AN: A little limey action at the end of this chapter. To my reviewer, Quinn giebel : I am working upon the lemon.
Dinner was amicable at first. All the participants made an effort towards cordiality. Hitomi sat between her step-sons and across from Gajeel. Levy flanked Gajeel on his left and Lily was on his right sitting opposite from Ambrose, leaving Hibiki across from the solid script mage. Wine was poured by the same manservant from lunch and the two younger maids served the first course. Small talk was exchanged and nothing that could be construed as inflammatory was mentioned.
That all changed after Hitomi smiled and directed a pointed question at Levy. "How does someone of your petite stature handle such a muscular man? He looks quite the brute."
Putting a restraining hand on Gajeel's knee, Levy directed her gaze to her hostess. "Appearances are often deceiving, aren't they? He's actually quite shy." Levy giggled and her hand still under the table clenched tightly in warning to her boyfriend. "Anything else I could tell you isn't proper dinner table conversation."
Ambrose flushed with embarrassment, "Dear Step-Mother, wasn't there a charity affair you were invited to help organize? I'm sure we'd all love to hear the details."
Nodding and plastering a wide smile on his face, Hibiki spoke, "Yes, Hitomi. Father always was so proud of you helping the less fortunate."
Caught between irritation at being addressed as 'Step-Mother' and pleased with her philanthropic deeds being brought to light, Hitomi began discussing the charity event. "The women of the town are just trying to cheer me up a bit. The 'Benevolent Fund for Orphans' always has a fund raiser at this time of year. Last year's party was a tea party. For this year, it's been decided a costume party shall be held." Her eyes sparkled with suppressed tears. "My late husband would not want me to miss having fun this year."
"Dad always loved a good party." Ambrose awkwardly patted his step-mother's back. "I didn't mean to bring up sad memories."
Reaching for her wine glass, Hitomi gave a tiny real smile to Ambrose. "That fund was the first charity I joined after getting married."
Realizing the discussion had become very emotional for Hitomi, Ambrose decided to change the subject. "Has there been any break through on decoding the journal?"
"Levy is making progress, tomorrow will be a two pronged attack on the problem. She'll be hitting the reference books and me and Lily will scout around the swamp." Gajeel grinned menacingly at the two brothers. "You do not want to disturb her when she's neck deep in researching - not all my scars are from battle."
The mistress of the house looked intrigued at those words and the two brothers blanched. Levy giggled and turned her attention to her food. Lily kept a neutral expression on his face and kept silent.
The manservant pouring wine made another round of the table and desultory conversation started up again. Hibiki asked Lily about his homeland and even Ambrose joined in with a few casual comments. The rest of the meal passed without incident and when the last dessert dish was cleared away, an offer of after dinner drinks was made.
"We have a very nice selection of wine and spirits, it's just the thing to relax before bed." Hitomi motioned over to her wine steward and gave him instructions. Turning her head, she addressed the rest of the dinner party, "Let's adjourn to the parlour and entertain ourselves for a bit before retiring for the night."
Not waiting for an answer, she swept out of the room and the rest of the gathering followed. Gajeel glared at the Tildenson brothers and they shrugged, Lily flew over to Levy and she hugged him and carried him.
Arriving in the parlour, Levy gasped at the riches on display. This room was at least twice as big as the collection room and it's walls were very nearly papered with paintings from floor to ceiling. A vast checker board pattern of black and dark green tiles were the support for an impressive glossy black piano. Several chairs and couches were scattered around the focal piano and there were two large fire places keeping the area warm - one at each end of the room.
Ambrose took note of Gajeel's expression of longing, "Do you play? I myself have some small skill with the piano, as does my brother." He grimaced, "Years of forced lessons on the piano and voice classes. Once we were old enough to rebel, we stopped." Ambrose walked around the glossy instrument, trailing a finger over the closed keyboard. "Although now, my enthusiasm for such pastimes has risen at the lack of being compelled."
Hitomi stalked over to her younger step-son and awkwardly patted his back. "I remember your father insisting his heirs embrace proper culture and decorum." Suddenly realizing she was becoming maudlin, the green haired woman stepped back with a barely audible sigh. "Let's regain the party atmosphere with some lively music!"
Lily stiffened in Levy's arms and they exchanged a look of extreme unease. The exceed blanked his expression and sought Gajeel's gaze. The heavily muscled slayer was practically salivating at the chance to perform.
"I'd be more than happy to -" Gajeel put his animosity towards the Tildenson family on the back burner, ecstatic to have the chance to sing.
Hibiki stood lost in his own thoughts, stirred by his brother's reminisces. "Brother, we should play something to honour father."
Both Lily and Levy saw the slayer droop a bit at being overlooked. The petite mage gave the exceed a tiny nod and Lily spoke kindly, "Gajeel, you should be the show stopper, the grand finale, the last musician standing." He pushed out of Levy's arms and flew over to the farthest chair and sat down.
"Good idea Lily!" Regaining his poise, Gajeel swaggered over to Levy and extended his open hand to her. "If you'd care to sit with me?"
She placed her hand in his huge paw and allowed him to escort her to the loveseat. He dwarfed the refined piece of furniture, settling himself to sit back as far as it would allow and then pulled Levy to sit plastered against his side. She giggled and wound her arms around his left arm, savouring his warmth and attention.
Levy lowered her lashes and peeked at Hitomi. The older woman was standing with a solemn expression; then regained her earlier vivacity, flouncing over to the chair beside Pantherlily's and sinking gracefully into it. Hitomi gave a friendly smile to Lily and gestured to her wine steward who began serving, offering snifters of brandy, glasses of port and flutes of champagne off a silver tray.
