The note
'I like you!' was scrawled on a little piece of brown colored paper. He found it on his usual table this morning when he came to the guild. Just 3 words in a large unsteady looking letters. Who could write this?
He sniffed the note – nothing familiar either. There were traces of oil, metal, dirt and sweets. Man searched his memory again – nothing. He couldn't remember mage, who smelled like this.
Maybe wrong address? Hardly possible, this table was his and Lily's. It was established long ago and well known throughout the Guild.
Dropped by accident? Not likely, it was lying almost in the center. Few mages ever came here, except Mira (she had to, it's her duty to bring him food), Juvia and tiny bookworm. Can it be hers? Gajeel looked at note again, snorted then sighed. There were no chances this clumsy handwriting was produced by her hand. He sighed again, noticed it this time, cursed and froze. What the hell he signed for? Does he wish that bookish shrimpy girl likes him? Is he sick?
As a very unwelcome answer started to stir somewhere deep in his mind he mentally rammed it with his iron fist.
Not!
No way in hell!
Attention switch! Quick!
What was he thinking about before? Yeah, origins of this note. Could it be prank? Yes, it probably what it is!
He crumpled paper into a ball, intending to throw it in the nearest trash bin, but instead hit Lily, who flew to their table right at that time.
"Hey!" Exceed shouted, then picked up little paper ball. "What is it?"
Gajeel grimaced: "Some bullshit."
"Oh," Black cat's brows shot up, he unfolded paper and smiled: "I see."
Dragon Slayer grimaced again, but for some reason tint of pink found its way to his cheekbones.
"It's probably Salamander's prank or something. Throw it in trash!"
"Why rush?" Pantherlily had a decidedly mischievous expression on his face. "Especially if it's not a prank and some girl worked courage to confess to you. Any preferences, Gajeel?"
"Shut it! The hell you…" Dragon Slayer stopped abruptly, noticing exceed's pointed look toward guild's doors. He followed Lily's gaze and saw smiling bookworm, who stood there, looking directly at him.
"Shit!"
"It means you excited or terrified? Hard to guess with this capacious vocabulary of yours."
Damn cat mocked him!
He growled.
"Watch it, Lily! I…"
"Kxm," Exceed artificially coughed and Gajeel had to fall silent again. Levy approached, was really close now, waving and smiling even brightly at them.
"Morning Gajeel, Lily!" She greeted them warmly, directed her eyes to Dragon Slayer and inquired:
"Well, what do you say?"
'What she is talking about?'
"Do you have an answer for me?"
'She can't talk about IT!'
"Answer?" Gajeel changed color, staring at girl.
"Yes! About my note." She patiently repeated. "So, it's 'yes' or 'no'? What did you decide?"
'That can't be it!'
'So straightforwardly, directly and in the middle of the guild?'
'She and me?'
'And why the hell my chest feels as someone placed a bubbling tickling shit in it?'
He became dumb. Literally. He couldn't open his mouth, couldn't utter single word, continuing to stare at her.
Several minutes passed and Levy apparently took it as a "no". Her joyful smile faded, but she managed to smile again, this time with a suppressed sadness, and said:
"It's okey, if you didn't want to. I was hoping you agree, but I understand."
She turned to go, but Lily, who all this time glared at his partner with a particularly fierce look, stopped her.
"Levy, wait, Gajeel…"
She interrupted him:
"It's ok, Lily, really, I'll just talk with someone else. Gray or Natsu, Elfman, perhaps one of them is free. There are still enough options for me."
'Enough options?'
This untied Gajeel's tongue.
"What?" He almost roared: "Natsu or Gray?"
"I beg you pardon, Levy." Exceed mumbled equally bewildered.
"Yes, they are both strong." She answered matter-of-factly. "Just what I need. There are a lot of other strong men in the Guild, any of them will do. I preferred it to be you," She smiled at him again, "Thought maybe you want to, but it seems I have to pick up someone else."
'Any of them will do?'
'ANY OF THEM WILL DO?'
It may be masochistic urge, but he needed to clarify this.
"So you preferred it to be me, but not mind if it will be Salamander, Stripper or someone fucking else?" Gajeel's voice now practically dripping with venom. "I got it right?"
