A customer was a customer. A customer was on the receiving end of a service that they were asking to be granted in exchange for their hard-earned money. There was no need to chit-chat, feel bad about taking up space in a location, or visiting enough times that you could have memorized the products as well as the staff had.
There was absolutely no reason why being at The Coffee House pretty much every day for almost two weeks during the summer semester was cause for any extra thought. There was money being exchanged, albeit not as much as Levy was betting on, and she kept a fair pace on ordering items at each visit. She really didn't need to feel bad for always showing up and staying the entire day, sometimes well past Gajeel's closing time.
But she did.
She had pretty much been there six to eight hours a day for half a week in June and an entire week in July. Then, when tests came about, she vanished from the store as if she had never set foot in it before. Some part of her felt bad for the huge dichotomy. She felt as if she had purposely ignored Gajeel when she was there and then didn't even stop in to say hi during midterms and finals. Even when she had a spare hour or two during the afternoon, she just hung out at the university or went home.
She wanted to find a way to repay his tolerance and his kindness with the few times they went out for actual food. Even if she had made damn sure to pay him back as soon as she could for the pizza, she still wanted to do something nice for him. She felt like she had imposed, even a little, despite being a paying customer.
The problem was...what did she do? She had absolutely no idea what Gajeel liked. At. All. She thought she had come to get a feel for him as a person, but every time something like this came up, she realized how little she knew about him and was again ashamed of herself. She had eaten pizza with him a handful of times and knew what he liked for toppings.
'This is so embarrassing!' Levy cringed, covering her face with her hands.
How was she supposed to do something nice and surprise him when she had no idea what foods he liked, his favorite activities, or places in the city? She didn't want to ask him what he liked out of the blue because then he would know. She had yet to just ask random questions that weren't part of the natural flow of conversation. Gajeel was smart and he would catch on immediately.
It had been at least an hour of agonizing over her morning coffee that didn't give any insight to anything. She had finished her entire mini pot of morning liquid and still hadn't come any closer to doing something he would enjoy.
She tried to think of the days she had been in the store and realized that he spent entire days and nights there. She honestly couldn't remember a time that he took off of work...aside from that motorcycle trip. It puzzled her, considering he was probably not a salaried worker...unless he was the only one and then that would make sense... A hand thoughtfully stroked her chin. 'He works there every day from open till close... Does he get out to spend time to himself at all? Isn't there anything fun he wants to do besides work all the time?'
There were a few clues starting to poke into the back of Levy's head, but she couldn't grasp them yet. Seeing as how the inkling started showing up when she thought about things he did for himself, she kept pondering his work environment and all the time he spent there. Did he even know any places outside of the city? He had his motorcycle, but she had a gut feeling it didn't get used that much.
She thought about the times he had some of the pastries that were marked to get thrown out at the end of the night. She wondered if that was most of what he ate. She thought to his living quarters above the shop and considered that it may not have any good cooking amenities available. Did he have anything resembling a kitchen in that place? She wasn't about to go ask to see it and just the thought made her blush.
After a few hours of thinking over ever detail, a plan slowly started forming. The biggest problem was how to get it to be fulfilled. She didn't have a right to take Gajeel away from his work just for her, but she wanted him to have some fun! She didn't know if he was a workaholic, but she'd save that topic for later conversation.
She thought to all of the places she knew of that may be interesting...but they were probably only interesting to her. She didn't want to take up some of his valuable time with something boring, but she had nothing else to go on! That was another issue; what if he didn't even want to go along with her good-will? She didn't know if Gajeel was okay with trying new things or going along with the spur of the moment...he may very well just be obstinate and tell her no and not leave the store. 'Gah, this is so frustrating!'
She was going to have to take a chance that he might find it less than annoying. She supposed that if he didn't like it, she could use that time to ask questions on things he may like and thus try again at a later date. She thought of what his business had for food and found more irritations. There were so many snack options she had to pick from, so long as it wasn't pastries. She narrowed down the option to something easy to transport and would hold heat or cold for a while. She had a few containers that would insulate the dish of either temperature and thought of the weather. Night was the best possibility since it would be the time he had available...except...if he opened the store at seven every day during the week and worked till eight in the evening, she would be taking up his necessary sleep time.
