Author's notes: Yay, I finally did it! for the sake of the story, I made up a law that says that mages interacting with non-mages are forbidden of using magics against them except in the case of a job/mission or life threatening experience. I think it sounds plausible enough.

I still don't own Fairy Tail and the book mentioned in this chapter neither. But I own a new scanner so I can post fanarts again on deviantart :D *cheers*

Enjoy!

Let's Play Pretend

# 10 Levy's pleading look of doom

Levy McGarden was known for a lot of things: she was an avid reader, that much was obvious. She had a talent for ancient languages and script magic and had a smart, cheerful, pacifistic and forgiving personality. But, in spite of her non-violent nature, the bluenette did possess one natural talent that was considered like a real weapon, a weapon that seemed quite harmless but when someone like her mastered it to the perfection, it could spell disaster for whoever got struck by it.

The famous Levy's Pleading Look of Doom. Also known in the guild as The Eyes.

It was a psychological masterpiece, borderline dirty, that was rumored to be strong enough to pull a man like Laxus on his knees. Those who had been unlucky enough to have been subjected to it, even if only once, would run for their lives the moment they knew she was about to unleash it. The worst in this was that The Eyes came so naturally to her that some people said she wasn't even aware of the devastation she could do with it.

Unfortunately for them, and for the poor man currently standing in front of her, the script mage was perfectly aware of its potential. And, even tho she rarely used it, she didn't have any scruples doing so, especially if it meant getting something she really wanted.

A fact that Gazille Redfox had discovered only a few seconds ago.

" Munchkin... "

The dragonslayer gulped, fighting the feeling of panic in his chest born from the fact that he was apparently unable to tear his gaze off the young woman's eyes. The bluenette's big brown orbs were sparkling as if there was a thousand diamonds in them, looking so bright and appealing that he could feel his soul being sucked in them. If he wasn't careful, he would end up trapped.

" S-stop doing that, " he tried to say in an intimidating voice but his mind betrayed him and he sounded more pleading than anything. He wanted to curse, to fight back, to run away, ANYTHING... but he couldn't. He just couldn't. He already had one foot in the trap.

The small fairy slowly blinked before adding an insanely cute smile to her already insanely adorable expression, her head slightly tilted and her hands joined in front of her, looking nothing less than an angel. When he heard his name come out from her lips and a...

" Pleaase? "

...pled in such an irresistible manner, he knew he was screwed. It was over. Too late. Overkill. Even Wendy wouldn't have been able to pull it off that perfectly.

" Alright! Fine, you win! You damn little... "

Big, strong and arrogant Gazille Kurogane Redfox had just been defeated by a half-pint who had made him submit using only her eyes. The shame! In another era, he would have cut his guts open.

" Yay! Thank you, Gazille! " Levy cheered before she literally glomped him, her petite frame crashing against his massive one without any hint of hesitation. The man tried to scowl and push her away, growling his frustration at having lost in such a pathetic way, but her huge cheerful smile drained his anger and he just surrendered with slumping shoulders.

He didn't resist when she took his hand and pulled him inside the bookstore.

A horrendous hour later, the iron dragonslayer was walking beside a skipping script mage toward Fairy Hills, his arms loaded with books.

A shit load of books.

Twenty-five. Who the hell would buy twenty-five books at once, if not Levy McGarden, Bookworm extraordinaire? And they weren't pocket books, of course, no: freaking huge thick-as-his-head books that he would have highly doubted that the squirt at his side could even lift by herself if he wasn't currently witnessing her doing it, at this precise moment. Five of those monstrous items were held by thin arms against the bluenette's chest, with some difficulties because of the weight, but the fairy in question was far from complaining about the heaviness, quite the contrary: just by seeing her face, it made no doubts to the black-haired man that even if they would have weighted a ton, she would have been too ecstatic to care.

