Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to make sure the rest of the story was proof-read before I posted it. The rest of the chapters will be loaded, so no more cliff hangers! Thank you everyone for reading :D
The room was abuzz with activity. Fairies flew to and fro, settling themselves onto chairs and tables as they waited for Master to explain why he summoned everyone together.
Levy sat between Lucy and Cana and swung her legs while she listened to the excited chatter around her. After a moment she frowned and took a moment to count all of the Fairies in the room.
I think everyone is here!
It had been months since her entire family had been home together. She should ask the Master if they could have a bonfire, or maybe a less destructive game night.
Master Makarov turned big and stood on the countertop, stomping his foot to get everyone's attention. The noise quieted instantly.
"Ok, listen up, you brats! No one is on a mission right now and it's almost summer, so you all know what that means." He paused for a moment, just staring at them.
Levy looked to Cana, who shrugged. The rest of the room seemed equally confused and Gajeel crossed his arms from where he hid in the shadows by the stairs. She puffed her cheeks and tried to catch her friends eye to invite him over again. He had declined the first time, saying he wanted to give her some time with her friends. One of these days she would make him accept that he was at the top of that list as well.
"Hey Master, where's Erza?" A voice rose from the back of the room.
"She's gettin' a magic vehicle for us."
The entire room held their breath and leaned forward. Levy bounced in her seat, her tail flicking in excitement.
The master frowned for a few seconds more before breaking out into a wide grin. "We're all going to the Water Park in Crocus!" He cheered, throwing a fist into the air.
The hall erupted. Mages laughed and cheered. Levy and Lucy clasped hands and spun in the air. A vacation! The last vacation her family took had been over a year prior and ended with Natsu somehow blowing up the amphitheater.
"Pack your bags! Gildarts will be here soon to hold the fort while we're gone, so you only have one hour. Now get going!"
Fairies flew through the air, their elated cheers filling the room to bursting. Levy checked on Gajeel, smiling to herself when she saw him watching the room with a twinkle in his eye.
It's going to be great spending more time together!
Of course she still helped with his lessons and he joined her and Shadow Gear for requests, but it wasn't the same as before. They were constantly surrounded by others, an expected outcome in a rowdy guild like Fairy Tail, and she found she missed their quiet evenings together. She was sure the rest of the group wouldn't mind if she and Gajeel went off on their own for a few hours during their trip.
"Hold up a sec," Jet called out, flying to their Master's side. She watched her partner whisper in Makarov's ear, the older mage crossing his arms with a furrowed brow.
"I didn't think of that. Ok kids, sit back down. It's time to start plotting. How are we gonna get Gajeel into the park?"
The room grew quiet, everyone's heads slowly turning to the Draak sneaking up the stairs. Levy leapt from the table to stop him, but Natsu and Gray beat her to the task. They turned big, grabbed Gajeel's arms, and forced him back into the room. His eyes widened and his legs stiffened until they stretched ram-rod straight in front of him. His boots screeched across the wooden floor, leaving behind a scuffed trail to show his unwilling path through the room.
They pulled him to Makarov's side and dropped their hold. Gajeel immediately turned to bolt, but the Master clamped his hand on Gajeel's shoulder, cutting off all chance of escaping. Levy bit back a laugh, sympathizing with her friend but finding his panicked look quite adorable.
"Alright, so here's the problem." The master thumped Gajeel on the shoulder. "Gajeel is technically still in hiding and we're not giving You-Know-Who any hope of finding him. So put those big brains of yours to work, cause he deserves a vacation too and we're gonna make sure he's coming with us!"
Levy hovered in the air and crossed her legs, finger tapping her chin while she thought. Gajeel scratched his head, causing alarms to ring in her ears, and bent to whisper in Makarov's ear. The older mage listened quietly, his nose wrinkling as if he just smelled hodras manure.
"Everyone turn big and have a seat. You too," he said, shoving Gajeel down onto a bar stool.
The room filled with flashes of magic and the scraping of chairs. Levy frowned at Gajeel, but he just shrugged, hand returning to his hair. When the room was silent once more, Makarov crossed his arms.
"Gajeel just came up with this idea: he can just stay back at the guild while everyone else has fun. So we're gonna take a vote. All in favor of Gajeel staying behind, stand now."
Gajeel stood quickly and raised his hand high above his head. He looked around the room, but as the silence lengthened, his arm inched downward. A blush stained his cheeks and he scratched his head.
Makarov sighed heavily. "Sit down."
Gajeel returned to his seat with a frown.
"Now," Makarov continued, "All in favor of finding a better-"
Levy and the rest of the guild stood, interrupting the master's question. She raised her chin and tapped her foot. Gajeel would come with them if it was the last thing she did.
The master smirked, giving Gajeel a wink. "Sorry, my boy, but it seems as if everyone wants you to come with us. Now, discuss again amongst yourselves. Our biggest problem, no pun intended," he patted Gajeel's arm, "is that he is entirely too recognizable. It would take just one person spreading tales for it to get back to Phantom Lord. Your mission is to figure out how to properly disguise him."
