Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Gajeel paced inside his tent, stooping so as not to hit the top. A date? Really? He snorted. Derek was a flimsy excuse for a man who'd never be able to protect the shrimp. All of his "romance" was stolen poetry. He'd heard all the cheesy lines before. Gajeel just couldn't understand how a smart bookworm like her fell for them. They were as see through as glasses, for Mavis' sake. His angry pacing resumed, occasional growls escaping from the angry man. Lily could only stare and shake his head from his corner. If Gajeel liked her so much, why hadn't he made a move before his rival got to her first? Humans, Lily decided, rarely make sense, if ever. Satisfied, he went back to his knitting. The Exceed didn't look up again.
While Gajeel was lost in frustrated thought, Levy was comfortably sipping tea in Mirajane's tent. It was hot and filled her up instantly. Thank Mavis for chai tea with cinnamon. Mira shifted on her blanket pile.
"So, tell me again, what happened?" She'd been extremely startled when Levy burst into her tent, tears streaming down her face, shouting about a fucking stupid man and then murmuring death threats. Mirajane had rushed to sit Levy down on some blankets and prepared a pot of tea.
Levy sniffed. "I said I had a date and he got mad, trying to dissuade me from going. He doesn't know a thing!" The blankets bunched under her fist. "Derek is nice, charming, and sweet, and he's….he's gruff, cocky, and doesn't know a thing about runes!"
Mira leaned backward, a slight frown on her face. This was tough stuff. Trust Levy to get caught in a love triangle in business. Stifling the urge to giggle madly, she took a sip of tea. "If Gajeel didn't want you to go, then he's one of three things." Levy leaned forward on her stack of blankets.
"Jealous, concerned, or a total ass." Mira ticked off a finger with every word. The look on Levy's face soured.
"There's no way he'd be jealous of Derek. I'm just a woman who can't even manage to take care of herself and her job. And concerned?" Levy sat back. He'd been uncommonly kind to her at the hotel when the waitress situation happened. Gajeel had respected the line and that blanket hadn't just materialized out of thin air. She was reminded of the fight in the tent. He'd seemed huge, nearly menacing. No way could Gajeel possibly be concerned for her. "Gajeel's a total ass, then."
Internally, Mirajane was shaking her head. Love truly was blind. But that wasn't what Levy needed now. She needed a friend and friendship was Mira's specialty. "Want another cup of tea?"
Levy smiled. The lanterns grew dim and the two friends continued to talk during the night.
xXx
This was it. Derek was picking her up at seven. One glance at the clock told her that it was 6:45. The day had been spent studiously avoided Gajeel at every turn. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since breakfast that morning. He'd been cold and distant, refusing to even look her way. Levy had concentrated on her conversation with Mirajane the entire time. Levy nervously smoothed her dress. It was a deep orange to match her headband. White elbow-length gloves covered her trembling hands. This was it. Her first date in a decade. Levy clutched her head. She hadn't slept well. Shaking it off, she looked back at the clock. A neatly curled lock of hair fell in her face. Five more minutes. The tent flap beside her shook. A black tail curled under and soon the rest of him followed.
"Lily?" Levy was incredulous. She couldn't deal with Gajeel now but she was still good friends with the Exceed.
He nodded at her and made a beckoning motion. Levy bent down to listen to him. "What?"
Lily cupped his paws around his mouth. In a whisper, he said, "Good luck on your date. I'll try to make sure that idiot doesn't come and ruin it." Though Lily had had some misgivings about Derek at first, they were easily wiped away by that one night in the hotel room. Derek was just another historian. His first concern was Levy. The glances Gajeel and Levy had stolen at each other when they weren't looking hadn't missed Lily's eyes. He just had to make sure that this was what Levy really wanted.
Her heart fell a little but she easily masked it. "Oh. Thanks, Lily. I'm a grown woman. I have every right to go on a date." A knock on the tent flap caught her attention. She waved goodbye as Derek took her hand.