Useless to mention that Gazille wasn't sharing her enthusiasm. He wasn't going to show it, for the sake of his male pride, but he sure didn't think having twenty of those damn things stacked in his arms was no big deal. He honestly wasn't sure that his limbs wouldn't fall off before they got there. And there was also the fact that his skin was still a bit sensitive, thanks to his exposition to the sun, two days ago. He took extra care to not let it show to the petite woman since he surely didn't want her to tell him that she had told him so.

" By the way, Munchkin, didn't we agree that I wasn't your freaking shopping mule? "

The two piles that he was fighting to keep balanced in his arms were reaching almost over his head so he couldn't really move it to look down at Levy, all he could see of her, from the corner of the eye, was the top of her little blue head bouncing with every step she took.

" Uh huh, " she said in a very joyful tone without stopping, " just like we had agreed that my name was Levy and nothing else. "

He scoffed:

" What are ya complaining about? I don't call you Shorty or Shrimp anymore, right? It's not like Munchkin is an insult... "

They arrived at the base of the hill leading to the female dormitory.

" Munchkin means the same thing that Shorty, you know, "she replied nonchalantly. " So, basically, you're just calling me short with another word. "

Gazille frowned even tho she didn't see it.

" Like hell, that's not what it means. "

" Yes, it does: it's the name of the race of small people that Dorothy Gale meets in The Wizard of Oz. I was convinced that you knew and that was why you called me that. "

" Tch, I should have known you would have thought of a book... " he grumbled just like he so often did. " Anyway, I didn't get it from there. "

" How did you think of it, then? "

He grunted as he felt the weight of the books worsen as they climbed the slope.

" I ate a dessert named like that, a month ago. In Hargeon town. "

There was no answer from Levy for a few seconds and then, she let out a small laugh.

" What's so funny? "

" Nah, nothing, " she answered, shaking her head.

Normally, the iron dragonslayer would have insisted and made her spill it but, at the moment, getting those damn books at destination took priority. They were only a few feet away from the front door.

" What's the big deal to buy so many? You'll need a whole year to read all of that. "

The bluenette snorted as she dug in her little bag for something unknown, keeping her books balanced on her left forearm.

" Oh, please, don't underestimated me: if I wanted, I could devour them in a week. "

Gazille almost dropped his load when he heard her. Twenty-five books in a week? He wasn't even sure he could read one of them in such a short time.

" Ya never thought of moving next to the freaking store to save you the trouble to get them here? "

Levy shrugged:

" It's no trouble when I have such an helpful boyfriend to help me, " she said with a big smile before patting him softly in the back. " Please, bear with it a little bit more, we're almost there. "

She pushed the door open with her hip and he carefully stepped in after her. He was about to drop the books right in the lobby but she gestured toward the stairs.

" No, not here. My room is on the second floor. "

He started cursing like a sailor which did not surprise the young woman who only glanced at him over her shoulder.

" What's wrong, Gazille? " Levy asked with a smile. " For the strongest dragonslayer of Fairy Tail, getting those books upstairs shouldn't be a problem, right? "

He knew she was only ass-kissing him to get what she wanted but, damn his stupid ego, it did the trick. He pushed a long sigh, frustrated at her for so blatantly using him and at himself for going along with it like a fucking wiped husband. They climbed the stairs and arrived in a hallway with several wooden doors on each side. Fortunately, Levy stopped right in front of the third door and quickly opened it to let the dragonslayer in. It wasn't too soon for him, he was at his limit.

In spite of his eagerness at dropping his charge, the moment he crossed the doorstep, Gazille stopped right in his track as his eyes fell on the inner sanctum of the solid script mage. She had been right to say that he had been underestimating her because even if she had told him beforehand, never he would have imagined that her whole room would be filled with books. There were bookcases everywhere and every single one of them was filled with literary works, tomes, volumes, novels, hardcovers, softcovers... you named it! Never in his life has the black-haired mage seen this many books. Sure, he should have expected it but never he could have imagined that it would be to this extend. He had no idea how many there was but, in comparison, the two piles he was currently holding looked quite insignificant.

