Rated M for reasons that should, by now, be obvious.
Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I just rearranged my room- didn't find the deed to Fairy Tail, so I still don't own it. Blast!
My Knight IV
"Hey... you awake?" I cracked an eye open at the question and immediately regretted it. The single strand of light that somehow made it into the living room in my apartment blinded me. Everything was dark again as I rubbed my eyes lethargically. My hair fell in messy clumps over my face and before I could brush it away, another's warm hands gently pushed it back. The hands lingered as I slowly opened my eyes again. As my vision returned, I also felt a blush blossom on my face.
My hair twined around Natsu's fingers and I looked anywhere but the idiot's face. Something about this close proximity gave me déja vu.
"You feel any better?" I sneezed my response.
"I'll take that as a no. Levi left some medication."
"How," I coughed, my voice sounded horrendous, and began again. "How do you know Levi?" Natsu looked at me for a moment and I realized then that we were in what some might consider a slightly risqué pridicament. It was the complete reverse of positions from the first time I met him when he was sober. But wait...
Why doesn't that make any sense?
"Do you remember New Year's Eve-"
In a flash, the memory of me looking at the fireworks in that darkened room with the stranger who wore a black and red jacket burnt itself into my mind's eye. My hands flew up to my face. I wasn't sure if it was to cover my face in humiliation, or keep myself from saying something unneeded. Of course, I blushed an even darker scarlet.
"I take it... you remembered?" I could barely nod. A strange look graced his face.
"Good." He took my hands in his own and, not that there was that much space between us in the first place, leaned forward. The corners of his parted lips snaked upwards.
"Good."
I closed my eyes and winced when I felt his forehead bump against my own.
"Your fever's gone down a bit, though you still look a little flushed." His eyes examined my face and then looked away.
"If we don't move soon, Levi's gonna come back and that'll be the third time she's walked in on us."
"Well, actually it's the fourth now." We both looked up at the blue haired wonder, and she put her hands on her hips. I laughed sheepishly and quickly got off of Natsu.
"So, your friend called, Natsu..." Levi left the statement hanging as if inquiring for more information about said friend.
"Which one?"
"He didn't stop asking questions. And he was really funny, too. Ah, what was his name..." Levi sat across from us in a rocking chair, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She patted Plue on the head and then sat up straight and snapped, smiling.
"George! His name was George."
"Really?" Natsu contemplated the name with confusion. "Well, anyway... What did George want?"
"He was just checking up on you. Nothing out of the ordinary. But that's beside the point right now. Lu, you remember now right?" My blush returned full force. I nodded, not looking at Natsu.
"Okay. Natsu, you like her right? Enough to not go drinking and partying like you normally do and be an honest to goodness boyfriend?" I timidly eyed Natsu, and just as my mind caught up to Levi's words, he nodded.
"That's about the gist of it. 'Swhat I planned on doing... it's much more fun going to parties with Lucy anyway." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively (at least that's what I thought he was trying to do) and I stammered.
"That settles it. I now pronounce you boyfriend and girlfriend. Don't get into nasty fights and don't have sex on my couch. Are we clear?" I blanched. Natsu saluted Levi.
"Crystal clear, sir!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa- hold your horses! Do I get a say in this?"
"Of course; what do you say we go grab dinner and a movie?" I turned to Natsu, my mouth hanging wide open.
"Well.. b-but..." Levi's smile softened as she nodded encouragingly, "... I g-guess?" Natsu pulled me into a loose hug and shot up.
"Wonderful. But first, where is your bathroom?" Levi pointed down the hallway behind the couch and Natsu was off. The two of us sat in silence for a second before I jumped on Levi.
"What the heck was that?"
"Aww, Luce, give him a chance. Besides, he's actually decent. He likes puppies and frolicking on beaches. And he's ridiculously sexy when wet." I looked at my best friend in horror.
"Levi, what the hell does that even mean? Are you the one who likes him or me? How the heck do you know so much about him?"
"We're in the same Guild, genius. Which you're now officially joining. I don't know why we haven't forced you to do this sooner. Hell, Erza's in Fairy Tail. Trust me on this one, Lu. It's well worth your time. And about the wet thing, get him to go swimming with you sometime. Whoo, he's got some abs." She straightened out her dress and smiled as she grabbed her purse, heading for the door. Wrapping a scarf around her neck she looked back at me.
"Now, I'm on a mission to the library; are you gonna be okay?" I nodded, feeling slightly abandoned.
"Lucy, he's good for you. And he won't leave you alone. Ever." Levi's smile widened and I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Levi's smiles were contagious. She shut the door behind her, and I was left to deal with my... b-boyfriend.
Oh God, I had a boyfriend! I hadn't shaved my legs in the last week and a half, my hair looked like shit, I was fairly sure my nose wasn't going to stop running for the next month, my lips were cracked, there was no way in hell that there weren't bags under my eyes, my blotchy skin was starting to itch from being dry, I was wearing the same disheveled outfit for over twenty-four hours, and I-
"Lucy, you're looking pretty..."