'This may not be a good idea...' She lamented, idly stirring the sugar in her forgotten coffee. As best as she could plan, a home-cooked meal outside of his work was the best way to go, but she didn't want to make him run around just for some free food...
Why was she this worried about paying him back anyway? She had done nothing outside the realm of any customer who went into a store and purchased something. It wasn't like she took up residence without buying anything or merely one item per day. 'Why...' What was the big deal? Why be so interested? 'Why?'
"We're going to go get you some real food for once. All I've seen you eat for the last four days is cake As the one serving you all those sweets, it's my responsibility to make sure you get some actual nutrition in your system."
Her lips twitched upward.
"I know what it's like."
She thought back to that insightful bit over pizza. Gajeel wasn't the type of person to attract people to him. Why she had bothered to come back again was really beyond her. He was a good person, but he didn't give off that vibe.
She suddenly wondered how easy Gajeel's life had been. She looked around at the living room of her apartment, thinking of how cushy her life had been since she was born and wondered if he had things just as nice...even a little bit. Did he have anyone that was agonizing over trying to do something nice that he would enjoy? Somehow, she sincerely doubted it.
A fist clenched. That wouldn't do; everyone needed someone in their life to support them! She had her parents for the longest time at home and now she had her friends from Magnolia University. She had Lucy and Natsu and Gray and Juvia. She even had some of the exchange students that still kept in contact. What did Gajeel have?
Her eyes hardened along with her resolve. She stood and downed the last good gulp of her coffee before setting the cup in the sink. She'd wash it later; right now, she had something important to do.
It was still early in the day, but she figured that would be enough time to get things accomplished. It may be a weekday, but she had two weeks off for finals and plenty of time to do something fun! So...why wait for an opportune time when she could make that time tonight?
She hurriedly got presentable and headed out. She headed straight for The Coffee House and noted something of a line. Both Lisanna and Kinana were busy, as was Gajeel. She worried about that possibility and held off until the majority of people had come and gone. Once there was a lull, she stopped in front of the register and nodded to Lisanna. "I'd like to speak with Gajeel please." She announced, eyes determined.
She looked on as Lisanna talk to Gajeel and then take over the coffee he had just finished. Lisanna went one way as Gajeel came to the register. "What do you want shrimp? I was in the middle of something."
She knew he wasn't mad; that was his way of saying hello. She bypassed it and put her hands on the counter, leaning over them. "Gajeel, I'd like it if you would try to have the store cleaned up a little early tonight. I will be back by closing again, alright?"
Gajeel blinked a few times, pierced brow raising as he bluntly met a very earnest pair of eyes. His arms crossed at the strength of the tone and the seriousness that presented itself to him. "Barging in here all of a sudden and ordering me around...what's with that high and mighty attitude of yours? Do you think you're the owner or something?"
She allowed him to poke her in the forehead only twice before she batted his hand away. She wouldn't be deterred and her hands clenched. "I'll only tell you that I want to do something together tonight and I want to have a little time so you can also get some sleep for work tomorrow." She leaned back. "I'll be back by eight, okay? I have to go now!"
She didn't give Gajeel time to answer as she headed out and across the street. There was so much to do! Her mind burned and churned with all of the things that she needed to do. The first place she headed to was a large, grassy area just across the street from the university. It was a well-known hang out spot for many of the students. It had a pavilion area where bands played in the warm months. She did a quick walk around the area to find the best place to sit and mentally chose a spot for later tonight.
That chore done, she headed to the Heart Health Store for supplies. It took the entire walk from the university to figure out exactly what she wanted to cook, how to bring it, and how much to plan for. It would be easier to carry her backpack with what she had in mind, but there may end up being a few extra things that she would have to carry. If she could get away with taking Gajeel's bike to save travel time, that would be nice, but it meant that she would have to really stuff her backpack with dishes and food. It may not all fit and she didn't know how in the world she would be able to carry a bag on Gajeel's bike and not fall off.
