Long hair, three shivering Fairies and a thunderstorm did not make for a good combination. But Gajeel wasn't about to complain. He and Levy were finally on a request together and he was going to enjoy every minute of it; even if water trailed down his back and his ears were numb from Jet and Droy's constant whining. Levy's UMBRELLA did little to help them dry from the storm.
Gajeel shivered and flipped up the collar on his new coat. Levy, Jet and Droy huddled in his sopping wet hair as best as they could, protecting their delicate wings from the torrent. Summer had quickly faded and the chill in the air held the tell-tale sign that autumn was in full force. But it seemed abnormally cold for so early in the season.
He paused in the road, searching for any sign of shelter. His Draak blood helped him tolerate the changes in the weather better than most races, but he needed to get all of them out of the cold before the Fairies became sick. Levy tugged on his ear and he followed her pointed finger.
"I know where we are, and why it's so cold. We're close to Freesia Town."
"Isn't that right below Mt. Hakobe?" Jet asked through chattering teeth. Levy's magic did little to help battle the cold.
She blew on her fingers and the UMBRELLA disappeared. WARMTH took its place above his head. Gajeel's lips lifted; he loved being able to read his favorite spell.
"If we're near the mountain, then we might be able to find shelter in town." He suggested, walking down the path once more.
"We could try Miss Izumi's house. She might let us stay in the barn if we ask nicely?"
"So you do the talkin' then, Shrimp."
"Did Gajeel just call us rude?"
"I think he did."
Gajeel shared a chuckle with Levy and he quickly followed her directions down the road, past the main part of town, and into the countryside. They had been walking for nearly a quarter of an hour when a light broke through the downpour. He hurried to the light, almost losing his footing in the mud, and ducked under the overhang by the door. He rapped his knuckles on the wooden door and took a step back when he heard footsteps on the other side.
The shopkeeper opened the door, her sharp eyes taking them all in. Water dripped down his nose and into his eyes. The Fairies shivered in his hair and a puddle of water formed under them. They were a complete water-sodden mess.
Miss Izumi raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"
He jerked a thumb at the two male Fairies. "Those two didn't tie the wagon up properly. Again."
So much for lettin' Levy be the one to talk.
Izumi's mouth twitched. "I see you've found a few more friends. And a sense of humor. Well, wring out your hair and get in here. We just finished eating, but we have some left over. Leave your boots at the door."
Gajeel bent to untie his heavy boots and the Fairies floated in the air.
"We don't want to put you out. We were just wondering if we could wait in your barn until the storm is past?" Levy asked, checking the bottoms of her own shoes. He could feel the guys wiping their feet on his shoulder and he flicked them into the air.
A burly man joined them at the door. "This storm will last a few more hours, and by then it'll be too muddy to go anywhere. Eat and you can be on your way in the morning."
"Sig knows the weather like the back of his hand." Izumi said with hearts in her eyes. "So you're gonna stay. No arguing."
"Thank you," all of them bowed their heads and entered the house.
A warm fire crackled to the side of the house and Gajeel habitually took in the rest of their surroundings. Clean, wooden floor. Shelves above the fireplace that held a few trinkets and picture frames, and two wide-eyed boys staring at them from the table.
Sig moved a bench and cleared a spot for Gajeel to sit. He saw the boys elbow each other and his sensitive ears picked up their hushed conversation.
"I didn't know someone could have three Fairies!"
"Wait, you can see them?" Gajeel sat and gestured to his companions. They sat cross-legged on top of the table to save room.
"Sure can!" Said the tallest of the two.
"What are your names," Levy asked with a fond smile.
The boys beamed. "I'm Al!"
"And I'm Ed! We're trainin' our magic under teacher here."
"I'm Jet, this is Droy and Levy."
Gajeel hid his smirk at being forgotten. It wasn't exactly a secret that the three of them didn't get along very well.
"So how old are you?" Droy asked around a mouthful of meat.
"I'm seven," said the tallest boy. "And my brother is eight."
"Oh! So he's the oldest?"
"WHO ARE CALLIN' SO SHORT HE CAN'T EVEN BE SEEN BEHIND A FAIRY'S WINGS!?"
The boy was promptly whacked in the head with a wooden spoon.
"Don't mind the brat. He's temperamental." Izumi said, sitting back down.
The boy grumbled and sulked and the rest of the table chuckled. The adults resumed their conversation, talking about the weather or something, and Gajeel eyed the boys. Ed pouted and his brother patted his back.
"She's right, you know."
Gajeel snickered, but morphed it into a cough when the boys looked at him. He kept his attention to their meal. There were plenty of leftovers for the four of them and they dried off in no time due to the roaring fire.
"They're reconstruction mages." He heard Izumi say, most likely in response to something Levy asked. "They plan to get into the magic academy at Crocus, but there's been a few people wonderin' if they're gonna join the Rune Knights."
"I ain't gonna become a dog of the military!" Ed bellowed, shoveling food into his mouth. Gajeel raised a brow.