No wonder she wasn't living next to the bookstore: she already had her own right here.

At his side, Levy pushed a little contented sigh and commented:

" That makes a lot, isn't it? It's funny, everyone does the same face the first time they come in my room, " she gestured at his astonished expression, obviously amused, before closing the door behind him.

He blinked at the sound of her giggling and, as if it had been the cue his brain was waiting for, dropped the books right in front of him, the two piles crumbling like a house of card. The small fairy let out an indignant shout but he honestly didn't care: he couldn't feel his forearms anymore and his fingers were sore.

" Be careful, Gazille, their bindings could have come loose! "

While he only grunted nonchalantly, flexing his fingers to get some blood back in them, she was already down on her knees in front of the messy mountain of books, handling them as if they were made of porcelain, inspecting each one while ranting in a low voice about people who just didn't have any consideration for delicate things.

" What does it matter? Don't you think you already have plenty enough like that? "

" What you see here, " she made a circling motion with a finger, giving him a pointed look before eyeing the novel she was holding, " is only a fraction of what I used to have. Seven years of ravage from moths and an obvious lack of space forced me to get rid of the rest. So, I can assure you that I'm not about to think that I have too many, anytime soon. "

Gazille could only raise his eyebrows in astonishment: today, it made no doubts for him that the word bookworm had been invented especially for her. He watched her pick up her precious books, stacking five, six... seven in her arms, and then try to get up from her half-crouching position. It quickly became obvious that they were way too heavy for her, it would be just a matter of time before she fell or hurt herself:

" Tch, are you trying to break your back? Quite the big idea to pick so many... " he scoffed, grabbing the back of her dress to help her on her feet.

" I'm okay, I do thiiiss... " she almost lost her footing, thanks to another book on the floor, " ... all the time. "

Judging that it was just a matter of time before something happened, the black-haired man ignored his sore fingers, picked a couple of books and followed her further in the room until they arrived near what he guessed was her sleeping area. However, calling it an area was quite generous: the single bed in the corner was buried under even more books and a laundry basket, at its left was a window, a small desk, a comfortable chair and a carpet on the floor while at the right of the bed was a dresser, a wardrobe and a door between them that seemingly led to a private bathroom.

The black-haired man had a little smirk as he looked at the room as a whole: Lily often told him that he was a real hoarder but he was pretty sure that the cat would be surprised to see the Shorty's room. The main difference with him was that her stuff was far less cumbersome than the metal parts, gizmos and other things he liked to pick up to tinker with, especially since he never bothered to put them on shelves.

Levy carefully dropped her books on the bed and asked Gazille to do the same after she removed her laundry basket. She was seemingly back into a good mood if the little light shining in her eyes was any indication.

" I'm so happy: I've been waiting for those books for a month! " she squealed, clapping her hands in excitement, before she dashed back toward the entrance to pick up more of her precious items. The black-haired man decided to help her again, telling himself that he was just preventing her from dying by the things she liked the most.

When all the twenty-five books were gathered on the bluenette's bed, the young woman in question pulled out a little notebook and scribbled down something about each item that Gazille guessed was the title, the author and maybe something else like the genre. Levy then carefully sorted them in piles on the carpet, treating them in a loving manner, and did the same with all the other books that weren't already neatly placed in a bookcase. While she worked ( if one could call it that: she looked so enthusiastic it didn't seem like working at all ), the dragonslayer sat cross-legged against her bed, chomping on a IRON as big as the one she had made on Tenrou Island.

" You know, " he said after a while, between two bites, " seeing you like that, I understand why you were given the task of restoring the data room. "

The small fairy lifted her gaze from her notebook and offered him a huge smile:

" Well, it's true that my experience with books helped, back then... " Her eyes shone with realization. " Can you believe that it was already one week ago? "

The man hummed in agreement.