My wide eyes searched Natsu's as he leaned on the wall, smiling like the big dork he was. I'm sure the look I was sending him wasn't helping my current list of simply horrendous traits I had accumulated within the last two weeks. He had to be joking! There was no way that he thought that I was... was...
pretty.
I mean, there he was, looking determined and practically oozing confidence. Not a hair was out of place (that shouldn't have been), his skin was perfectly sun kissed and his blindingly white teeth flashed in a wide, lopsided grin- even the fact that his grin was lopsided wasn't a minus! I had friends who would call it sexy. Hell, I thought it was sexy! His muscular arms and toned legs hinted at what the rest of his body looked like, and before I could even go spiraling into that train of thought, Natsu finished his sentence.
"... pretty crappy."
...
"Oh, you motherfuc-" Before I finished my own sentence, Natsu jumped over the couch and took my fist in his.
"I can't take you out if it'll only make you more sick. You have to get better first." He suddenly looked pensive and before I could growl, he had kissed my cheek.
"That doesn't mean we can't keep ourselves entertained here, right?" I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck then. Spinning around, I held him in a headlock.
"Wrestling match! Best of three is the winner!" Natsu's face brightened. Squirming he broke free and pinned me to the couch. I laughed, but that ended up tickling my throat. I coughed for a good minute. When I opened my eyes again, Natsu held out a few pills and a glass of water.
"Get better first." I downed the medicine and gave him a look.
"You're just upset because I won the first round."
"What! No way, I tackled you!" he countered.
"Then the last round is for the win!" I arched an eyebrow when Natsu eyed me strangely.
"And what does the winner get?" I thought.
"They get to... well, what do you want?"
"Wrestling the way I want to." I blushed at his innuendo; I shook my head.
"Natsu, before this goes much further, I want to lay some rules down with you about... our... relationship. " He sat up straighter and focused his undivided attention on me.
"Umm... I want to be clear on a few things. First, truth. Be serious with me when I want to be serious. I appreciate the calm side of you as much as I appreciate the playful side of you." His nod was most placating. I moved on.
"Second... I'm still... er... I don't want..."
God, did I really have to tell him that? What if he told all of his friends? Aparently my silence and unease gave him ample enough time to respond.
"I'll wait for you." I explored his unwavering eyes; he understood. That made that easier. I stopped for a moment and his words sunk in. They meant a lot to me.
"Three," I continued, not wanting to drag this out too long, "tell me when I'm being stupid. Please."
"But Lucy," he frowned, "you're the smartest person I know."
I preened at the news. Then I laughed.
"I get moody a lot, and I'm sorry in advance if you ever get the brunt of that..." Natsu laughed.
"Okay, you got three rules, so do I." I looked at him, resisting the urge to giggle.
"Okay, shoot."
"One, I need your phone number." I giggled then and whipped out my cellphone. We exchanged numbers.
"Two, I want to meet your family." I faltered a little, on that one. Natsu sat on the floor in front of me and took a hold of my hands.
"I know you don't exactly see eye to eye with your dad, but..." He seemed at a loss for words, and then nodded and looked at me squarely. "I don't have any living blood relatives..."
"Ah."
Family was important to him. I guess it was about time I gave Pop a run for his money.
"Three, let me read your book." I sputtered.
"Wha- how do you know? I mean, what?"
"Levi's talkative. I'm first, though! There's no way she gets to read it before me!" The shock subsided and I nodded stiffly.
"Four, I-"
"Hey, I only got three!"
"Four-"
"Natsu!"
"Four, don't date Gray. Ever."
"Natsu, that's impossible. He's gay, isn't he? With you? Wait, how is this gonna work out if you're g-" I was cut off by Natsu's lips. He murmured against my mouth as I closed my eyes.
"Lucy, shut up." I smiled and ignored my blush.
Levi kept a firm grip on her dress, forgetting how windy it had become recently. It almost escaped her when she stood across from Magnolia's magnificent library. Acting quickly, she sat down at a nearby cafe table, and wrapped her dress around her legs tightly. She thought on Lucy for a moment before examining her surroundings. It was a glorious day, even if it was a little chilly. The red and white umbrella that shielded her from the sun's harsh rays was big enough to hide a small camel. Levi loved it. Recalling the date, Levi remembered Thanksgiving was right around the corner.
And that meant mashed potatoes. She let out a trill of excitement.
As she took out a piece of paper and her pen, she began writing down all of the names of books that she had wanted to check out for the upcoming holiday and books that she just wanted in general. Hoping that she didn't forget any, Levi stood up again. Her cell rang before she could cross the street to enter the library. Knowing how rude and annoying it was when other patrons jabbered away on their phones will she was trying to read in said library, she leaned against the table.
"Levi? It's Juvia." Levi beamed; it had been a while since she had heard from her blue haired friend.
"Juvia~! It's so good to hear your voice! What've you been up to?" Levi gushed as the woman on the other side of the line smiled.
"I've been so busy with school that I feel like I have no life! How's Magnolia? Got a boyfriend yet?"
