A/N: Many thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review, favorite or add this story to your alerts. Although school insists on taking up a lot of my time I'll try to continue updating as regularly as possible. Enjoy!
We kissed! I can't believe it!
Perched on the edge of the couch, Levy stared into the distance, her cheeks burning with a pink glow that refused to fade. Seated beside her was Gajeel, leaning on the cushion behind him and watching her intently. He couldn't tell what she was thinking about or what she felt, but he sincerely hoped it wasn't anything like regret.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worried by her silence. It wasn't a good sign, so when she finally spoke, relief hit him like a wave and washed through him, taking his fears away with it.
"I'm fine," she smiled, slumping back onto the couch. And she was, truly. He slid an arm around her, and she willingly moved with it, resting her head on his shoulder. It was amazing how snugly she fit into him, like she had been meant to be there all along, the missing piece belonging to an incomplete puzzle. She took a deep break, trying to calm her fluttering heart, which was still going fast, one of the many side effects of their kiss. She honestly didn't know where they planned to go next. What would they do from here? Did this whole thing mean that they were a couple, that they would start going on dates? Or would he imagine it to be some kind of friends with benefits arrangement? She grimaced at the thought, earning her a puzzled glance from the Dragon Slayer.
"I hope that wasn't a reaction to me," he said jokingly, quickly rushing to calm her down when she took the comment seriously. She shook her head and punched him playfully.
"Gajeel," she started, making use of the courage that had suddenly flared within her. "What are we?"
He considered her question for a moment, and then shrugged. "Call us whatever the hell you want to. I just don't plan on doing any of the bullshit that Salamander and the bunny did."
She didn't hear the rest of what he said, because after he had mentioned Lucy and Natsu, something had occurred to her. Would they tell anyone about them? Should they tell anyone about them? Lucy, definitely, she had to! At the end of the day, this whole thing was thanks to the girl's forceful attitude towards Levy's situation. But then she recalled her teammates, and their extreme dislike of the Dragon Slayer. How could she even think about letting them know when she knew their reactions would be negative straight away? She loved her friends with all her heart, but she knew their personalities far too well. They were both extremely stubborn, especially when it came to matters concerning her. No, she couldn't share this news with them just yet.
"Hey, you don't mind if we don't tell anyone about us, right?" she asked, looking up at Gajeel. He opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "Don't get any wrong ideas, it's just because if we told anyone in the guild they would probably tell Jet and Droy, and those two would really not be okay with it."
"Who gives a damn what they think?" he muttered. "But if that's how they'd react, I wouldn't mind rubbing it in their faces."
"Don't even think about it! I do plan on telling Lu-chan, but I'll make sure she doesn't tell anyone else. We'll tell them eventually, but now isn't the right time. Please don't go and torture them with it!"
"...As much as it hurts to accept, I guess I could keep quiet for now."
"Thank you!" the blue-haired mage shifted and nestled her head into the crook of his neck, wishing to just lay there for the rest of the day, sentiments that were shared by him as well. But she knew she had to go back to Lucy's house. The mage was probably eagerly awaiting her return. Groaning, she lifted herself up.
"Where are you going?" Gajeel asked, standing up with her.
"Back to Fairy Tail," she replied. "The guys will be wondering where I am." She glanced towards the bento box she and Lucy had prepared, which lay untouched. "Do me a favour and eat it? We put a lot of effort into preparing that."
She beamed at him and rushed out of the door, not giving him a chance to object. He sighed and grabbed the box, intending to go along with her wishes. But before he did he moved to the window and watched her walk away from the building, keeping his eyes on her until she was out of his field of vision, just to make sure that she was okay.
Laughter filled Lucy's home as Natsu relentlessly pounced on her, running his fingers all over the areas he knew were most sensitive. Ignoring her protests, he continued tickling her, greatly enjoying the experience. He couldn't help himself, when he heard her shrieking with delight like that it made him want to laugh as well, sending a burst of pleasure coursing through his veins. Oh, how he loved to make her happy. He took a lot of pride in that skill of his, even though in some cases it took a bit of cheating. Just like now. As long as it made her smile, it didn't matter what he did.
He gazed at her as she rolled around beneath his hands and stopped his attack, deciding to give her a chance to breathe. Boy, she was a sight to behold. Even like this, with hair sticking up from all sides and her face a bright shade of red, she was still the most beautiful thing in the room. Once she caught her breath she glared at him and sat up on the ground, brushing the dust she had collected off her clothes. He crossed his legs beneath him and watched her; unable to stop himself from chuckling at the look she was giving him.
"You're horrible," she sighed. He nodded in agreement and got onto his feet, pulling her up with him.
"If you hadn't been ignoring me then I wouldn't have had to resort to attacking you," he stated, releasing her arms.
"I wasn't ignoring you!"
"Yes you were. I came in and you were daydreaming. Although, now that I think about it you were probably dreaming about me, right?"
The blonde rolled her eyes and walked in to her kitchen, and began rummaging through her cupboards."You hungry?" she asked, grabbing two packets of chips from the bottom shelf. She tossed one over to him and watched him rip it open, greedily pouring half the contents into his mouth. "Oh, I forgot to ask, where's Happy?"