" One week that we've been... you know, " she made a gesture showing the two of them, a gesture that he understood, of course. " I think we managed pretty well, so far, don't you think? "

" Yep, kinda surprising with all the shit that happened, " he rolled his eyes.

" Yeah. "

He propped his head in his hand while she lowered her eyes back on her work, her cheeks tinted with pink. A lot of things had happened in just a week, most of them not even planned for, like Catgirl's little trick and Barmaid's apparent obsession with them. They had also fought a bit and there had been a good amount of teasing too but maybe the most surprising about that dating thing was how much they learned about the other. Gazille had seen a side of the Munchkin that he would have never suspected but also, another part that he had never expected to be ever allowed to witness because of his past actions. The genuine trust he could see in her eyes and the heartfelt smile she would give him, it was the same kind she gave to the others and so different from the shy awkward grimace she used to make in his presence. Ever since Tenrou Island, his relationship with her had changed for the better.

Seemed like Levy really had forgiven him. Lily had been right.

" Only one more week, " Levy added, pulling him from his thoughts, " and you'll be free again. Bear with me just a little bit more. "

She had a little smirk as she went back to sorting her books, he had a little frown in exchange but he quickly morphed it in a curious one:

" The way you talk, it's like you're saying that being with you is a pain in the ass, " he said while crossing his arms behind his head, leaning a bit more against the bed he was sitting against. " I'm pretty sure it's more the other way around. "

She answered his growing smirk with a roll of the eyes:

" Well, I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed being teased and mocked on a regular basis but... I meant to say that I'm perfectly aware that I'm not someone very interesting to hang out with. " She picked up a few books and disappeared behind one of her bookcases while she kept speaking. " Anyone would prefer someone who's more into partying, going out and stuff like that instead of always having the nose buried in a book. And with my plain body, it's not really helping much. "

Again, Gazille could only frown at the words that came out of the bookworm's mouth. The way she spoke, it was like she actually believed that she wasn't interesting.

" Are you shitting me again or you really think that? "

Maybe it had been thanks to his choice of words but her little blue head popped out from behind the bookcase, throwing him a dumbfounded look:

" Huh? What do you mean? "

" I mean that I'll have to flick you on the head again if you're really sprouting crap like last time, " he scolded her with a stern-looking finger pointed at her. " Didn't I tell you to not speak of yourself like that? "

At least, she had the decency to look a bit ashamed:

" Yes b-but I... it's the truth, you know. I'm not really inter- "

" Bullshit! Who's the dumbass that made you believe that? " He was starting to get pissed.

The bluenette let out a sigh as she came to pick another pile of books:

" I've experienced enough to know that my lack of appeal is a fact. I'm too small and bookwormish to interest anyone."

How tempting it was to tease her about the fact that she had just acknowledged herself as a bookworm but he was more interested in hearing her arguments.

" Care to elaborate on that? "

She had gone behind another bookcase when she answered:

" Usually, guys don't turn around when I pass by them, they never spare me a second glance and even less try to talk with me. If I'm with my friends, like Lu-chan or Erza or even Lucky, and we are approached by some guys, most of the time, I'm not even acknowledged at all and if I am, they think I'm a little sister or cousin. Back in the days, it was like that with Loke, he could flirt with every single girl he met but he never did it with me. And nowadays, it's the same with those guys from Blue Pegasus: I've never been approached by them, not even once. I'm ready to bet you whatever you want that you go see them and tell them my name, they won't even know who I am. All this prove my point, Gazille: I do not have what it takes to catch a guy's eye. "

She came back in his line of sight and noticed his blank expression:

" Hey, don't feel sorry for me, " she added with a knowing smile, " even tho it sucks, I have accepted this fact. I have my books and my nakamas, I'm fine this way. "

Gazille wasn't feeling sorry for her, he was doubtful of what she claimed. Was there really no guy who had noticed her? Of course, he wasn't an expert about the other guys preferences but he didn't think that Levy was as plain as she thought, the memory of her bikini-clad ass proving his point. He couldn't be the only one who saw it.