It took much longer in the store than she thought as she went through the aisles, trying to find the best foods that didn't require much storage or take up too much room. She grabbed some chicken breasts, snackable veggies, and some sodas. She snagged one of the lettuces already in its own storage container and ready to use immediately. She didn't know what kind of dressing he may like, so she grabbed two generic favorites to be put in containers later. She grabbed a few blocks of cheese for the variety and capped the dinner at a few chocolate bars.
One thing she also worried about as she headed home was the night temperatures. August was upon them, but the July nights were still there. The humidity was somewhat breaking, but it wouldn't be really nice for probably a few more weeks yet. She hoped that if she made lots of cold stuff that it wouldn't go warm should it not get eaten and then have to be thrown away by the time she got back home. Ice packs weren't going to help much while it was sitting out amidst the temperatures.
Still having a few hours, she set in on getting the food ready as much as possible now. The chicken she threw some marinade on and put it in a pan on a somewhat low heat to cook thoroughly and slowly. She covered it and let it be for the next hour as she got the veggies, lettuce, dressings, cheeses, and chocolate in their appropriate storage containers for travel. She stuck the sodas in the fridge to cool and set aside some towels to wrap them in and keep the sweat out of the bag.
Not even thirty minutes passed and so she checked on the meat. It still required more time and so she took the opportunity for a leisure shower. She threw her hair in a towel and wrapped one around herself as she went back to the stove and turned the meat around. It still required a little more time. She headed for her closet and stared at her outfits, trying to find the best thing to wear. She had fully donned a light purple dress before realizing that should they happen to take Gajeel's bike, the fact that this dress went mid-thigh would not help her in the slightest! She grabbed a pair of black tights and put them on just in case. A pair of matching purple arm guards went on in case it got slightly cold tonight.
She quickly tied back the mass of hair with a black ribbon and headed directly for the kitchen. The chicken was perfect and she took it off the stove and removed the lid. The best aroma met her nose and she wanted a bite out of one, but restrained herself. A quick check of the clock found it at only five-forty; she could have a light snack and still be hungry for her late dinner.
She took everything out and let it cool on a plate. As it cooled, she sliced the chicken into strips for easier eating and poured the marinade remains into the storage container. Once the chicken was cool enough, she put everything in the fridge with the other bins and prayed her bag would hold everything and nothing would break open on the travel. Just in case, she went rummaging through her junk drawer and put rubber bands on things that had a sauce inside.
At six-fifteen, she sat at her mini dining room table, baby carrots and dressing in front of her. She idly snacked, not really that hungry, but knowing if she didn't have something now she would be starving later. A foot restlessly bounced against the bottom rung of the chair as she looked into the living room across the way. There was way too much time left! What did she do for an entire hour? She had prepped everything ahead of time should something happen and now she was ready earlier than expected. 'Ugh...what to do?' There was no homework to do, although that didn't stop her from reading a book about a new subject...but she didn't want to get too engrossed and lose track of time.
She put the food away, not wanting to stuff herself that much for the short wait she had, and headed to the bookshelves lining the walls. She stared at the impressive book collection, everything already read at least once or twice. She finally grabbed a manga and started the series over again.
She jerked when the kitchen timer went off and was thankful she set it. It was seven; time to pack up and start out. The walk wouldn't take an hour, but she in no way wanted to be a sweaty mess when she showed up!
She slowly packed the backpack as well as possible. She wrapped the drinks, mentally praying they didn't get too shaken up on the way. She took note during her packing how much her heart sped up and her hands trembled. Not even some deep breathing would help her fraying nerves. She really hoped that Gajeel would like this; she put a lot of thought into it and a lot of work! She tried to tell herself not to get too worked up if he was agitated and not happy with being drug out just to hang out on some grassy lawn with food they could easily eat in the store.
Teeth bit her lip as she slowly zipped the bag closed. She put a lot into this and she would be a fool to think that his rejection would mean nothing to her and could easily be passed off. She spent her time, money, and cooking skills on a gamble that he would like this! All she could do was hope against hope that the night turned out like she was envisioning it.
No wonder she was nervous!
