Staring

He was looking at him again. Why the hell was he looking at him?

It started 2 weeks ago, he caught intense glance. It repeated the next day, then the day after that and the next one too. Then he left for the mission and threw it out of his head. But the evening he had returned the staring was back and continued permanently every single day they both were in the guild. Gajeel tried to act, as this doesn't affect him although it surely does. Seriously what this ice-making stripper staring at him for?

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia anchored her ass on his bench, looking slightly more down than recently. "Juvia wants to go for a job today. Will Gajeel-kun accompany her?"

He jumped eagerly not even bothering to answer or nod, grab her hand and drag her out of the guild. He would go anywhere to avoid this creepy gaze, cause he is on his limit, wildly tempted to make sure that stripper won't be able to stare at him and anyone else at least for a couple of days. He pondered doing it almost daily in these two weeks, just one precisely aimed punch straight in the eyes, not too strong, only to force flesh swelling, it's a sensitive area, it easily swells, but…but he turned the page, started new one, which he wants to fill differently and he is determined to do it. That's why he forced himself to practice his patience instead. The guild just started to open up to him and unexpectedly it felt nice. He can't afford to mess it up by beating the ice bastard to the pulp. Yeah, it will be enjoyable, so much, but he turned the page. So away from temptations, idiots and their staring eyes.

Job wasn't long and hard, they returned same day. Juvia went somewhere, he again on his bench, back to the hall, pretending to ignore the world. But it feels like his back developed gaze catching radar. He didn't look, he just knows that the pantsless pervert is here and staring again. God dammit, what this moron can possibly want from him?

"Gajeel-kun" Juvia approached him in the couple of days, gloomy cloud above her head.

"What?" He barked, not wanting to deal with her rain. Why it returned anyway? It has to be something with that staring bastard. Did he managed to annoy her as well?

"Gray-sama can't take his eyes off Gajeel-kun." First drops fell. "Did Gajeel-kun become Juvia's love rival too?"

"WHAT?" Iron Dragon Slayer jumped, actually jumped on his bench. "Jeez, woman, are you lost the rest of your fucking mind?" 'How the hell such thought even entered her head?'

He knew she likes to fantasize and her fantasies sometimes were... kxm... weird, but this?

"Gray-sama keeps looking at Gajeel-kun. All days. Why does he looks at him so much?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"How the hell I know what this damned stripper has in his damned mind?" 'Even don't want to guess. Seriously who expects something normal from the guy who parades bare assed in the guild every day?'

"Juvia is so sad. She never thought she would lost her dear Gray-sama to Gajeel-kun. Did Gajeel-kun likes Gray-sama too?"

'Oh yeah, if I didn't 'like' him enough before, I definitely do now. This conversation is just exactly the thing I dreamt about all my fucking life!'

"For fuck's sake, stop saying that! I don't like this fucking stripper either way and sure as hell, that he can't stand me, like all these fairies here. Kept your imagination in check!"

"But Gray-sama hardly looks at anyone else now, only at Gajeel-kun."

'Jeez, what I did today to deserve this?'

"Woman, I said quit this shit!"

"Juvia can't. She mourns her love. But she'll try to be happy for Gajeel-kun."

"Dammit!"

He jumped on his legs, and literally dragged her to where ice pervert sat, muttering curses all the way. Gray's eyes kept locked at him and this infuriated Gajeel even more.

"What's your problem, huh? Spit it!" He confronted ice mage, still holding Juvia firmly, although she tried to hide behind his back. "I don't care about your fucking staring, you here all fucking insane, but it upsetting Juvia and that's I can't have. So, you now tell me what's wrong with you fucking head or I'll make it stuck in the nearest wall. Got it, Gray?" There was pure evil in tone with which Gajeel pronounced ice mage's name.

Gray glanced at Juvia quickly then returned his gaze toward Dragon Slayer and hissed in response. "That's what I want to ask you! What are two of you planning, huh?" He stated, glaring at Gajeel with his cold as shards of ice eyes.

This took taller man by surprise.

"Who's two? Plan what?"

Gray gestured to them and almost shouted "Don't play dumb, Metal Head! You, piece of rust, and your… your girlfriend!"

