be looking at her for a different reason. She'd seen his expression change from surprise to one of genuine recognition. She smiled sweetly back at the strange man, no idea who he was or why he recognised her – never mind where he knew her from. He was a tall, muscular guy with peculiar piercings on his face. He certainly didn't look like the type of guy she'd know, but he certainly looked very interesting.
"Hi, fancy meeting you here...having a good night?" She asked, raking through her head for any sort of appropriate sounding name, hoping he didn't realise she had no idea who he was.
"Gajeel. Yeah, I really hadn't expected to see you here. You seem to be a little more with it tonight though. You're normally totally spaced out when I see you, but at least tonight you have a genuine smile on your face – even if your eyes look as sad as ever." He commented, not even realising quite how personal he was being for someone who had just re-introduced himself for the ninth time that month.
"Thanks," she blushed realising she hadn't been as sly as she thought she had. Now she really needed to work out who this guy was, he seemed to actually know her. Where was she supposed to know him from?
"Do you like your new flat? I know you've been there a couple of months now, and you know, if those two dogs are bothering you then I'll sort them out. You don't ever seem much interested in what they have to say," he ventured.
"Oh, it's really nice! Thanks, not many people have actually bothered asking me." She answered almost shyly thinking 'well I must of known him reasonably well to have told him that I was moving', "sorry, but 'dogs'? There are no pets allowed at my block of flats...?"
"Gihe, I really should sort them out then!" He laughed, showing his large, white, unusually pointed teeth, "I meant the two boys that keep bothering you."
"Oh! Jet and Droy?!" She giggled, her eyes lighting up slightly at the man's joke. Now she really knew she must know him since she'd mentioned her two childhood friends to him. She had a bit of a timeframe now though, since he didn't seem to actually know their names she must have met him during the last two years when she hadn't seen her two oldest friends.
"Yeah, them. That's better! You look damn cute with that slight twinkle in your eyes, Shortie!" He grinned at her, watching for her reaction.
Levy didn't know whether to slap the man for calling her 'Shortie' or to laugh with him. She hadn't been called that since she'd left high school and she really didn't need it starting up again! After a minute of trying to decide on the appropriate response she suddenly remembered the start of his sentence. A huge, deep red blush grew across her cheeks as she realised the older man had called her 'damn cute'. How the hell did she know this guy?! He was actually flirting with her! Other than Jet and Droy over the last couple of months, no-one had openly flirted with her in the last two years. She wasn't exactly 'well built' in the chest department!
"Than...thank you," she stuttered, trying to regain control, "but I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me 'Shortie', if you wouldn't mind?"
Gajeel had seen every expression and colour change that had occurred in that brief pause and felt exceptionally pleased with himself. She'd accepted his complement with a crimson blush across her cheeks and hadn't just brushed him off. And to top it off, she'd even tried to protest the nickname that had just fallen out. No-one protested the nicknames he gave out, they just accepted them, never brave enough to speak up to challenge him.
"All right, Shrimp. So, you gonna tell me what's been bothering you?" He tested a little further, pleased with how well this was going.
"Oh, em, well I'm kinda working at the moment so do you think you could wait until I finish?" What was she doing?! She still hadn't worked out where she knew him from and she was asking him to meet her after work!? To talk about her problems?! She was the girl her friend's confided in, why was she suddenly so willing to open up to this man whom she couldn't even remember?! Even if he did seem very familiar, almost like an old friend, it still made no sense. She didn't have long to wait for his almost instant response.
"Sure, I'm guessing about 1ish then a little cleaning?" If he guessed right then he knew where she was until 4am every Thursday night to Sunday morning.
"Yeah, we usually finish getting the customers out by half one, finish cleaning about half two and then sit chatting for an hour. It only takes me about half an hour to walk home," she smiled happily, even though she had no idea what she was happy about or why she'd just told this man about her walking home.
"Ok, I'll hang around 'til then and walk you home, Shrimp," he said, grinning internally at the fact she hadn't even noticed him calling her 'Shrimp'. Yup, that would do. Shrimp – the girl across the hall.
Laxus had watched the entire interaction with nothing but the deepest curiosity. He could tell that his cousin knew the blue-haired girl, but the girl seemed to spend the entire conversation trying to work out who he was. What was even stranger was the fact that the two of them seemed totally at ease talking to each other. Hell, he was pretty sure he'd even heard the introverted brute say he'd walk her home! Who the hell was this girl and why didn't he know her?!
Laxus glanced over at the table that he'd unceremoniously sent Ever to, and found himself a little lost for words. Gildarts Clive had disappeared; he couldn't see the man anywhere in the small club, but the younger one? The white haired man was sitting laughing, shouting something seemingly hilarious as Laxus' normally cold-hearted assistant sat on the man's knee, giggling like a little school girl, slapping him across his arm playfully every now and then with her fan. He found himself wondering why he had never gotten to see her like that, feeling slightly hard done by due to his failed prediction that the police man hadn't stood a chance at gaining even half an inch with Ever. Hell, looking at the scene in front of him he'd say the man almost had all of her!
Sighing, he turned his head towards the two men laughing together by his side, commenting on the various women, presenting themselves, on the dance floor. That was when he noticed the couple sitting in the corner. They were practically sitting in each other's laps, being all cute and cuddly together. They were holding hands and kissing. Her hand made its way into his pink hair and started playing with it teasingly. He knew what that felt like. He still remembered the touch of her hand as it caressed his hair gently while they lay in bed. He remembered that feeling well; and he wanted it back.
Now.
And stop suddenly! Hehe, ending on a tense moment for you! Laxus' night went from alright to bad to worse in one chapter – I'm so evil; making him watch Gajeel chatting up a waitress and then having him realise he'd just accidently played matchmaker for Evergreen! To top it off he's being taunted by his memories while being surrounded by cute couples! Oh well, maybe he'll win his prize in the next chapter ;) which will hopefully be up tomorrow :)
