Sorry for the late update~~ It was my birthday yesterday, and could not find the time to edit my work. Now, then, the usual thanks for the reviewers out there~~ 41 followers Wahoo!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, Hiro Mashima does.
Love you all.
Chapter 10: Scarface
by crownbutt123
CRASH!
"Hey! What's going on?!" Mirajane yelled as she ran into the shooting room.
"It's nothing Mira." Gray motioned Mira to move away from the glass shards that were scattered across the floor. He punched Natsu in the back of the head as he gritted,
"This idiot insisted that he helps Elfman move the lights, and this is the result." Natsu flinched and retorted with his boisterous screams, not admitting it was his fault. The pink-haired man put a fit and started at Gray. Gray, Natsu, and Lucy had just finished their shooting, and were helping out to prepare for the Sabertooth twin's shoots. They had nothing better to do.
Which, now that the lighting crashed, was going to require Elfman's extra hand once again.
"Seriously, you boys are just ridiculous." Mira sighed and added the next comment which made the pink-haired boy sweat, "good luck with watching your pay decrease to half!"
She smiled like an innocent bird and turned around to call her brother.
"Elfman~ I think I might need you to bring in another one in!" She didn't even have to wait for a response as the said man responded in his own demeanor.
"OTOKU!"
"And~Natsu, tell your friend Lisanna to clean this with you." She grabbed Natsu's shoulder, "Then, maybe I can try to keep this incident a secret from Erza~."
Natsu gulped and silently walked over the dispersed shards, straight to the cleaning room to get his friend, Lisanna. Gray resumed looking at Facebook, responding to fan's questions and photos. Taking this chance as a chance to leave them be, Mira turned on her heals to walk over to the girls.
"What was that Mira?" Lucy asked, as she noticed the white-haired buxom approach her.
"Oh, your boyfriend was being silly~" she chided, to which Lucy screamed.
"He is NOT my boyfriend!"
"But, Lucy, you wish so." Erza said, as she looked up from her phone. The red haired manager was leaning on the door that led to the make-up artist's room. She left the screen on and shoved the device to Mira and Lucy's face.
"Anyhow, forget Lucy's boyfriend — "
"Wha—"
"Mira did you see this post?" Erza continued, completely ignoring the blonde's protests.
"Oh~ The one that fans are going wild about?" Mira responded knowingly. She had already seen the post and actually was just about to talk about it.
She smiled widely.
"I think our Black Steel Gajeel looks a little caring in this picture~" Her comment made Erza chuckle, and Lucy questioned.
"What is it? May I get a look?" She asked, trying to look at the photo. It would have been easy to see if Erza was not trying to be secretive about the screen being shown to the people around them.
"Look." Erza shoved the device to Lucy's face, and she shrieked. It was the public photo of Gajeel rolling Levy's sleeves. Lucy eagerly scrolled down the post and looked at the comments, and they didn't seem so nice.
OMGOMG KUROGANE ACTUALLY HAS A HEART?!
NOOOOOOOO WAYYYY
F*CK HE'S MINE
WHY…
IS THAT REAL? LEGIT?
SO THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME….
MY GAJEEEEEEELLLLLKLD
THIS AINT FUNNY
WHO'S THE B*TCH?
RE: EVERYONE, CALM DOWN. THE GIRL MUST BE A DEFICIT PERSON WHO JUST NEEDED HELP. GAJEEL CAN'T HAVE A BAE. THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS.
CROWNBUTT: HOW COME THAT B*TCH LOOKS FAMILIAR
RE: KEEEP AN EYE OUT CROWNBUUTT.
RE:RE: DUH
Lucy's mouth stayed agape as realization shrouded her. If Gajeel's fans were this hyped up about Levy as a scandal subject, it also meant that Lucy was endangered. They left at the same time each morning, and went out often. Now that Gajeel was causing her trouble, she needed adapt and choose whether she will avoid public view or be ignorant to everything on Facebook. This was the life of being a model, which she had willingly chosen, and she had to deal with it despite her concerns.
As if they read the blonde's concerns, Mira and Erza laughed. They spoke up in comfort, saying that most of the FT members don't really care about the rumors. In the beginning, Mirajane had a lot of female haters, especially wives, but she learned to embrace them as a , a rumor with Gajeel and another female was going to be tough.