" So what if a bunch of losers and some playboy pansies don't notice you? It's not like you should give a damn about what they think. Just 'cause you've never been asked out, before, doesn't mean you're plain. "

The bluenette avoided his gaze, her cheeks getting tinted in pink, before she picked another pile on the floor and left his sight again.

" Actually, I've been asked out before... just not by anyone suitable. "

" Your Boy Toys? " he asked with a snort.

He heard her sigh at the nickname:

" Yes, both of them did ask me out, a few years ago, but I had to refuse. "

" Why? " His inner Lily-ish voice snickered, questioning if he really had to ask her why. It made no doubt to the iron dragonslayer that these two were absolutely no good for the Munchkin. Just imagining her with either the ginger or the fat guy made him want to burst out laughing.

" Because they are like brothers to me, we've known each others since we were kids, and it would bring trouble to our team and friendship if I was to date one of them. Beside, I know that if they actually hung out with other girls more often, they would probably find someone that fitted them better. "

Gazille snorted: the idea that they could find themselves some women was as ridiculous as seeing them dating the Shrimp. He stood on his feet and picked the last pile of books that she had left near her bed.

" So that's it? You've only been asked out by your fanboys? " he said nonchalantly as he started making his way toward her. He felt like scowling, tho: that seemed impossible to him and he was probably the guy who knew the less about those kind of things. Was all the other males of this freaking city addicted to huge boobs or what? It wasn't like she was ugly. Maybe it really was her love for book... But, even then, he couldn't see what turned them off about a woman that liked to read.

It was silent for a few seconds until she spoke, he noticed a faint waver in her voice:

" To be honest, there was another one... "

The black-haired man found her standing on a small ladder, her gaze fixing the bookcase in front of her with a strangely grim expression. He didn't need to be a mind-reader to understand that the other one hadn't been a pleasant experience.

Levy blinked and glanced down to meet his eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards but they failed at making him believe that she was fine. She gazed back at the book she was holding, stroking the leather cover absentmindedly.

" It happened a few years ago... well, a few years before our seven year time skip. I would spend most of my free time at the city's library and there was a guy, a bit older than me, that would pass by, every time I went back home, always near the same building. At first, he would just greet me and I would greet him back, out of politeness, but the more days passed, the more he tried to speak to me and ask me weird and personal questions. He had that creepy smile that gave me goosebumps but since he never did anything else than talk, I figured that if I just changed my route and avoided him, he would give up. But he didn't, he started following me everywhere, calling me by my name, which I have no idea how he had learned it, leaving me disturbing love letters and asking me out regularly. I tried to tell him clearly that I wasn't interested and that I wanted him to leave me alone but he wouldn't hear it, he just kept saying that I was in love with him but that I was simply in denial. "

The bluenette paused, her body shaking under a fierce shiver and her eyes closed, as if she was trying to fight back an horrible feeling. Gazille didn't say a word, he simply kept his eyes on her and waited for the rest of her tale.

" I told the authorities about him but they said that they couldn't arrest him as long as he didn't try anything more invasive. They just told me to not be by myself anymore and to ignore him... But it got worse: he kept harassing me even when I was with someone else, he snuck inside the guild to steal things that I had used and... tried several times to abduct me. The last time, it happened in my room, in the middle of the night. He ran away when Erza and Mirajane showed up but since he wasn't a mage, they couldn't use magic to stop him and he escaped. "

Levy fell into silence again.