"You look beautiful, Levy." Derek had on a suit, his tie inscribed with words. "Are you ready?" She nodded and he led the way to his tent. The night was young and Lily watched as the short historian walked arm in arm down the path. Gajeel was missing out. With a soft scoff, he left to scold his roommate and longtime friend. That man had better get his shit together before he lost something precious.
Levy clasped her hands together. It was beautiful. A tiny wooden table stood in the center of the tent. Candles flickered, casting a golden glow on the walls. Flowers poked out of a vase, their scent filling the air. "It's amazing. Did you do this yourself?"
Derek smiled at her, teeth glinting in the light. "Yes. Stay here, I'll go get dinner." Levy took a hesitant seat on the floor cushion. Derek had really outdone himself. There was no evidence that this was a dirty tent in the ground except for the stakes in the corners. Levy sat, mesmerized by the candle flames. Something in the corner caught her eye. A corner of something stuck out. Intrigued, Levy scooted over towards it. Something lacy and black sat in the corner with it. She picked it up.
Holding it out to examine it, the lacy concoction proved to be a black pair of lingerie. Her lacy black lingerie. A small squeak escaped her and it fell to the floor. That wretched pair of underwear had been stolen. How had Derek come to get it? Sneaking suspicion crept up on her. Dying to see what was behind the flap and yet reluctant, she peeled back the tent's edge to see her stained, labeled, beaten up old trunk, filled to the brim with books and papers. She rifled through the papers, spotting red notes in the margins of her latest report.
Seems to be pretty smart. Nice research. New stuff, too. Could make me rich…
Levy continued searching until she found the notes she'd misplaced yesterday. Derek, sweet, funny, charming Derek, was stealing her research. And Levy was in the middle of a date with him. She frowned. It shouldn't have taken this long to get some dinner from the mess hall. She turned around to see a shadow. Something soft clamped over her mouth and nose. Levy struggled for breath. Dots gathered in her sight. The pungent aroma was worse than Cana's beer-perfume…
xXx
Gajeel was still pacing when Lily returned. He looked toward Lily. "Well?"
"Why do you want to know? I thought you said you didn't care if she went or not," Lily replied archly.
"I don't, dammit. I want to know what you thought." Gajeel resumed pacing. Silence reigned until Lily spoke.
"She was beautiful, Gajeel," he said without looking up from his knitting. "And not happy at all." This got Gajeel's attention.
"Wasn't that pretty boy what she wanted?" He let out a growl. Why should he care again?
"She's no great actress. Speaking of which," Lily stared at a fake watch, "Shouldn't you be crashing her date by now?"
"Shut it, damn cat." The pacing was faster now. "Shrimp's probably havin' the time of her life with Derek." The name tasted foul in Gajeel's mouth. Lily said nothing.
"She's probably eating a fancy dinner, dancing, and laughing with that son of a bitch. Let her be happy; I don't care. Couldn't even compare to anything I could give her." Gajeel crossed his arms and sat down. He picked up a stray book without even glancing at the cover. It was something to occupy his mind. Gajeel stared at the page. It had been empty in the tent without the shrimp. Colder. Shaking his head to banish that line of thought, he resumed staring. The letters meant nothing. The book smelled just like her.
"That's it. Lily, guard the tent." Gajeel couldn't stand it. Something about Derek was smarmy. And if there was one thing Gajeel hated besides fighting with a woman, it was smarminess. The greaseballs could choke on their own slime. He stalked down the path to Derek's tent.
xXx
When she woke, Levy was still in the tent. Dull, throbbing aches pounded like hammers in her anvil of a skull. She shivered; it was unnaturally cold. Levy reached for gloves that weren't there. What was she wearing?
Holy fuck.
It was the lingerie.
This was great. Just flipping fantastic. She sat up to survey the mess before her. The candles had fizzled out and the table was overturned. The trunk was gone. All that was left was a small note pinned to her bra strap.