"What if we cut his hair!" Droy hollered from the back of the room, ducking behind Jet when every female mage in the room, including Levy, turned to glare at him.
Makakov sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Bring me actual ideas in five minutes."
Levy, Lucy and Cana huddled together at their table, ignoring the noise around the room.
"How is this even going to be possible?" Cana asked. "If word gets back to Jose-"
Levy shook her head, hands clenching. "Not going to happen. I'll burn down Phantom Lord myself if Gajeel has to go back there."
Lucy bumped her with her elbow. "Oh? Touchy! If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone is a little protective!"
Levy sputtered, trying to form any coherent answer that would placate her nosey friend, but was interrupted by Natsu and Gray.
"Who's protective?" Natsu asked, flashing his teeth in his usual wide grin.
Levy huffed and crossed her arms, ignoring the fire in her cheeks.
"If you mention staying behind one more time, I'll tie you to the vehicle myself. You're either coming with us or none of us will go, are we clear?"
Levy and her friends snorted and snickered at the sight of the large Draak being yelled down by their tiny guild master.
"You know," Gray's voice brought them back to attention. "Cutting his hair might not be such a bad idea. I bet he would look a ton different."
"It's...an option," Levy reluctantly agreed, but her heart clenched at the thought of his wild mane of hair being chopped off.
"I think the most important thing would be covering up his scales." Natsu said, face unusually serious. "Did you know he has them on his legs too? Right around the ankles and up his calves."
"Hmmm," Levy tapped her chin, mind swirling.
She cycled through every Solid Script spell she knew, but nothing she could think of would properly disguise Gajeel long enough for him to enjoy the park. They were trying to go incognito and having a giant, magical word floating around one of their members was a surefire way to draw even more attention to themselves. They would already be drawing everyone's attention. They were Fairy Tail, after all; subtlety was not one of their strong suits.
What we need is some sort of illusion spell. Something that'll transform him for a few hours…
"Say, Lucy," she began slowly, drawing her group's attention. "Libra can change a person's shape, right?"
"Yes!" Lucy nearly shouted and everyone at the table high fived.
"Master!" Levy jumped from her chair, "I think we figured out how to disguise Gajeel!"
Lucy stood and grabbed a key from her belt. The sound of bells filled the room and in a flash of light, a tall, dark-haired woman stood in front of their table.
"Libra, we need your help! We need to disguise Gajeel over there so that no one recognizes him when we go to the water park."
"Disguise the Draak?"
Levy's cheeks puffed at the woman's tone.
Lucy patted her on the shoulder with a knowing grin. "Yes, there's bad people after him, so is there any way you can disguise his scales?"
Libra turned her intense stare onto Gajeel and walked closer. He inched away from the woman, but only made it a single step when he bumped into the countertop. Everyone held their breath and watched the Celestial Spirit tilt her head. With a snap of her fingers, Gajeel was surrounded by a cloud of smoke. After a few seconds, it disappeared.
"Did...she even do anything?" Someone asked.
"Whoa!" Natsu shrunk and hovered around Gajeel's neck. Gajeel swatted at him, covering his now smooth neck with one hand. Levy flew to the front, ready to intervene if need be.
"Did it work? My skin feels funny."
"Yeah it worked! She even made your teeth look like a human's too!"
"Huh," Gajeel muttered and ran his tongue over his now smooth teeth.
Levy tilted her head and studied her friend. The scales on his neck and temples had been replaced with smooth, tanned skin. His eyes were the same bright red as before and the metal studs were still in place, but overall he simply looked like an eccentric mage, not a full-blooded Draak. She smiled widely, giggling at the dark blush forming on Gajeel's face from all the attention.
"How long can you keep the spell going?" Lucy asked the Celestial Spirit.
"It will stay as long as you want. Just summon me again when you want him to return to normal."
"That's amazing!" Levy hugged the side of Gajeel's face.
"Thank you, Libra!" A flash of light and the Celestial Spirit was gone.
Makarov clapped his hands. "Well, what are you brats waiting for? Go pack!"
Cheers rose up from the guild and everyone flew to their rooms. Droy darted past, a snack in his hand.
"I still think we should cut his hair, just to be safe."
Droy ducked as Levy shot ROCK at his head, Cana flung exploding cards and Lucy took out her whip. He escaped to the stairs, his wings flapping wildly.
"Should I tie my hair back or something?" Gajeel played with the dark strands that hung over his shoulders and stepped away from Lucy and her whip.
Lucy shrugged, returning her weapon to her belt. "It probably wouldn't hurt."
"Here, you can use this." Cana tucked her cards away and handed him one of her extra hair ties.
Satisfied Gajeel was occupied enough that he wouldn't try to run away again, Levy waved to the small group. "I'll be right back, I have to finish packing."
"Wait for us!"
She flew to the stairs, her friends right on the tip of her tail. They rushed to their room filled with their fellow roommates, and hurried to change into their swimsuits. Cana finished packing first, already wearing her swim clothes, and Levy quickly shoved a towel into her bag. The floor quivered and the pictures on the wall rattled. Levy shook her head, already imagining the lecture the master would give the boys.