"Magnolia's wonderful, if not a bit drafty. And no, I don't have a boyfriend; although, little Miss Heartphilia just got one."
"Whoa, really? Lucy? Tell her I'm so happy! I can't seem to find her number anywhere, and I've been meaning to call." Levi nodded.
"I'll give it to you, hold on. I'll call you right back, okay?"
"Okay." Levi hung up and dug through her phone to find her best friend's number. She quickly memorized it and glanced around, noticing a loud group of men approaching her to cross the street. She recognized a few as being Fairy Tail Guild members. The group had nothing in common, Levi noted, and laughed at the way they interacted.
Gray was wearing black shorts and a white t-shirt. Levi snorted as she eyed his flip-flops. Not to mention the rest of his attire, only Gray would be stupid enough to wear flip-flops in November. Levi then looked down at what she was wearing on her feet.
'Guilty as charged,' she thought as she clopped her sandals, snickering at herself. Gray was currently arguing with Loki, and Levi rolled her eyes at the hopeless romantic. He was clearly enraptured with another celestial spirit mage. Levi reminded herself to talk to Lucy about Loki's... problem. The dumb key still hadn't found a mage to call his own. Following behind the group of Fairy Tail members at a measured pace was a tall man with long dark hair. Levi felt the urge to warn everyone to watch out behind them but then decided they could probably all handle themselves okay if the stranger decided to do anything. She punched in Juvia's number with her thumbs and held her phone to her ear.
"Levi! What's her number?" Levi laughed loudly at Juvia's enthusiasm.
"Guess!" Before she knew what was happening, the dark stranger that had been following behind the group of men stopped abruptly and pivoted on one foot to intensely stare at her. Levi's eyes widened. She quickly told Juvia Lucy's number and bid farewell.
"I'll talk to you another time, I've gotta handle something right now. I love you, Juvia; don't be such a stranger!" Smiling into her phone, still shocked that the man hadn't budged an inch and was practically glaring holes in her head, Levi hung up again.
Stepping out from underneath the shade of the umbrella, Levi gripped her purse tightly and wrapped her scarf around her neck a little tighter.
"Can I help you? I didn't offend you, did I?" The man strode a few steps closer and Levi felt a little intimidated by his sheer size. Good lord, he had to be at least a foot taller than her- probably more! His bulkiness was accentuated by the piercings all over his face and ears. It was only when he spoke that the intimidation faded fast and Levi's eyes widened even more.
"What's your name?"
Levi couldn't believe it; no way! Her eyes lit up in recognition and she beamed at the identified stranger.
"George!"
"... Excuse me?"
"You're George!"
"...The fuck?"
"George! You called Natsu's phone and we connected~!"
"My name's Gazille."
"..."
Levi flushed at her mistake, but she laughed it off.
"I'm sorry, I knew that. It definitely began with a G!" She scratched the back of her head and smiled up at him. For what it was worth, he was smirking down at her.
"There's no escaping or hanging up now. What's your name?" Levi's smile widened.
"I'm Lilly; it's nice to meet you-"
"Don't fall for that, Gazille, she's joking." Levi looked behind her newly dubbed friend and her eyes fell on Gray.
"Oh, come on Gray. It makes life so much more interesting and exciting!"
"You're such a little liar. Gazille, this is our resident bookworm of Fairy Tail, Levi McGarden. Don't let her fool you; she incredibly smart and incredibly devious." Levi rolled her eyes at Gray but smiled.
"Such high praise, I blush!" Levi turned all of her attention to Gazille and found he was looking right back at her with the same amount of intrigue.
"Levi, Gazille just joined Fairy Tail a few weeks ago. Be nice to him." She nodded and her bright, calculating eyes took in every little detail about the giant of a man in front of her. His jet black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and his sleeveless black shirt gripped him in just the right places. His dark, faded jeans had a worn but comfortable look to them, and Levi liked that. Comfortable people were the nicest.
"Whoa, Gazille, looks like you've got yourself a one woman fan club already!" Levi kicked Loki in the shin but couldn't stop the blush from crawling up her neck and filling her cheeks and ears. Looking back at the dark man, Levi eeped at the way his smirk had widened.
This was going to be a long trip to the library.
Okay, I've really got to give Levi and Gazille their own story. And is it just me or is Levi starting to remind you of a certain spandex wearing, green monster will all of her italicized words and optimism? Next thing you know, she'll start Capitalizing words for the Youth of Tomorrrow... Oh God what have I done? Hahaha, I'm such a loser. Oh well. Another snow day! And that means I can clean even more! Yess!
That right there is funny because I'm not being sarcastic.
It's weird, but I've got an idea with where this story is going. Usually, I just start writing and it's like, well this sounds good here, and this might work if I put it here, and that feels like it would make sense after that. This is definitely going to be a longer than the normal arc.
Of course, I say that now; watch- I could end it in the next chapter!
Just kidding. Don't have a heart attack.
With love and happiness,
j0h4nn4
(I feel like I'm writing a letter to my imaginary, long-distance boyfriend. God, I've got to lay off the caffeine.)