Lev,
How's that for a first date? Don't worry; you're still painfully innocent.
Xxx
Derek.
Damn him. Damn him all the way to Hell. Levy crumpled the note and stormed out of the tent. Or at least, tried to. Stupid Gajeel, getting in the way.
Gajeel tried to smother the rising blush on his cheeks. She was fucking hot. Why was she wearing lingerie? It was then that he noticed their position.
"Gajeel. Get off. You're squishing me." He was on top; she was flat on her back, hair spilling down her back. He'd even taken her headband.
"Why the fuck are you in lingerie?" Gajeel tried not to stare. He didn't want to die of bloodloss via his nose.
Levy made a disgusted face. "Damn pervert knocked me out, stole my research, AND took my clothes. He also stole my trunk a few weeks ago."
Gajeel grinned. "Sounds like he needs a beating." He started to walk away. "And you don't look half bad." Levy hurried to catch up. She had some major business to take care of.
xXx
Mira stared at the two. So. It had come to this.
"Lingerie? The date must have gone better than I thought." A naughty smirk graced her lips.
Levy blushed. "Shut up! That slime actually stole my research. What kind of perv takes clothes too?"
Mira's face sobered. "Sounds like you need my help." She went to the back of her tent and brought back two revolvers. "The twins are good for bad break ups."
Levy took a gun and released the safety. "Let's rock and roll."
They set off for the town in the broken-down truck near the entrance of the dig site. Mission accepted.
"GAJEEL! Hold on!" Levy struggled to keep the big man from falling out of the truck. In all these years she'd forgotten about the true terror that was Mira's driving. It was worse than all of the rollercoasters at the local amusement park. Gajeel's face was green. Why had they let the Demon drive? The landscape passed by in a blur as Mira hightailed it to town. Through the dust and grit, she spied a black Mercedes ahead of them. "Get ready!" Levy glanced out the windshield. Time for payback. Holding onto Gajeel with one hand, she pulled took the gun from the seat beside her. Good thing she shot lefty. Mira drove closer to the other car, getting as close as their hunk of junk would let her. Levy's bullet whizzed out the window and smashed theirs.
Dust streamed into Gajeel's eyes. He shrugged off Shrimp's hand and pulled his own gun. One, two, three shots. Three pristine bullet holes in the window. The Mercedes swerved over the road. He'd killed the driver. A flash of green hair took the driver's spot. Damn. The filth was still alive. Mira swerved to regain her spot. "Hold on tight!" She twisted the wheel ferociously.
Gajeel watched in slow motion as Levy's seatbelt snapped and sent her flying. Right through the windshield. "LEVY!" Mira's foot slammed on the brakes as she swerved even further so as not to accidentally hit the bookworm. Gajeel leapt out of the truck and ran toward the speck of blue on the road. "Levy!"
What was that noise? Was it her name? Something was slicing her up. Levy moaned. Her fingers twitched and sent more pain ratcheting back to her head. "Gajeel," she whispered. That was where her name was coming from. Gentle hands lifted her to a sitting position. "Gajeel." There was blood everywhere. Jagged pieces of glass stuck up from the various cuts on her body. Fury turned Gajeel's gaze red. Patting her head (the only uninjured place on her), he stood. Killer calm, he grabbed her revolver and handed it to Mirajane. "Protect her until I get back." Mira nodded and Gajeel stormed the town, running the last three miles. That fucking son of a bitch wouldn't be safe until he was in a grave.
Gajeel growled and began the hunt.
xXx
He finally found him in a corner, stacks and stacks of paper clutched to his chest. The skies opened up and the light drizzle became a downpour. It was time for bloodshed. Grinning a shark like grin, Gajeel pulled out the revolver.
"Sodding coward. You didn't even have to balls to get out of town quietly," Gajeel murmured. A cold fire burned behind his eyes. He released the safety and pointed it at Derek's temple. "There's two ways to do this. Unfortunately for you, I only have one method of doing things."