"Catching fish for Charle," he responded, happily munching on the chips. "So, Lucy, what's on your mind?"
"It's nothing!"
He appraised her, catching the faraway look in her eyes. What could she possibly be thinking about? It was just like when he had arrived at her house a couple of hours ago. She had been washing her cooking utensils, her focus not on the task at hand but instead on something else. The first time he had asked her what was wrong she hadn't even heard him. The second time, she didn't reply. So he had taken refuge on her bed and gone to sleep, hoping that when he awakened she would be in a better state. Of course it turned out that not even time was on his side, because when he got up she had been staring out the window, eyes glued to the street outside as if waiting for something or someone to magically appear out of the blue.
"You know Lucy, you're a crappy liar," he commented. She started to head back to her sitting room when a few sharp knocks on the door stopped her in her tracks. For a millisecond she appeared to be normal, calmly moving to the door, but halfway there she decided to bolt towards it instead, nearly slamming against it in her hurry to get it open.
"LEVY-CHAN!" she yelled, grabbing the girl's arm and heaving her into the apartment. "Do you have any idea how long you've been gone? The sun's already setting!"
"Isn't that a good sign?" Levy retorted, almost tripping thanks to Lucy's surprisingly strong pull.
"Who cares about that, just tell me what happened!"
"Lu-chan, I swear you give the best advice and I am so grateful! Gajeel and I kissed! It was amazing, Lu-chan, it was like – Natsu!"
"It was like Natsu?" Lucy asked, baffled by the description. It dawned on her then that the blue-haired mage was not looking at her, but past her shoulder, where Natsu stood in the doorway. His mouth was agape, the potato chip he had been about to eat still resting in his hands, fully intact.
"You and Gajeel?" he choked out, the words tasting odd in his mouth. He gawked at the girls for a moment, and then snapped his mouth shut and held his breath, trying very hard not to start laughing right there. The mental image that had appeared alongside the sentence he had heard was absolutely hilarious, with the ex-Phantom on his knees and presenting her with a large bouquet of roses, an extremely goofy smile on his face. Big ol' mean Gajeel and cute, tiny Levy? It was an impossible situation! Those two were complete polar opposites! The girls eyeballed him, wondering why he was keeping his lips clenched together so tightly, when suddenly he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he drowned out all other sounds.
"What's so funny?" the Solid Script mage asked defensively, rather insulted by his reaction.
"It's...just...you...and...him...hahahaha!" The pink-haired Dragon Slayer couldn't control himself; it was too crazy! He doubled over abruptly, feeling a slight pain start to form in his side. "Oh man, I can't wait until Gray hears about this!"
"No!" Levy nearly yelled, rushing forward and slapping a hand down on his mouth. "I came here only to tell Lucy, but I'm an idiot for not realising that she might have company. You can't tell anyone else! This has to stay a secret."
"Mphy?" The question was muffled by the small mage's hand, but she still managed to get the gist of it.
"Please, just listen to me, no questions asked, okay?"
"...Fmnh."
He took a deep breath when she removed her hand, rubbing his jaw. She may not have known it but she could hit pretty hard, especially when she didn't mean to. The three of them stayed quiet for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Although Natsu really did like Levy, her presence now was rather resented by him, even though she had given him a few golden minutes of entertainment. He had a feeling that now there was no chance of him staying, since the girls obviously had a lot to talk about.
"Okay, Natsu, you have to go now," the Stellar Spirit mage practically shoved him onto the street, confirming his suspicions. She planted a quick kiss on his head before she slammed the door shut. "I'm sorry but this is very important, so I'll see you tomorrow!" she shouted through the door.
The whole situation perplexed him to no end, and he spent his entire journey back to the guild mulling over it. He had no background details to go by, and it was obvious he wouldn't be getting any information soon. He didn't understand why they had to kick him out if he already knew about Gajeel and Levy's 'secret relationship', thanks to the small mage's slip of the tongue. Would his presence really be that bad? All he had wanted to do was spend time with Lucy, but it was apparent that today he would not have that opportunity. He was so caught up in his brooding that he didn't even notice he had reached his destination until Happy flew over to him from inside the guild, dejectedly clutching a trout decorated with a purple ribbon around it.
"Charle didn't want the fish," he informed his partner sadly. "Girls are really weird, right, Natsu?"
"Yeah, Happy. They're the weirdest."
The next morning, just as the orange glow of the rising sun was being replaced with the usual deep blue shade of the sky, Gajeel awoke feeling rather happy. He didn't know why he was in such a good mood. He certainly couldn't contribute it to a good night's sleep, nor to the incredibly warm shower he had taken, or the rather delicious scrap iron he had for breakfast. He only realised why he was in such a pleasant state of mind when he passed the empty bento box he had left on the kitchen counter.