How much can that boy eat?
"What have I told you about yelling at the table?" The shopkeeper shouted, whacking the boy upside the head again. A shouting match quickly followed.
Sig rose from the table with a small laugh and returned with a bowl of old screws and bolts. He placed the bowl in front of Gajeel. Gajeel chose a bolt and raised it in thanks. The yelling finally stopped, Ed sporting a new red bump on his head. Gajeel tried to pay attention to the conversation around him, but his neck prickled with the weight of the boys' stares.
"So...Mr. Draak, what kinda magic can you do?" Al asked, cleaning a bit closer.
So much for trying to be ignored. Gajeel gave them a side eye. "Name's Gajeel and I'm an Iron Draak. So I have Iron Dragon Magic. Can change my body into metal and everything."
The boys looked at each other and beamed at him so widely Gajeel wondered if they would hurt themselves.
Ed bounced in his seat. "That is so cool! Metal is my favorite thing to reconstruct."
"Um, neat." Gajeel scratched his head.
What was he supposed to say? He couldn't remember the last time he talked to a kid other than Wendy, and she acted like a small adult anyway, so she really didn't count. Whenever he visited town, even with Libra's disguising spell, kids tended to avoid him or stare at him in terror. But these two looked at him as if he was the best thing that dropped onto their table.
The conversation shifted again and Gajeel peeked at the boys. They had moved closer when he wasn't looking and still watched him. Gajeel cleared his throat, gave them a small smile, and shoved a few screws into his mouth. Somehow, the boys' stare grew sharper.
"Wait…"
"You can eat metal too?"
They closed in on him, eyes as wide as the plates resting on the table.
Gajeel mumbled around a screw. "Yeah?"
"What kind of metal can you eat?"
If the boys scooted any closer they'd be in his lap. "Uhh, any kind, I guess?" He flicked the screw with his tongue and gulped it down with a loud crunch. "Mostly stick to iron, though."
The boys backed away, finally giving him space. They gave each other a strange look and bolted out of their chairs and up the stairs.
"BOYS! What have I said about running in the house!?" Izumi yelled, but he doubted they could hear her over the sound of their thundering feet. The house shook and their footsteps pounded on the ceiling.
After just a few seconds, they charged back down the stairs laughing wildly. Ed waved a thick, leather book above his head and Al gripped a notebook and a pencil tightly.
"Al, this is gonna be great!" Ed hollered.
"Do you think we'll have time to get through all of them?"
"They're staying the night, so we should!"
"Boys! What are you doing?"
They ignored, or did not hear, their caretaker. Al propped open the front door and dropped his notebook. Both boys ran out into the rain. The shopkeeper groaned.
"I am so sorry, I don't know what's gotten into them."
"No problem, Miss Izumi! They're just kids-"
Gajeel kept his eyes on the door and saw a flash of blue light on the wood. The boys darted back in, dripping wet. Al collected his notes and stared at Gajeel intently, his pencil poised like a weapon over his notebook. Ed slowly approached Gajeel's chair with a small piece of metal in his hand.
Ed swallowed, holding out his hands. "Ok, try this…" He handed Gajeel the metal shard and shuffled a few steps back.
"What is it?" Gajeel raised an eyebrow and sniffed the metal.
"What does it smell like?"
Gajeel wished they would stop staring at him with their golden eyes. They were absolutely terrifying.
"Uh, I dunno...tangy and a bit sharp?"
Ed snapped his fingers and pointed to his brother, never taking his eyes off Gajeel. "Al, write that down."
"Already on it," Al's pencil scratched vigorously on his paper.
"Ok, now eat it." Ed told him in a hushed, almost reverent tone.
Tentatively, Gajeel took a tiny bite. The boys leaned forward and...were they holding their breath?
He swallowed, running his tongue over his teeth.
"What does it taste like?" Ed whispered. Al's pencil was at the ready.
Gajeel shrugged. "Tastes like iron, but more sour?"
"I KNEW IT!" Ed pumped his fist into the air, startling everyone at the table. "I just knew nickel would be sour! Al! Let's get the next one."
"Right!"
They ran back out the door and Gajeel slowly followed. He didn't know if all kids acted like the brothers, but they were a lot more interesting than staying at the table and trying to make small talk.
The rain poured down without any sign of slowing, yet the boys dug in the mud as if it were a warm, spring day. Gajeel sat on the porch next to their notebook and just watched. Ed drew something in the mud, Al pointing and making a few comments that flew over Gajeel's head, and after a few minutes another flash of blue light shone in the air.
The brothers sloshed through the mud and handed him another piece of metal. Water trailed down their faces but didn't dim the sparkle in their eyes. Gajeel picked up the metal and took a small taste, answering their eager questions. He didn't know why they were so excited; he enjoyed metal just as much as the next person, but there wasn't anything special to it. But he was getting free dessert from their strange game so he didn't mind playing along.