"P-please, don't kill me. I never meant to hurt her," Derek pleaded. But it was too late. He'd aroused the sleeping dragon. The dragon that was only ever satisfied by blood.
"Damn liar. We both know that's not true. Cut the crap and be a man." Now he sounded like Elfman. Holding back a derisive snort, Gajeel motioned with the revolver for him to stand up. On unsteady knees, Derek stood tall.
"Are you going to kill me?" His face was pure fear.
That was a good question. Since being hired by the old man, Gajeel had signed a contract. No more killing. He didn't want any more blood on his hands than what already coated them. But here was a man with the intention to do harm, his anger whispered to him. Surely it's okay? After all, he made her bleed. Blood for blood. Gajeel smothered the murderous voice. It would only lead to ruin. But damn was it persuasive. Grunting, he squared his shoulders.
"I ain't gonna kill ya." Derek visibly deflated. "I'm gonna beat you so hard that no one ever looks your way again."
Gajeel dialed a number on his cell phone. He waited, full of angry tension, as the 911 operator picked up. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"I'm holding a man at gunpoint. He nearly murdered my wife, may or may not have raped her, and stole her research all in one night. I'm currently at the dead end by the hotel. Please send paramedics about three miles away from the town on the main road. There's been an accident." With that, Gajeel hung up. His flinty gaze fixed on Derek. Stepping forward, he pulled the notebook from the limp hands. Sometime during the phone call, he'd fainted. Fuckin' pansy.
The blue uniforms rounded the corner. A hulking mountain of a man was standing over a green-haired man. The body was limp but there was no blood. One look at those red eyes told the police that the gunman had experienced pain. Enough pain to nearly push him to the edge. They held up steel cuffs and made an arrest. "You have the right to remain silent."
A paramedic arrived on scene as well, driving Gajeel to the hospital. There was someone he had to see.
"What do you mean, family only? We're the only fucking ones here!" Gajeel was mad again. Mirajane looked exhausted, her dress torn and dirty. Her white hair hung in oily strands around her face.
"You know, she did mention the breakfast scene a few weeks ago." Pearly shark teeth grinned.
He tapped the resident nurse on the shoulder. "I'm here to see my wife, Levy McGarden." The nurse looked down at her clipboard.
"Sir, please go sit down in the waiting room." He could tell what she was thinking. How could a man like him possibly be married to a woman so dainty as the patient in room 237?
"She healed me. Now I'm here to help her heal. So excuse me, but I'll be seein' my wife." Gajeel pushed past the nurse and into the room. Screw them, calling his bluff. It was kind of fun, this pretend marriage stuff. He stopped in the doorway, suddenly hesitant.
She was frail. That much he could tell. But she was also strong as tempered steel. The IV dripped steadily into her veins. Stitches covered her arms and legs. The paper hospital gown provided little more coverage than the sexy black lingerie. Someone had thoughtfully slipped a pair of purple fuzzy socks on her feet. Her eyelids fluttered in her sleep. By some miracle, her face was untouched. Gajeel took a seat on the edge of her bed next to her legs. She looked so peaceful…and now he felt like a creep for gazing at her while she slept. A nurse had left a book on the nightstand next to her.
Pride and Prejudice. Well, at least it was something to do. There wasn't much that he could say until she woke up. Thumbing to page one, he was immersed.
The hospital light was blinding. Blurrily, Levy tried to figure out how the hell she'd reached the hospital. The last thing she remembered was Gajeel's hand on her head. She glanced to her left. A black blur came into focus. He was reading her book. "Gajeel." He looked up from the page at her voice.
"Shrimp." To her surprise, took a breath and reached for her hand. It looked like a porcelain dove there, tiny and utterly engulfed. Gajeel cupped his other hand over hers. How did she deal with hands so cold? Rare butterflies flitted in his stomach. How hard he was trying not to hurt her. Gentle wasn't his strong suit. "Damn nurses are only letting in family."