"You guys ready?" Cana asked, holding her towel against her.
"Yep! Just deciding on what book to bring."
"Of course you are," Lucy rolled her eyes, no real bite to her words.
Levy stuck out her tongue and shoved both books into the pack. Maybe she and Gajeel could find a nice quiet spot on the beach and have a short reading lesson. The three girls flew out of the room, almost crashing into Natsu and Gray in the hallway.
"What in the world?" Cana scowled, eyeing the large pair of dark blue swim trunks dangling between the two mages.
"Laxus told us to bring these to Gajeel." They answered, flying down the stairs. The girls followed and watched as they dumped the clothing onto Gajeel's head.
"Here ya go, Metal Man! We figured you didn't have any of your own, so we snagged some of Laxus' when he wasn't lookin." Natsu grinned, his teeth gleaming.
Lucy huffed and crossed her arms, giving Levy a wink. "Oh? You boys too afraid that he'd catch you?"
Levy snickered while Gajeel yanked the shorts off his head and stared at them. "What are they?"
"Swim trunks? Don't tell me you've never gone swimming before?"
Gajeel shook his head, the studs above his eye rising as he stared at the shorts in his hands. Levy ignored the conversation around her, her eyes trained on her friend. He had pulled his hair back and tied it to the back of his head. It was the first time she had seen Gajeel without strands of hair falling into his face. It gave him an almost boyish look, softening his wide eyes and making his cheekbones stand out.
Gajeel caught her looking at him and scratched his head. "H-how does it look?"
"Good!" she said, hoping no one else heard the way her voice squeaked. "You look good. I mean, your hair looks fine. It'll say out of your way now when you go swimming."
What's wrong with me? Why can't I talk straight?
Gajeel nodded and wrung the trunks in his hand.
"You probably want to get changed, Metal Breath. Unless you want to use the bathrooms at the park full of strangers."
"Oh, right. Um, I'll be right back. Sorry if I'm makin' everyone late."
Natsu waved a hand. "Nah, it takes the guild forever to get packed up. And I think we're waiting on Erza anyway."
"We'll come with you and see what's taking the others so long. Oh, and you'll need a towel and an extra shirt if you don't feel like taking that one off"
Gray and Natsu zipped out of the room and Gajeel hurried after them. Levy hovered in the air and watched him navigate the room full of tables and chairs. Without his mane of hair cascading down his back, his shoulders looked incredibly wide. She sighed, her thoughts straying back to the last time he had hugged her.
A hand on her shoulder made her leap in the air. "Nothing! I'm not looking at anything!"
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to say anything about you ogling our resident dragon. I was just gonna let you know your mouth was wide open."
"N-No I wasn't! It...it wasn't either." She poked her fingers together and ignored her snickering friends. She refused to allow the blush on her cheeks to spread any further.
Footsteps thundered down the stairs and Gajeel, already clad in his borrowed swim gear, rounded the corner. He made his way over to them, checking over his shoulder every other second.
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked with a slight frown.
Gajeel cleared his throat, his hand going to his hair. He leaned in and whispered, "I really can stay back. Everyone's going through a ton of trouble…"
He was the sweetest thing.
Levy smiled and clasped her hands behind her so she wouldn't be tempted to touch his hair. "You saw the vote. Do you really think you can take on the entire guild when they put their minds to something?"
He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. A frown creased his forehead and he leaned forward.
Levy fluttered out of the way. "Gajeel?"
"You ok, Shrimp? Yer face looks red?" He leaned even closer.
"W-what are you talking about? I'm fine!"
Lucy and Cana snickered and Gajeel's eyes flicked to them for a split second before returning to her.
"You sure ya don't have a fever or something?" She yelped when Gajeel snagged her from the air. He flattened his palm and held her mere inches away from his face. "See? Yer gettin' even redder. Ya sure you can make it on the trip?"
She flew off his hand and backpedaled to the stairs. "I'm totally fine! Must be the heat or something. Come on, guys, let's finish packing!"
"But we already finished, Levy," Cana said with a smirk, flying slowly after her.
Gajeel followed them up the stairs. "If you're startin' to get woozy, just let me know and I can carry you. Even if ya turn big and start feeling bad."
"W-woozy?"
"Yeah, isn't that what happens when people get too warm? I'll hold ya if you start to feel sick."
"I'm telling you, I'm totally fine!"
"Alright, but tell me the moment...Oh, I'll be right back. I have to wrestle my bandana away from Elfman. I'm pretty sure I saw it in his hammock earlier."
"Y-yeah," Levy said to his retreating back as he loped down the hall.
"If you don't stop smiling at nothing, people are gonna start thinking you-"
"I don't have a crush on Gajeel!" She spun to her friends, who looked smugly at one another.
"Now Lucy, I never mentioned anything about crushes...did I?"
"Why no, Cana, I don't believe you did. Levy, is there anything you would like to share with the group?"
"NO!"
She escaped...er, flew to their room and shoved extra clothes into her pack with a vengeance, willing her body to return to its normal color.