Erza could already imagine her and Jellal reading an article on Gajeel blah blah blah blue haired girl.
"Come to think of it…where is Levy-chan?"
Lucy asked as she looked around the floor. Elfman was bickering with Evergreen, most likely it being Evergreen the first one to criticize him. They had a truly wierd way of showing affection. There was Juvia, trying to fix her hair for the shooting request she received the said morning. It was sudden, but the company of FAIRYSKIN wanted Juvia's pale skin to be the focus for their cosmetic products.
And, Levy was nowhere to be found.
"Oh, she's busy in this room doing everyone's make-up." Erza pointed behind to the doors she was leaning on. The make-up room was not transparent like the other ones because some nude features were too explicit during make-up sessions. It was for the sake of the women.
"Wow…she's so busy already." Lucy looked down, remembering how Levy already did her make-up, knowing that Natsu and Lucy was going to be the first up. She hadn't imagined her best friend to be busy full-time. Slight concern washed over her.
"Don't worry, Lucy. She's on her last session right now." Erza pushed her back from the door and started to the elevator. She was needed elsewhere to set up other plans with Makarov and Jellal. The companies that requested would contact soon.
"That's right, Lucy." Mira confirmed.
"Well, I hope she doesn't overdo it…" Lucy murmured, wondering who was on the list of the last shooting.
"And Lucy~ I don't think she'll be tired."
"Eh?"
"Hehe" Mira smiled as she indicated with her eyes the approaching man. He was shadowy, and truly unnoticeable despite his ridiculous height. The man walked staunchly to the room that Erza had been leaning against, to which Mirajane wriggled her eyebrows. After a slight knock, the doors opened and closed behind the said model.
Lucy chuckled, "I should've guessed."
:::
"Come in..!"
Levy stretched her shoulders as she waited for last session. She was tired out. When she joined Fairy Tail, she had not expected the professional level to be so difficult. Making Juvia literally flawless took so much of her energy, so she hoped the last person only asked for a facial one. She sighed again, looking to the floor.
"Oi Shrimp."
The blunette immediately turned around from her swirling chair, almost spilling her coffee.
"Oh..!" She slightly blushed for being caught dawdling.
"Tired?" Gajeel grinned, the usual toothy one, as he walked over to sit in front of the white stand. On it, all the cosmetic utensils and products were arranged in an impeccable order, showing a peek of Levy's personality. It was impressive to say the least, for in Gajeel's memory, Wendy never had a clear organization.
"Um…Yeah I guess." She looked down, putting aside her coffee. The short one stood up, reaching Gajeel's height with him sitting down.
"Gihi. It's only this intense for seasonal shootings." He comforted her, seeing the way she rolled her shoulders.
"I'm..glad to hear that I guess." Levy smiled and sat in front of him with the facial packet. But then halted midway to pulling out her tools, confused at why Gajeel was necessitated to go through a make-up.
"Um…." She looked in his red eyes in confusion.
"What Shrimp? Didn't expect a careless man like me with powder my face?" He smirked, enjoying her pout that she made to express her anger.
"N..no! Just, may I ask where you need to touch on?" She rubbed her eyes to get back on concentrating. She was getting paid a lot, and it would only be morally acceptable to make her stay worth it.
"Gihi. I was teasin' Shrimp." Suddenly, Gajeel stood from his seat, towering her away from the lit lights. He took off his beige coat, revealing a simple black V-neck T-shirt beneath. What he did next had Levy turning into a heated tomato.
Or ketchup.
He grabbed the bottom of his T shirt and pulled the shirt over his head without any warning. Levy blushed madly, not knowing where to place her eyes. A man was stripping in front of her, and she wasn't even warned. Her instincts told her to look away, but her eyes attached themselves to his chiseled abs that unveiled themselves to the dim light, glowing with moisture. They had to be made by a God, because his body was extraordinary. Indispensable, provocative, and lewd even. It had to be a sin.
"G-Gajeel…What are — what is the meaning of this?!" She shrieked, trying to look him the eyes, which slightly narrowed. For a moment, Levy thought the unthinkable. He was a male. He stripped in front of her. He had stern focus. They were alone in an enclosed room.