Levy smiled, a soft, amused smile. "Really?"
"Yep. Didn't realize I was your husband," he stumbled over the last word and they both blushed, "But I got in." She squeezed his hand.
"Where's Mira?" She didn't see her white-haired friend anywhere.
"Still in the waiting room. She doesn't have an alibi but I could say she's your sister-in-law," Gajeel offered. Why did his heart feel so strange?
Levy laughed. "I'll see her a little later." The doctor walked in the door, clipboard in hand.
"Mrs. McGarden? I see you're awake." He took a chair on the other side of her bed.
"It's actually Mrs. Redfox," Levy corrected. "How am I doing?"
The doctor looked down at his notes. "Well, it appears that everything inside is safe and sound. You will, however, have a few scars. They're nothing serious though," he assured her. She nodded. A few battle scars would at least make her interesting. Jet and Droy would freak out the next time she wore her sundress. Levy frowned. Why did everything she owned bare her shoulders to the world? Oh well.
The doctor cleared his throat. "You should be released sometime tomorrow afternoon. It is standard procedure to keep you for overnight observation, as that was some accident you had. However, Mrs. Redfox, you are an extraordinarily fast healer." He took off his glasses and spied their clasped hands.
Smiling to himself, the doctor left the room. He had more patients to attend to and they obviously wanted some time alone. He spotted a white-haired woman boredly leaning against the wall outside her room. "You may want to give them some time," he said, smiling at Mira and moving to the next room.
A sudden thought hit Mira. What was Master going to say about all of this?
xXx
"Damn brats. I send him on one trip with her and Levy comes back with more scars than she ever got with Jet and Droy!" Master Makarov's face was cherry red. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?" He said, pointing at Mira and Gajeel. "I even sent you along, Mira, to make sure nothing happened just in case!" Appropriately scolded, Mira gazed down at the floor. Gajeel stared out the enormous windows behind Makarov, remembering the journey back to Magnolia.
Once released from the hospital, Levy was a little unsteady on her legs. They'd hurried back to the dig to wrap up the project. After three hours of frenzied packing, they'd boarded the train. Levy had taken a seat right next to Gajeel and pulled out two black boxes. She dropped one in his lap before picking up another book. He was reading Pride and Prejudice to keep from tossing his lunch out the window. Curiosity piqued, he opened the tiny box to see a metal band just big enough for his finger.
"They're for the next mission in case some bitchy waitress comes back," Levy explained, not looking up. "It's not the most romantic of fake proposals, but-" Gajeel laid a finger on her lips. A smirk graced his.
"Don't worry, shorty. At least now we don't have to worry about the tent situation." Levy spluttered as she thought about all that that implied. She promptly buried her nose in her book again.
Mira fangirled the entire ride back.
Levy spoke up. "Really, Master, there was a jerk who stole my research, so don't blame Gajeel and Mira. And they're just scars; they'll heal." She handed over the paperwork. "Although if you don't mind, I think I'll be working in the library." Let Fried deal with lacy lingerie, she added under her breath.
Gajeel held back a trademark grin. Their rings sparkled in the sunlight streaming from the windows.
"Well then, Gajeel, how about you become the resident shop teacher? The forge is getting old," Makarov mused. Mira could only smile internally as her plan came to perfection. It seemed everyone was on her side. Now where was Lily?
xXx
The train ride back was lonely. Lily fumed. How was it that he always ended up left behind? After a sodden seven hours on a train, he returned to Gajeel's apartment to see a note scrawled on the refrigerator.
On a date with the shrimp. May or may not be back.
-Gajeel
P.S. Levy says hi!
Lily dropped the note on the floor. Humans. They rarely ever make sense, do they?
That's a wrap! As you can probably tell, I rushed the ending. I also don't know much about guns, so forgive me for that. And whenever you're feeling less than confident in yourself, just put on a pair of sexy underwear. You'll feel better. There. Enough weirdness for one chapter. See you in the next one!
-BookProf101