She shouldered the bag and spied the clock one final time. She slipped into a pair of sandals and went to grab her keys when a thought hit. Without taking any more time to worry about it being a good idea, she headed to her bookshelf and grabbed a small case resting on the bottom level. She attached a wide strap to it and swung it as comfortably as it would get around the pack taking up too much space on her small frame.
The walk was somewhat torture. She tried to keep a pace that wasn't a run, but it was hard. She wanted to be there right now and tell Gajeel to close immediately! But she also didn't want to be worn out and make a bad impression on this night either. She wanted to walk in calm and collected in order to have the upper hand with him. Knowing Gajeel's personality even a little meant there would be some browbeating involved to get him to do what she wanted. She giggled a little despite nerves.
The Coffee House finally came into view. She stopped across the street and stared into the windows for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out quickly, hands clutching the straps. She jogged across the street and paused outside the door. "Please let him just go along with this!" She quietly pleaded to whoever was listening. She then swung the door open and headed in, getting blasted with air conditioning and the sight of Gajeel working a mop on the customer floor.
She paused at the entryway and looked to where she was standing to make sure she wasn't going to fall. All the chairs were up and the closed sign was already out to the public. She assumed that the only reason she was even able to enter despite it not being eight was because he knew she was coming back. She tried to squash the giddy smile in knowing that he recognized her return and was waiting for her. "I'm back Gajeel." She announced, having yet to get his attention. "Thank you for hurrying up with your closing list. I really appreciate it."
Gajeel hadn't said a word, nor had he finished mopping. In fact, he moved to the back of the room and kept going. She blinked, brow raising, and wondered if he was mad because she ordered him around and was so vague in doing so. That couldn't be right...why would that piss him off?
He finally turned after wringing out the mop in the yellow bucket. He gave her a good looking over, noting everything she was wearing and the baggage she was carrying. He noted the outfit, brow ticking upward for just a second, before he started wheeling the mop bucket to the back room. He promptly came back up front and tossed his apron on the counter next to the register to get later.
He stopped in front of her, straightening his shirt and shaking his hair a bit. After fussing as much as he intended, he looked her in the eye and crossed his arms again. "Okay...so what is so damn important that I had to hurry through my closing list almost an hour earlier than I intended?" A brow rose as he eyed the pack and instrument case on her back. "If you to tell me that you're going to study here...I'm going to give you what for right now."
She quickly shook her head. "It's...kind of a surprise..." Her fingers suddenly pressed together and she broke eye contact with him to stare at them. "I...uh...actually...wanted...to do this as a thank you...for all the time I've been spending here..."
He stared. She was fidgety and blushing quite noticeably. His head cocked to one side. "I'm not following." A finger tapped on his arm as he tried to register her words. "You want to thank me for temporarily buying you pizza? And paying for my coffee?"
She sheepishly grinned. "Um...kind of..."
"Does that sound logical when you hear it in your head?"
She knew he was going to put up a fight over this. But that made it easier to get over stumbling on her words at least. She finally looked him in the eye, a little put out. "Don't worry too much about it! I have a spot all picked out and everything is ready. You don't have to do anything but enjoy it!" Her mouth was left hanging open at her next words. She almost had to force them out. "And...also...can we take your bike there?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to say 'no'. He really didn't feel like going out to whatever awful place she had picked out and do whatever it was she had in mind. "There's no need for you to do all this you know." He side-stepped, still evenly staring at her. "You pretty much wasted your time on whatever it is you wanted to do."
She refused to give in! She let stubbornness help her along and find confidence. Fight him it was then... Her hands clenched, eyes fiercely meeting his. "It's not wasted time!" She hotly denied, taking a step forward. "You deserve something nice done for you once in a while Gajeel! You let me be here almost the entire open to close hours for a whole two weeks during my important test times and I wanted to repay you for it! Who cares if I paid for the items that I bought so I wouldn't be loitering? Who cares if I took a gamble hoping you would like it? When was the last time someone did something nice to surprise you or you went out to enjoy yourself?"
He was used to her little debates and thus was unaffected. He took in her words and their meaning and was a little flattered. It softened his resolve to not leave out of annoyance at having to change up his normal routine just for her. But he still couldn't give in that easily. A hand waved her words away as if they were flies. "I don't like surprises, just so you know. And I can go out of this place if I want, but there's nothing interesting to do out there so I usually just stay inside after I close the store."