" Did he come back? "

His question seemed to wake her from her bad daydream, she shook her head:

" That very night, Master and Erza went to the council and they greatly insisted for him to be arrested. He is in prison now- well, I guess it would be more accurate to say he was in prison, seven years ago... He should be out, now. "

He could almost taste the scent of fear that came out of her in spite that she was doing her best to hide the feeling. She straightened her back and focused on squeezing the book she was holding into a tiny space between two hardcovers, with great difficulty. She glanced down at him while doing so and offered him a smile:

" Sorry for getting all gloomy over this, let's just say it's an episode of my life that I'd rather forget. That must have sounded quite ridiculous to you, right? A mage that wasn't even able to shake off a non-mage. "

The dragonslayer watched the babbling fairy fight to make the book fit, the action an obvious attempt at helping her clear her head. He didn't answer anything, focusing on the strange feeling nested in his guts that he only remembered experiencing once, in the past. It had been in Edolas, when he had witnessed Pantherlily being shot in mid-air, and just like then, he was getting overwhelmed by a burning desire for vengeance. He wanted to hunt that guy and beat the crap out of him: to hell with the fact that he couldn't chop him in pieces with his iron sword because the asshole wasn't a mage. To hell that the guy had already done his time in prison and to hell that himself wasn't in any position to require homemade justice in Levy's name since he had done far worse to her in the past. Right now, he just wanted to spill that bastard's blood and his only reason to do so was that he could wipe that scared-as-shit look off the Munchkin's face forever.

Because she didn't deserve that such shit happened to her, in the first place.

The nature of his thoughts must have shown on his face because the bluenette placed a hand on his forearm, pulling him back to reality at the same time. He looked down at her, seeing that she had climbed down her ladder and took the books he was holding without him noticing.

" It's pointless thinking about revenge, Gazille, " she said with a smile that looked far more genuine that the ones she had gave him in the last fifteen minutes, " things are different, now. The security at the guild and here, at Fairy Hills, had been greatly enhanced. While it has always been forbidden for males to get inside the dormitory, it was mainly because it wasn't appropriate and there wasn't any big enchantments to ward them off. But now, absolutely no man can enter by any mean, at any time. "

The black-haired man grunted in reluctant approval even tho it was far from putting him at ease. The idea that this weirdo was loose in the city was making him grit his teeth. If the guy had managed to get inside the Munchkin's room before, he could very well-

...

Wait a minute.

" Guys can't come here? "

Levy looked up while placing the two last volumes she was holding in the lowest shelves of the bookcase.

" No. Not a single guy, not even a baby. "

He blinked before he opened his arms wide to show her his whole self:

" And what the fuck am I, then, if I may ask? "

She giggled at his scowl:

" No need to be insulted, believe me, you're the last man on Earthland that could be mistaken for something else than a man. Well, beside Elfman, I guess. Seriously, the reason you could come here is because I gave you a pass. "

" You didn't give me anything. Beside your damn books, that is. "

" Right before we crossed the front doors, I sticked it on your back. "

Gazille frowned in confusion, recalling vaguely that she had indeed patted his back before they came in. He tried to look for the thing in question but when he failed to see it, he started probing his back with his hand.

" Don't take it off, you'll be kicked out of the dormitory and I can assure you that it wouldn't be a pleasant ride. "

" A sticker, " he scoffed with a blank look. " Isn't that a bit flimsy for protection? Anyone could steal it and use it later. "

" Actually, no, " she explained while getting back on her feet, " because it only works if one of the girls living here, in this case me, stick it to the man they want to invite in, in this case you, and does it with the clear intention to make that male come inside. It has to be used less than ten minutes after being applied and it can only be used once. "

The man wasn't impressed, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the closest bookcase:

" I still think it ain't worth shit. "

She stifled a little laugh behind her hand:

" Don't go say that to Freed and the Master, they're the ones that came up with the enchantments. "

Gazille bit back his tongue for the obvious reason that calling one of Master's enchantment crap wasn't a good idea. But that wouldn't hold him back from thinking it. His only reassurance was that Titania and Juvia lived here, as well.