Unknown to her, Levy pushed back with the chair she was sitting on, grappling for any sharp object she could defend herself with. Gajeel suddenly realized that this wasn't right and backed a step, showing he meant no harm.
"Shrimp, relax. I always do this."
Levy shrieked, "Always?!" She stopped shrinking back, trying to focus on the conversation.
"Why do you strip for a facial make-up!" She hissed.
"'Cause it's not a facial thing." He corrected her, squaring his broad shoulders. Gajeel pointed at himself, indicating her to look at his body. She did so pleasingly, but what she found made her feel otherwise. She furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, eyes suddenly widening in shock.
His body was covered in uncountable scars, large and small, scattered across his body. There was no system to where the scars were located, but only that they looked like violent gashes. Some even seemed like punctures, which made Levy want to faint. Without a doubt, the scars derived from sharp objects and possibly gun shots.
Gajeel was slightly afraid he had instilled a horrible image. This is why he did not want Wendy to leave, not that he disliked Levy. He currently was madly in love with her. But he knew her profession meant that he would have to reveal the physically aspect of the scars he gained and so profoundly resented.
He broke the silence, "Shocked?"
Levy couldn't find the words to respond. Her mouth was wide like a fish in the aquarium.
"I-"
Gajeel twisted the mood of the conversation to the one he was confident with. Because he wasn't about to dare tell her about himself. Not yet.
"Look, I know I have one hell of a body, but I'm gonna need to cover 'em up for the shoot." He smirked, feigning concern.
"HOW ARE YOU EVEN ALIVE?" she screamed, standing up abruptly. The coffee on the table slipped and fell off the table, the black substance leaking.
Gajeel looked at the coffee coloring the white tiles, and looked at the little girl. Her face was colored with complete worry. This time, Gajeel couldn't find the words to respond.
"Look, Shrimp…"
"No…Are you okay?!" She walked up to him, pointing a finger at his chest, "And don't say no because I know what kind of scars these are." She stared at him, and he had to forfeit to her intense gaze. In the end, she was going to see this all the time, so she deserved an explanation. But being the workaholic he was, Gajeel wasn't going to hold a long conversation, right before his shooting.
"Levy." He stated, causing her to step back. It was the first time he called her with her real name.
"Ain't none of yer business." He snapped, his eyes turning a deeper shade of red.
A hint of disappointment flashed her eyes, but she understood. To have such scars, he must have went through something. She stood stiff, readying to retort, but she felt as if Gajeel had made a point. She was in the middle of her job and now was not the best time for idle chat, even if if meant she just saw a man with million gashes.
"You're right…sorry. I was just taken aback." She smiled with worry, and he grinned. In his perspective, she was so nice, and it was bad. Her kindness was only adding on to his affection for her.
Gajeel immediately regretted his sudden burst of anger. He hadn't meant to be so sharp about it, but any mention of his past just made his insides coil in anger. He internally sighed.
"So…" She said fidgeting, turning around to step on coffee. "Wha-?"
Levy quickly lifted her wet slippers and tugged them off to the side, where a towel lay.
"It spilled a few minutes ago." He said, walking across the room to get the box of tissue. As he walked, Levy watched his muscular back that had larger scars. They were humungous, and she could only imagine what machine could have done that.
"Shorty, I'll clean this, get the concealers or whatever you girls call them tools." He murmured.
Levy stood still, processing the words he said. She was so enraptured by his body that she hadn't realized that he just instructed her to get the tools.
Before turning around, she looked at Gajeel's muscles flexing while cleaning up the mess. The best part was his pelvic bones, slightly showing off right above his black jeans. His every bones were emphasized, not unnaturally, but perfectly to make girls want to melt.
Levy shook her head, attempting to shake off her blush along. Before he could catch her staring she went to get the contours for concealing and came back. Once again staring at his retreating form, she wondered if it would be always so difficult to deal with his make-up.
"Kay, let's get this done." She stated, gesturing him to move closer. She reached for the rolling chair behind her and plopped herself on the seat. Within seconds, Levy had heightened the chair to adjust for Gajeel's ridiculous height, facing Gajeel's abs straight in the face. Her blush was present, but there was no way to hide it. She had to work his whole torso, and it would take quite a long time. Before starting, she grabbed Gajeel's left wrist to look at the time.