'Why the hell this shit infuriates me so much?'
"Yes," She answered bluntly, brown eyes looking sincerely at him as if this "doesn't matter who" was a norm for her. "You were my first choice."
'Oh, yeah?'
"But if you are not available, I need to have someone else."
'This simple? Bitch!'
He didn't understand why he was so pissed, but he barely was able to hold his rage. It grew up and broke through.
"You!" He snapped at her: "Get out of here!"
Levy's eyes widened: "I don't understand…"
"Get the fuck out of here! And never come again! You hear? Don't ever approach me again!"
He heard how disdainfully his voice sounded but he doesn't care. This deceitful whore didn't deserve anything else!
"Stop!" Lily shouted, breaking free from his stupor, but it was too late. Tears flooded girl's eyes, but she jerked her head up and stated firmly, despite obvious hurt in her voice:
"Fine!"
And she rushed out of the guild.
Exceed made a move to fly after her, but changed his mind and turned to his companion. Gajeel still looked extremely pissed, but there was other feeling in his eyes and it stopped Lily from scolding him to hard.
"Go after her!"
"What?"
"Go! If you apologize right away, all can be fixed without repercussions."
"Apologize? Are you insane, cat? Apologize after what she just said? The fuck?"
"For god sake, Gajeel, didn't you understand she was talking about something different, not this note?" He pointed to brown paper still clad in his paw. "Did you really think she would treat you or someone else like that?"
'Would she?'
'Previously she never…'
'Maybe cat is right?'
'No!'
'She said directly…'
'But if…'
He felt powerful wave of relief and hope.
'The hell?'
"Good morning, guys!" Barmaid's sister walked to them, small neatly folded square of paper in her hand. He spotted "To Gajeel" prettily written on top of it and dim extremely unpleasant feeling appeared in his guts.
"Levy left message for you yesterday, she asked Mira to transfer it. But there were a lot of customers and Sis missed you. Sorry for delay. Here it is."
She handed paper to him and retreated.
"Fuck!"
He did and didn't want to open it.
Lily waited patiently. Then he took it, opened and read aloud.
"Hello!" The note said. "Gajeel, I have a favor to ask. The job I had picked earlier today required me to locate journal of one mage. I managed to discover it, but there is big metal stove above, I can't lift it. If you have time tomorrow, can you help me, please? It located not far from Magnolia, we can reach the place in 2 hours by foot and I'll share reward with you. 50 000 jewels it will be. Also there is another benefit you can derive from it. Stove is made of iron, in a good condition, so you can take it, if you want. Will meet you at the guild tomorrow morning. Hope, you'll agree. Levy"
"Fuck!"
"This time I agree. But," Lily became thoughtful for a few moments: "There is a positive side in this. Think about your reactions. Maybe it will enlighten you about something."
"Enlighten? Enlighten about what?"
Lily rolled his eyes and muttered few unpleasantries about dense Dragon Slayers.
"Just revise what happened and think! I'll go and ask Mira, maybe Levy reported to her location of this stove." And he flew toward the bar.
Left alone, Gajeel made effort to gather his scattered wits to follow Lily's advice but was interrupted by tug at his pants. Glancing down, he saw shooters kid – what was her name – looking at him expectantly.
"What do you want, kid?"
Probably not the nicest greeting, but his head was too occupied with Levy and these damn notes.
The girl didn't seem disconcerted and didn't let go of his pants.
"Mister Dragon," She started: "You usually sit at this table, right?"
'Xm, why she is curious about it? Kid's pry, perhaps.'
"Yeah."
"And cute black kitty with round ears also sits with you?"
'Cute kitty? She meant Lily?'
"Yeah."
"And today you are here from early-early, right?"
"Yeah."
"And kitty is with you?"
'What all those damn questions for?'
"What do you want, kid?" He asked again.
Asuka got embarrassed and tightly clutched his pants.
"Did kitty see my note?"
'Note? Another one? God dammit!'
"Your note?"
"Yes," Little girl fussed with his pants. "I left it here, for him, yesterday."
It clicked at last.
'Oh, fuck!'
"Lily!"