A gift for reading week!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

Chapter 14: Fish

He was patient when it came to certain things. He couldn't say that about fighting or eating or anything action packed, but there were certain things that he could be stomach waiting for.

Fishing, unfortunately, was not one of those things. Regretfully, he could not say that it was and when Lily claimed to be craving fish and wished to be taken to the lake, he had been hesitant to go. The Exceed had been able to ask Happy or Charle where their reserves sat, but instead he had requested that Gajeel accompany him on this mission to satisfy his craving if only to practice his fishing skills. Still, Gajeel had the sneaking suspicion that Lily's invitation to Levy was the reason Happy nor Charle had been consulted in the slightest.

Which, of course, was why the three of them were tucked in a small row boat floating peacefully in the middle of Moon Lake, a modest body of water sitting within a nearby forest.

Levy and Lily were chatting, had been chatting for an extended period time; about what, he was not certain. He had tuned them out long ago; the instant she had mentioned cookbooks and a new kiwi concoction that Lily simply had to try. He stared out into the water instead, watching the boat and the thin fishing line cause slight ripples through the water. His eyes sought the sights past the top and through the body of blue for the fish his partner craved. Juvia had been able to locate the place relatively easily, as she and Gray had apparently stumbled upon it on the odd mission or two. It was quite an empty place, devoid of cabins or tents that he knew often occupied lake side. The entire area was eerily peaceful, as it often was when he and Lily went out. Silence often dominated such trips, but lately Lily had become more and more talkative, prodding at the tough exterior of his partner until conversation could be made at relatively frequent intervals.

Especially, Gajeel had grown to notice, when Levy was involved.

"-can't quite believe it's true. Is it Gajeel?" he jolted back into the conversation, fixing her with a sort of glare. "What's that for?"

"He doesn't enjoy being caught unaware. Not many beasts like him do."

"I suppose he is a bit like a beast," mused Levy a twinkle in her eyes. "Perhaps like a bear? He's certainly got the hair for it."

"At least bears are good at fishing."

"Oi." He aimed a smack at Lily's head, but the Exceed simply unfurled his wings and placed himself elsewhere. "I'm good enough."

"You'll have to prove it then. I've yet to see you catch one."

"Neither have you," he pointed out.

"Really?" As if on cue, the cord went taunt, the rod bending at the force beneath the water as Lily reeled in a fresh piece of fish, much to his partner's displeasure. He scowled and Lily let out a laugh. "I thought so."

"Don't worry, Gajeel, you'll get it soon!"

"I don't need your pity, shrimp." He tried to settle into his seat, annoyed that they had been there for a solid hour with no results save Lily's catch which sat on the boat's floor, soaking the wood with its desperate writhing.

"Oh, don't be like that, Gajeel. You'll get one eventually; Levy is completely right."

"I thought you never fished?"

"I never said such a thing. I merely said that I didn't have time to fish, not that it never happened," the Exceed pointed out slyly.

"So you've fished before Lily?" Levy asked, throwing Gajeel a quick glance.

"A few times, yes. I used to go with my father before I joined Jellal and his cause. Military officials don't get a lot of days off.." Once the fish had ceased its movement, Pantherlily dried it with a towel and placed it in the empty basket that awaited the meat.

"Have you fished before as well, Gajeel?" she prodded lightly.

"His head tilted towards the sound of her voice though his eyes never left the water. "A couple times."

"Did you go with your father as well?"

The words were gentle, undemanding, and Gajeel was quite certain that she was not expecting him to answer her question at all. A few years ago, he would have long since left the boat and swam to shore just to avoid such an inquiry. But things were different now; as was he.

"Nah, he was too lazy. I did all the real work." The memory flickered behind his eyes, ready to surface when his attention was suddenly turned to the dipping of the fishing rod, the bait slipping into the water violently. It was reeled in with a struggle, and when Gajeel grew annoyed by the tug-of-war. He took hold of the wire himself and yanked the attached fish out of the lake and into the boat.

"Thanks!" gasped Levy, trying to wrangle the squirming fish with Lily's aid. At one point, it's flailing tail connected with the delicate skin of her cheek, causing it to bloom red while the sun glinted off any stray scales that had attached themselves to her. She wrestled it with the towel, continuing until its life faded and with it, any struggle.

Gajeel had removed his eyes from her water-specked sundress and wet skin to stare intently at his motionless rod. Maybe they were just lucky, he reassured himself. The idea didn't seem to far-fetched; Pantherlily, despite his black cat stigma, was rather lucky and fortunate when it came to things in relation to chance. Lily's proficiency in the betting pool that Mira had set up was a perfect example. His weekly winnings had begun to pile up just after the Grand Magic Games and Gajeel was suspicious about it all.

Still, it didn't seem to be rubbing off on him considering that the dragon slayer was still fishless.

"Gajeel! Isn't it great?! I caught one!" the scent of fish grew sharply and he sighed to himself at the excitement in her voice. If it was anyone else, they would have been pitched off the boat for gloating, but this was Levy. She probably couldn't gloat even if she tried. His eyes watched her glinting orbs with amusement and removed a hand from the rod to ruffle the blue locks around her bandanna.

"Good job, shrimp."

They sat on the boat a while longer until Levy announced her hunger, which led to a moored boat and the young mage preparing to start a fire. Gajeel and Lily had taken up setting the fish to spits to make cooking them easier.

"You know," started Lily, "you're quite good at fishing for other things."

"Like what?" he scoffed, shoving a cleaned spit of wood through the mouth of a dead water creature. If Lily was going to say compliments, Gajeel was going to deck him-

"Like shrimp, for example?"

Gajeel didn't think he'd ever heard Lily laugh as loud as he had at Gajeel's subsequent outburst.

Thoughts? R&R if you can and i hope you have a great week! (for those of you not on reading week, I still hope you have an amazing week!)