For a moment, his breath stopped. She was going to touch his skin, and work her way through. It was a feeling of slight fear and anticipation. Gajeel cursed in his head, feeling like he was going to have to force his male member to stay calm through this.
The brush swished across his first scar that was defined right beside his left pelvic bone, and to say that part was sensitive would be an understatement. He was already reacting, so he closed his eyes to meditate like a monk.
"Gajeel, don't tense up. Please relax." She said with confidence, showing that she was not emotionally reacting. It was because Levy Mcgarden was in work mode, and when she was busy, she talked in a stoic manner.
"Aye."
The brush colored Gajeel's hard skin, while Levy uncomfortably placed her other hand on Gajeel's waist. She didn't know how else she could balance her hands without having to make things awkward. She was nervous, staying with a man who was not unhandsome; he was handsome in his very own way. He looked sharp, lewd, and crude, but nevertheless emitted a charm that attracted people. And Levy could not betray herself in saying that he was actually attractive.
Both were silent throughout the session, one holding his breath in to prevent erection, and the other trying her best to focus on the scars, not the body that the said scars were defined on. The air was tense, resembling a scene in which a fairy tale princess was trying to grudgingly help an injured dragon in his very den.
But for the time being, no one would interrupt the growing attraction for one another.
"Shrimp—"
Levy looked up at the hissing man, all of sudden ejected from her trance. She was too lost in fixing the scar on his chest that she had not realized that her finger was rubbing a rather sensitive part around the nubs.
Her face turned bright red as she jumped from utter shock. "G-Gajeel it's— It's a misunderstanding I didn't mean it I'm so sorry oh Mavis!" She placed her hands behind her back, making herself look like a child hiding something from mommy.
"N-No. It's fine." He looked to the side, trying to hide the pink on his nose. He stared back at her and did the usual teasing, "Though, you have one hell of attention span to not even realize ya were touchin' me so sensually."
"I—!" She looked back defiantly, but could find the defying words to attack him. She ignored his rude comments, and murmured how he was "so stupid," and went back to word on the last scar below his collarbone.
"Gihi." He smirked triumphantly, pretending like he was irresponsive to her touches. He thanked Mavis for her attention span at the moment because his member was hard as iron, of which Levy would never notice until she completed her job.
: : : : :
"COOOOOOLLLLLL!"
Jason consecutively took photos of Gajeel, who was currently half-naked. He only had on the metal-embroided underwear, which was under the threat of Lily, no pants, and just a long coat from Lucky Luce. It was the kind of coat that was oversized, and it's color was a burgundy red, perfectly suiting Gajeel's eyes.
"COOL COOL COOL COOL!"
Levy sauntered out of the make-up room, stretching. Gajeel had left for the shooting almost forty minutes before, and she was inside trying to wash all the utensils clean. Now, all she wanted was another cup of hot coffee, but stopped in her tracks. A few meters across her working room, white lights flashed at Gajeel, as he stood still, his stony looks coloring his appearance. He gazed at the camera like a fierce dragon, hunting for human prey. He looked daunting, yet deep in thought.
FLASH FLASH FLASH
Levy stood dumb struck, gazing intently at the tall man. As she scanned his face, she stared at how he was dressed: more close to his lack of dress. His torso and abs were flawless, thanks to her meticulous work, and she was fairly proud.
The blunette continued to stare in awe as Gajeel was given another set of clothes to promote. He stripped of the burgundy coat, and put on the given black jeans. Then he put on a tight sleeveless army green high neck shirt, putting on the beige Timberland boots.
Levy stared again at how perfectly the green color suited him. With the high-ankled boots, the model looked ironically taller.
She continually gazed at how smoothly Gajeel was changing, as if he had done it every single moment in his life. She leaned against a desk that was there for guests to chat, and wondered how such a famous model like him teased her, asked her for breakfast, and even made the effort to drop off some books for her! It was ridiculous. She smiled and looked back at the man.
He was grabbing for the outer jumper, but that was when a loud creaking sound vibrated the whole hall.
Everyone's attention went up.
They all gazed at the creaking light stands, barely hanging onto the wire on the post.
Levy looked up, eyes wide. Her body froze, and could not utter a single word as the black light stand dropped closer and closer.
"LEVYYYYYYYYY!"
The last thing she saw was a flash of black.
GIHIIIII CLIFFHANGER!
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