*Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Fairy Tail*
The second the train stopped moving, Gajeel was back up on his feet. He shoved his hair back into his cap and grabbed their bags.
"C'mon, shrimp. Let's go."
She had to make two steps for every one of his strides, but she set a determined pace. They made haste for Levy's apartment.
"Hurry and pack. Warm clothes," he said, searching her cupboards, looking for provisions.
"So no lace?" she asked with a sweet smile.
He stiffened, "I…uh...where are your blankets?"
"Chest next to the couch. I'll be right back."
Levy ran to her bedroom and pulled out a larger bag from her closet. She packed sensible clothes: pants, sweaters, and socks. But she then turned to her top dresser drawer. She carefully selected a few specific pieces, her very best. She had a plan. Now she just had to execute it.
As per their earlier agreement, Lily had left for the market, leaving them alone. Levy's heart was pounding so loud, she was almost positive the dragon slayer in the other room would be able to hear it. Could she really pull this off?
"Gajeel?" she called, surprising herself at the steadiness of her voice, "Could you come here a moment?"
"Yeah."
He entered her bedroom, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the door frame.
"Watcha need?"
"Could you pull out this drawer and put it on my bed? It's way too heavy for me."
"Sure. Here, back up."
Gajeel pulled it out with no effort. He glanced down to see what was in it.
"What..?"
"Thank you," she grinned at him, "I just wanted to sort through a few things, find what I need. Could you stay until I'm finished? I don't need much."
She started pulling out bras, holding them up, pretending to carefully consider them before slowly placing them back in and selecting new items.
"Levy, what are you doin'?" he asked, his voice rough.
"Well, it seemed like you didn't think lace was a good idea, so," she turned to him, holding up two pairs of panties, "Satin or silk?"
Gajeel just stared, jaw dropped.
"Do you want to feel the material? This satin is one of my favorites. I'm wearing it now. But the silk is so soft."
"I..."
"Gajeel?"
"All of it. Pack all of it."
"All? My bag would get heavy."
"I'll carry it. Pack it. Fuck. Hell, Lev, why do you have this stuff?"
"I like the way it feels on my skin. It's like a little secret beneath my clothes."
"What are you wearing now?" his breathing was labored.
"Do you want to see?"
"Yes. No. Yes. Shit. We have to leave."
"All right. I'll be out in a minute. I just have to change."
Gajeel stood there, gawking a while longer.
"Well," Levy shrugged, "if you're not going to leave, then I have no choice."
She grasped the hem of her dress and started slowly lifting.
She'd never seen Gajeel leave so fast.
She smiled and blood rushed to her face. Had she really just done that? Was it truly her who'd just brazenly inspected lingerie in front of a man? She wasn't sure if she wanted to jump for joy or curl up in the corner and die from embarrassment. Still, her and Lily's plan was working. The first phase was complete.
Gajeel needed to punch something. Anything, as long as it was hard. Push-ups wouldn't be enough this time. He feared that no amount of physical labor would be able to quench the fire that raced through his blood.
He wanted her. Needed her. He clenched his fists in frustration. When she left her room, dressed in tight black pants, boots, and a purple jacket, he could only think of one thing.
He wanted to know what she wore underneath.
"Does this work?" she asked, flashing him a sweet smile, spinning.
"It's fine," he bit out, not trusting himself to say anymore.
"Great. Hmm, I should probably pack a few books. I can read while up there."
"Fine."
"Do you want me to read to you? Wouldn't that be fun? Reading in front of a fire in a little mountain cabin."
"Do what you will, shrimp. I just want to get going."
Levy selected a few titles from her collection. Her cheeks were pink. They weren't ordinary novels. These were naughty.
The front door flew open as she zipped up her bag. Lily stumbled in.
"We have to leave. Now. There are police on the way."
Levy scrawled out a note and stuck it to the front door, locking it behind them.
Gajeel grabbed her hand, practically dragging her down the street.
"Fuck it," he growled. He tossed a bag to Lily and hoisted Levy over his shoulder.
"Stupid Gajeel!" she beat his back with her tiny fists.
"Oi! Quit that! We have no time to waste."
They hurried out of the city, headed northwest. Levy tried to convince Gajeel to rent a cart, but he was having none of it. She even offered to hold his head, to help him, but he still refused.
The trio set their sights on Mount Hakobe.
*Sorry about the absence guys. I know that most writers post only once a week, but I'm a fan of frequent updates. I just couldn't get to a computer, and I never seem to be able to type properly when I use my phone. Only 8 days left of class, though, so I'll be posting longer and more frequent chapters. If you see any errors, please let me know. I thrive on correctness and grammar, and I have no problem going back in and fixing it so future audiences and re-readers get a better experience. Thanks so much for reading!*