"Right, that's hers," he said to himself, walking out of the door and locking it behind him. Did the strange, light feeling in head also belong to her? It certainly seemed so; the girl did have an odd yet powerful affect on him. Just the thought of seeing her was enough to make the Dragon Slayer quicken his pace. It was hard for him to believe that just yesterday, almost twenty-four hours ago, she had kissed him. She had kissed him. Of her own free will. Out of all the things he had been expecting when she had been acting bizarrely, that had definitely not been on his list of guesses. But whatever had encouraged her to act as she did, he was extremely grateful for it, because he would have ended up running around in circles attempting to avoid his blossoming attraction to her. After all, he had never imagined she would reciprocate them.
He took long, quick strides as he strolled to the guild, unnaturally enthusiastic to get there. Even though he couldn't do anything other than casually chat with Levy while they were there, it was still enough for him. For now. He honestly couldn't comprehend why they had to keep everything under wraps just because of her friends. It shouldn't have mattered what they thought about the whole thing, their attitudes towards it wasn't his problem. But it was important to her, and he knew he couldn't just act on his opinions alone. Hopefully, though, one day she would consider her own feelings more important than those of the two buffoons she worked with.
The guild rose up in front of him, but today he didn't view it with the stoic expression he normally donned. Instead, there was a slight eagerness visible in his eyes, one that most people wouldn't have noticed. However, Juvia wasn't most people, and unlike the other fairies, as soon as he walked in the look on his face told her something was different. You don't spend years in a guild without getting to know a person. Gajeel was surprised when she came up to him, and point blank, asked him what was going on with him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to get past her so he could sit down.
"Juvia thinks you seem different," she replied, moving to the left. She followed him to one of the tables near the stage and plopped down across from him, refusing to let him escape.
"Well, Juvia is crazy," he lifted his feet up and rested them on the table, blocking his view of the rain woman and vice versa. "Shouldn't you be worrying about your precious 'Gray-sama' right now, instead of giving me all your attention?" He tilted his head in the direction of the bar, where Gray and Mirajane were chuckling together about something. It was just a normal conversation, but to the Element Four mage it was a life or death situation, because from what she could see with every word Gray appeared to be getting closer and closer to the white-haired mage behind the counter.
The Dragon Slayer suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as she started to tear up and clenched her hands tightly, mumbling to herself about how life wasn't fair. He began to stand up to get some food to eat, and froze when he spotted a blue head of hair walking in his direction. He slowly settled back down onto his seat, glad that the girl across from him was too busy staring wistfully at the ice mage sitting in front of the bar to have noticed his actions.
"Hey, Juvia, Gajeel!" she greeted cheerfully. "Eh, Juvia, what's wrong?"
"Gray-sama is so horrible!" Juvia cried, before jumping out of the chair and running off, leaving a blazing trail behind her. Levy stared after her and then turned to Gajeel, who merely shrugged, an amused smirk on his face. An awkward silence followed, neither of them sure what to say or how to act around each other. It was slightly uncomfortable, and was thankfully interrupted by her teammate.
"Levy-chan!" Droy called, beckoning her to the request board. "I just found a great request for us!"
She gave the ex-Phantom a small smile, and with a subtle wave of her hand she went off to her partner, who was eagerly awaiting her. He allowed himself one last fleeting look at her, disappointed that he had allowed the strangeness of the situation to render him silent. Slamming his boots down onto the ground, he decided he might as well take up a request of his own, for lack of anything better to do, when he noticed a faded glow emanating from under the table. He peeked under it, and floating there in long, curving letters was the sentence 'Let's meet tonight at the gates!' It hovered there for an instant longer before fading away into nothingness.
Damn, she's good, he thought, feeling a wide grin spread across his face. It's a deal Levy. I'll see you there.
"Oh hey, Jet! Give me a minute; I'm going to go tell Mirajane we're taking this request."
Jet barely had a chance to nod as Levy strolled over to the bar, where the S-class mage was chatting away with her customers. He had just entered the guild when his teammates had tackled him, scolding him for not getting there early and then informing him of the job they were going to do. It sounded simple enough; a rich man living on the outskirts of Magnolia wanted them to disprove a fortune teller's predictions of his future. The reward was insane, it was a whopping 600,000 jewels! They had no idea how they would go about it, but if even just a wild attempt would mean receiving that much money, they planned to go for it. Although it was rather strange that no-one else had snatched it up before them, it looked like it had been up there for a while.
"She seems excited," the orange-haired mage remarked, watching his teammate interrupt Mirajane's conversation.
"I guess she's glad we got it before anyone else," Droy considered. "I know that's my reason. Although, knowing the amount of prank requests we get, everyone probably assumed it was another one."
"Shouldn't we be afraid of that, too?"
"I don't know, it seems pretty authentic to me. Hey, maybe after we're done we can go out for a celebratory dinner. It's been a while since we've gone out together just to have fun."
"Yeah, you're right," Jet moved his gaze to their partner, who was on her way back to them. "Why don't we surprise her with it?"
"Good idea! Let's do it."
"Alright, it's official you guys, this job is ours," Levy informed them, linking her arms with theirs. "Now let's move it! If we go now we can make it back before it gets really late."
"Aye, aye, Levy-chan! Let's go!"