Hitomi raised her glass, "A toast to new friends and a lovely evening of entertainment." Every one took sips of their beverage. Ambrose and Hibiki downed their drinks and settled together at the piano bench. A whispered conversation ensued then subsided as they began to play a duet. The soft and slow beginning of distinct chords built into a smooth melody and counter-melody. Their audience sat entranced for long minutes as they played and even after as they finished. Levy was the first person to set her drink down and clap politely, causing the others to follow and applaud as well.
"That was so beautiful! Was that a piece by Christoff Whalken?"
Levy had directed this question to the brothers and was surprised by Hitomi answering. "It most certainly is, a personal favourite of the whole family in fact." She smiled and dabbed a handkerchief to the corner of her eyes. "I must apologize, I am overcome with memories - I will be retiring for the night. Please, continue to entertain yourselves." Hitomi rose and walked sedately out of the room, closing the door after herself, she gathered her voluminous skirts and ran.
Ambrose glared at Hibiki and jumped up from the piano. "You haven't changed." The younger brother paused in front of the mages and bowed his head forward, "Please excuse me as well, good night." He exited and rushed after his step-mother, uncaring of the curiosity he left in his wake.
"What the hell just happened?" Gajeel scratched behind an ear, "Looks like I lost some of my audience, but the show must go on."
Levy gave Hibiki a hesitant smile, "Looks like some old family drama. We can let Gajeel sing a little something," she giggled uneasily, "It will take your mind off your step-mother and brother running out of here, for sure!"
"Ah, that may just be the best idea for right now. I quite often forget my brother doesn't have as many memories of our mother as I do." Hibiki stood up and claimed Hitomi's abandoned chair. "Hitomi was our playmate before becoming our babysitter. Mother was always busy with her charity work - actually the same charities Hitomi has taken cause with." He broke off his speech and sat lost in his thoughts as Gajeel set aside his drink and strode over to the piano, caressing the ivory keys.
The dragon slayer walked around the whole instrument, looking at it in fascination. He inclined his head at the manservant and pointed at him. "Oi! Are there any guitars? I need one, and a stool, whatever you can lay your hands on."
Pushing the bench against the piano, Gajeel then accepted the chair and guitar from the servant. He flashed his confident smile to his audience and unleashed his unusual musical styling genius. The barrage of discordant notes was something Hibiki had never been exposed to before. Levy and Lily went to their happy places and endured as best they could. Not being paid enough to put up with torture, the last two of the servants in the parlour abandoned their posts.
After an intermediate amount of time which could not have taken as long as it felt, Gajeel released the guitar and resumed his beaming smile. "Thank you, thank you very much."
Realizing the mage was about to announce another song, Lily and Levy clapped furiously and encouraged Hibiki to join in.
"That was interesting!"
"That was something else!"
"That was a never to be forgotten performance," Hibiki said, some of his colour returning. "Oh, my, look at the time! I have to get up very early - lots of farming to attend to. Good night, pleasant dreams." He gave a nervous chuckle and backed out of the room, a sickly smile tacked onto his face.
"Well, I'm ready to have a good night, how about you, Shrimp?" Gajeel stood in front of his diminutive mate, his smile making her stomach flutter. Levy looked up at her boyfriend, his confident grin speeding up her heartbeat.
Lily watched his humans embrace, turning his head as Gajeel initiated a kiss. Feeling a little embarrassed, the exceed used his magic and flew past the entwined couple. "G'night guys, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Lily easily dodged the cushion the slayer launched at him and laughed as he flew through the house towards his guest room.
Lily kept sniggering as he replayed the looks on the faces of the wine steward and nice maid named Mary. As loyal an exceed as could be found, Lily would not outright say anything against his partner's lack of singing ability. He appreciated the effort the mage put into the song writing, but found that earplugs really enhanced Gajeel's performances.
Slipping into his room, Lily smiled to see the kiwi bowl refilled. He picked one up, deciding to have a bath and consume the fruit as he waited for the tub to fill. Lily cast his eye over the contents of the room and found a bookcase. He selected a book filled with battle tactics, needing something to keep his mind occupied and distracted from the noise he was sure to overhear from his two humans.
The two mages were alone in the parlour. Levy ran her hands over Gajeel's buttocks after hugging him. She giggled as he clenched his cheeks. He plunged his fingers into her hair and massaged her scalp. Her soft moan triggered a groan of his own, her panting exhalations increasing the coil of tension in his lower abdomen.
"Our host did tell us to have a good night." Levy trailed her fingers to the bottom of her mate's shirt, yanking his shirttail up. "Are you ready to start our game? Levy says, stand still." Smirking, she reached under his shirt and up as high as she could, then dragging her nails down Gajeel's sinewy back.
"Mmmm," the slayer growled, his blazing eyes looking down into Levy's glowing face. "We're two flights of stairs away from your room." Gajeel stood motionless, still obeying her first command. "Can I suggest an order?"
"In a bit." Keeping her eyes on his, Levy unbuttoned the bottom half of Gajeel's shirt. Her cupid's bow lips pressing together in an unfathomable smile, she traced the hard muscles of his stomach with both hands. Levy concentrated on her voyage of discovery. She made mental notes where her touch caused him to hiss an intake of breath. Her fingers trailed into and out of his belly button and lingered right under. A feather light touch of nails over his ribs on his left side made him grit out a curse. Gajeel trembled as Levy used her thumbs low on the sides of his hips, exploring the softer skin just under the waist band of his pants.
Her lips curved up higher as she watched his throat work, his Adam's apple bobbling as she continued to touch the wide, smooth planes of his chest. "Have I reduced you to a lack of speech yet?"
It took him a fair amount of effort, but Gajeel was able to reply. "N-no. It's gonna take more than t-that."
"Levy says, let's go to bed."