"That's no good Gajeel!" Before she could think, she moved forward and grabbed the hand that had tried to wave her off. She squeezed it hard, knowing her small hands wouldn't hurt his. "All the more reason for us to go out! I have a nice spot picked out not too far away from here. It's at the university, but we're wasting time arguing about it. I only wanted to take your bike so we could get there faster and enjoy more time there instead of walking the whole way." She took another step forward and looked way up into his eyes. "So accept that someone wants to do something nice for you and let's go now."
His arm was tingling where she was grabbing. He was actually frozen in slight discomfort that she had suddenly touched him and still hadn't let go. Her hands were warm and they were really small in his. He noted how soft they were compared to the callouses on his fingers. The second he recognized that thought trail, he pulled his hand away and took a step back. That tingling hand rubbed his hair to erase the feel of her touch. "Ah geez..." He groused, looking away. "You're not going to give in until we go, so let's just go already." A finger whipped out and pointed at her. "Just don't go making a habit of this, you hear? I'm not your personal chauffeur!"
She beamed and nodded. "Got it!"
In mere moments, the pair arrived at the spot she picked out. She dismounted the bike and checked her bag to make sure nothing had moved too much. Giving a satisfying nod, she turned to Gajeel and took a step to where she was thinking of. "This way Gajeel." A hand pointed behind her.
He quietly followed to the bottom steps of a huge pavilion. It had to be a few stories tall and the echo of their footsteps came to his ears quite clearly. He mentally acknowledged how impressive the building was and looked out from the stage at the sprawling lawn and lights of the city from the higher position. He grunted at how romantic the whole thing seemed and looked down, somewhat uncomfortable. Was she intending on something like this from the start?
He watched her pull container after container from her pack and his brow rose. He watched her set everything up on the stage and grab utensils and drinks. It was quite the spread and it didn't look too bad, he mentally admitted. He finally plopped on the top step when she looked up at him. He peered into the containers. "What is all this?"
A finger pointed to everything as she listed it. "Baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, marinated chicken strips, salad, Caesar and ranch dressings, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and dark and milk chocolate pieces." She refused to meet his eyes as she grabbed a fork. "I...I didn't know what you liked so I tried to find a bunch of the basics. Plus, I worried about it going bad before I can get the leftovers back in the fridge and I didn't know how well hot food would keep out here..."
He cut off her ramblings by grabbing a piece of cheddar cheese and munched on it. Not bothering with a fork, he went for one of the chicken pieces and checked out the flavor. He noted her rapt attention and wide eyes and tried to ignore it. "At least you didn't forget the meat." He licked his fingers of the sauce. "Hmm, not bad..."
She smiled and let go of the pent up breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She chuckled a little and dipped a carrot in one of the dressings. She didn't think he was fully comfortable by looking at his body language, but he was at least making an effort! She didn't attempt anything else with her stomach being too knotted at this moment.
"And what's that?"
She blinked and followed Gajeel's sight to the ground near her. Her eyes widened a little at how she had forgotten about her precious instrument and she opened the case. She clicked the locks and revealed her violin and bow to him. "I...I just brought it with...I didn't know if you wanted me to play anything or not... I don't know if you like music or what kind..."
"What kind of idiot doesn't like music?"
She idly plucked the chords on the violin, bashfully smiling. "Yea...I guess you're right..."
"Besides...I also play too..."
She perked up. Had she heard right? His voice was so low that she thought she had missed it! She searched his face, seeing how he was avidly avoiding her gaze for the food below them and knew that he HAD said those words! Knowing that Gajeel played music, that he either created something or played songs that he knew, made her feel so much more connected. Music was important to her and she liked it a lot. It was like a story, only with a ballad in the background.
"So play something since we hauled it all the way over here."