" Alright, " the small woman said with a satisfied nod and a big smile, " not that you're no fun to be with but, if you don't mind, I'll see you out. I'm going on a job, this afternoon, and there's no way I'll have you in my room while I'm taking a shower. "

He raised an eyebrow at the fairy, scoffing in mock indignation:

" Tch, now that you're done using me, you're kicking me out. How considerate. "

" Oh, please, " she retorted while pulling on his arm, " I gave you a huuuuge chunk of iron, earlier. You can't complain. "

" Yeah, sure, that was so worth killing my arms for. "

They kept bickering playfully all the way to the dormitory's entrance, the blinding sun and fresh wind welcoming them when they pushed the door open. The dragonslayer stepped off the porch and turned to the bluenette who was standing with her hands behind her back and a smile on her lips.

" Thanks a lot for helping me, Gazille. "

" Tch, I guess it's fine for today but don't you dare do that dirty trick of yours again. "

She made a little face that clearly meant she wasn't promising anything, he ruffled her hair in retaliation.

" Just go, already, " she growled which made him smirk. But he got serious again when he thought of another detail:

" Your fanboys will come pick you up, right? "

" I'm meeting them at the train station. "

He frowned, the station was at the other end of the town. She shook her head:

" Gazille, there's nothing to worry about, nothing is going to happen to me. I'll walk in broad daylight and take the large streets, like I always do. "

" I'll walk you there. "

" It's unnecessary. "

" Aaaww... "

The two mages switched their gazes to the large door of the dormitory where a chorus of females had interrupted them in the middle of their argument. Of their undesired audience, all that was visible was their faces, all cramped one on top of the other in the crack of the door and looking at them in obvious glee, stars and little hearts in their eyes.

While Levy just sweat in embarrassment, Gazille grew more ferocious:

" DO YOU MIND? "

His outburst provoked the other women to squeal in fright and reduce the crack of the door to a tiny slit. The script mage let out a small laugh and placed her hands on the black-haired man's chest to keep him from attempting murder. Attempting because he had already stepped away from the zone under the enchantments and his sticker had already dissolved, if he was to come any closer to the building, he would get literally kicked off like a soccer ball.

" I'm gonna be fine, " she told him in a soft voice, " so there is really no reason to fret over it. "

Gazille was barely paying attention to what she was saying, his eyes drilling holes in the dormitory's door while he grumbled various curses. It was obvious that he was too riled up, at the moment. Levy remedied to this by closing the gap between them, stepping on the tip of her toes, grabbing the back of his head with one hand and cupping his jaw with the other, all this to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

The contact made him stand to attention in half a second, his whole body freezing on the spot except for his eyes that quickly met hers in a silent inquiry. She simply smiled through the kiss and closed her eyes, prompting him to respond to the gesture, his hands moving to rest on her waist. Their mouths danced in a slow pace, not quite innocent but not aggressive neither, it was a bit hard to explain but far from being unpleasant.

Their eyes met again when they parted, shortly after, Levy's brown orbs searched for something in his red ones and he honestly wasn't sure what it could be. However, he didn't have the chance to ponder on it because his ears picked the sounds of half a dozen female fairies squealing in apparent delight in front of their exchange and that just made something snap inside him.

Enraged like Erza in front of the remains of a destroyed cake, the man jumped on the porch, yelling profanities and death threats to the inhabitant of Fairy Hills, something that, unfortunately, the bluenette didn't have time to prevent him from doing.

" No, Gazille, don't go back there- "

A loud alarm noise suddenly resounded and a huge red X appeared in front of the door. Gazille barely had time to utter a dumb Huh? that a violent force blasted him away, making him fly over the Fairy Hills arch like a clay pigeon until he painfully crashed head first, almost half a mile further. Levy ran on the little path until she could spot him, embedded in the cobblestones of the street with only his legs popping out. Even tho she was mortified at the amount of pain he could be currently experiencing, she couldn't help the corners of her mouth stretching outwards as she asked in a very loud voice if he was alright.

His answer came back in a muffled stream of heartfelt curses.

End notes: Was it worth the wait? I hope so^.^ as always your reviews and faves are like coffee: delicious, warming and addictive! :3