"My girlfriend?"

This statement was so unexpected and weird that he even didn't acknowledged insults. 'Is there some kind of mind infatuated illness in the air of the guild? They are all fucking mad!'

"Yes!" For some reason Gray was far from composed too. "She is standing right beside you or you have another one? That's why you pretend not to notice that she is stalking me? Huh? Or you two decided to drag me into some kind of perverse game?"

'Be nice, be nice, hands down, don't punch!' Iron Slayer commanded inwardly to himself, still processing the last piece of information Gray gave him. He slowly turned to Juvia, who looked ready to faint, took her to the nearest table, fixed here, then returned to Gray, genuine astonishment shining in his red eyes.

"Interesting indeed. I thought Salamander won the brainless prize. Just realized I was wrong."

He had lingered a little, knowing the consequences of the following words, which waited at the tip of his tongue, but pronounced them nevertheless. It was too good opportunity to miss. Yeah, he turned the page but he still enjoys good fight and this one promised to be intense just as he likes.

So, he leaned back a little, took a relaxing pose and inquired in a sweet sympathetic tone "Are you imbecile, Fullbuster?"

Exactly as expected Gray immediately turned white, causing black haired man's grin grew wider. To strengthen effect Gajeel added "Not that I doubt, especially after this brilliant piece of shit you brought, but still how do you manage to hide such astonishing level of intelligence for so long?"

Yeah, his calculation was right. Striper rushed at him, but he had enough time to dodge Gray's attack while finishing his speech. Ice mage was fast, but Gajeel was faster and, quite ironically for that particular situation, kept a cold head. His iron pillar collided with Grays' face, direct hit, straight into right eye. "That's for all your staring. And this" and Slayer prepared for next blow "for thinking shit about Juvia. She isn't my girl, dumbass, she is my FRIEND and I don't let anyone especially such moron as you talking shit about her!"

In less than an hour guildhall was in a complete mess. They smashed every item of furniture that can be broken, froze Mira's bar, deprived the windows of any hints of glass, cracked the door, forcing all guild members, who weren't fast enough to run away before the hell broke loose, to build a barricade on the furthers side.

Iron and ice flew in all directions, Gray's curses and Gajeel's evil snickering were heard from thick cloud of dust, which filled the place, a temperature considerably low, causing everyone except fighting duo to shiver from cold. Without Master, Erza and Natsu in the guild no one dared to interfere and try to stop them, the only option was to wait until they both exhausted their energy and hope that guildhall will still be standing by that time.

The building survived but when they were finally done, the hall looked like a tornado made a few rolls around it.

When the dust settled, Fairy Tail's mages saw Gajeel and Gray spread on the floor, looking no much better than a place itself, through Dragon Slayer had a satisfied grin on his face. Juvia squeaked and immediately sprinted to her beloved Gray, crying her concerns, causing ice mage's face to blush.

"So she isn't your girlfriend?" Pretending to ignore water mage's fussing, he quietly asked Gajeel who laid about meter from him.

Iron Slayer snorted. "Already told you – not!" 'Fuck, he's dumb. And without pants. Again. Charming guild mates I got here, right?

"So," Gray continued, this time avoiding other man's gaze. "You don't mind if I we go together for a job or… somewhere else?"

"Why should I give a damn? Go the hell wherever you want!"

'Why the hell is he even asking me this? Wait a minute, he means…? Holy shit, all this was because of THIS?'

Gajeel raised on his elbow. It was his turn to stare at Gray.

"You are the biggest moron I ever saw! You beat even that flame brained pal of yours. Congrats! Juvia!" He turned to his blue-haired friend, who stayed a little away, trying not to interrupt, "Your butt-naked idiot wants to go on a date with you!" He informed the girl bluntly, who squealed and fainted at once. "See," he returned to Gray "this is how it is done. Now take her and go to hell out of my sight! And I won't help you to repair the hall, cause all this is your fucking fault!"

Gajeel tore himself from the floor and slowly headed to the bar for much needed drink, but found the thing trapped into thick layer of ice, most of the bottles broken.

"Gray!" He roared, enraged again.

'I'll kill this bastard today!'