She jerked to attention and quickly stood. She positioned the violin and bow and tuned the violin to her satisfaction. She stared out at the small view, trying to find something to play. What did she do aside from play randomly to get out all this nervous energy? Resolving to just get it out, she started with a few slow chords, getting into the music and losing herself as she always did. She meandered a few steps away from Gajeel, eyes closed as she played. The sound echoed off the pavilion and intensified. She walked around a little more since it could easily be heard even if she wasn't right next to Gajeel. She needed to put a little distance between the two of them in order to calm down somewhat!
When the bow slid off the strings for the last time, she turned to Gajeel and jumped at hearing clapping nearby. She turned to its direction and found she had created something of an audience during her impromptu performance. She blushed, but tucked her violin in an arm and gave a small bow. She quickly sat down and noted Gajeel had torn into the food while she was busy playing and smiled. Finally feeling hungry, she took a few pieces of food before it was all gone and munched in the quiet.
Neither of them said anything for a bit and she enjoyed the ambiance with the person she was with. She stole a few glances at him after a few minutes, finding him looking at her as well. She gave him her full attention, brow raising. "Gajeel?"
"You should play some more." He only answered, grabbing a piece of broccoli.
She blushed, but a smile made its way to her face. She suddenly wasn't very hungry as her nerves graced themselves upon her again. She grabbed the violin and bow from their case and stood. This song was much slower than the first. She played a tune she knew of which she assumed he wouldn't. There was supposed to be an accompanying piano with it and she mentally cataloged it for later to play with Lucy sometime.
After three more songs and almost no time to get any other food, she insisted that she needed to eat something because she was actually getting really hungry and that Gajeel was going to take it all if she didn't. They ended up finishing almost everything and she was glad for that because carrying it home would be a lot simpler!
The night grew a little colder when they decided to pack up. She figured it had to be at least ten by the time they hopped on his bike. She mentally reveled in her success, knowing that he had fun since he requested (in his own way of course) so many songs from her. She wrapped arms around his waist, feeling giddy and her face hot.
"Where is your place shrimp?"
She looked to the back of Gajeel's head as his hands went to the handle bars. "What?"
"Your place. Where is it?"
Her head tilted a little and she let go when Gajeel shifted a little in his seat. She blinked as his words set it. "I can walk home from The Coffee House Gajeel...it's not that late..."
He turned his head as best he could to glare behind him. "Don't argue with me! Give me the address already."
Just knowing that he would be aware of her residence and could visit if he ever felt so inclined made her fidget and she wasn't too sure why. She knew where he lived and he didn't care... The annoyed look in his eyes told her that he wasn't going to take no for an answer and she blushed at his chivalrous behavior. She hesitantly gave him the address, glad she didn't have to look at him the whole way there. Her heart was beating too quickly for her liking and she worried the whole ride that he would feel it.
She hopped off the bike and situated the violin case around her. Her face was hot as the sun right now and she didn't have the courage to look at him. Her hands clenched the violin strap, nervous smile alighting her face. "Thanks...for the ride...Gajeel... I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight... I – I hope it isn't too late for you for tomorrow."
"Next time don't pick such a public place. All those people around were annoying and I didn't get to enjoy myself as much as I wanted to."
Her head jerked up as she met his eyes in the poor lighting. She blinked a few times, watching him situate himself on his bike again. Her mouth opened, but she was unable to say anything with the start of the motor. The engine drowned out anything she wanted to say or ask for clarification.
He gave a quick nod before putting the bike into gear and slowly starting away. His foot went to the resting spot on the bike as he picked up speed and then he was gone. She watched his departure until he was out of sight. Even when he was out of sight, she stood at the main doorway until the rumble of the machine was too quiet to pick up. The cicadas returned to her hearing. She slowly blinked. "Night...Gajeel..."
Next time? Not a public place? His words were ringing in her ears and she ran through them so many times before a silly smile broke free and threatened to split her face in two. She allowed herself a girlish giggle before she whipped for the door and almost skipped inside.
Levy outfit inspiration: mimilyn. deviantart art/ Levy-Mcgarden-321809647
Levy violin inspiration: www. youtube watch?v=NguIpRFLM4M&list=PL34B5E974F7E5A8E0&index=4 (first)
Levy violin inspiration: www. youtube watch?v=tS-DmhSXL7A&list=PL34B5E974F7E5A8E0&index=5 (second)