An Awkward Meeting

Gajeel was waiting on Lily, who'd been gone all day to meet up with that human for the teaching job. He assumed he'd gotten caught up buying shit like he always did and he could only hope he actually brought back paint this time! The only thing he could do while he waited was work on making more weapons, work out, or watch lacrima-vision, but all of that was getting mind-numbing!

After a few months of being out on his own in a small house, he was beginning to wonder if he could rule from there. He always liked being one with nature, whether he be in the trees or in the mountains, and being cooped up in that huge castle was definitely not his forte. He supposed he could be an unorthodox king and decide to not rule from the throne. It was really nice not having hundreds of people in his face every day. This way, he and Lily could patrol the grounds easier.

Though this would be months, possibly years down the line. 'Fuckin' bullshit.'

Where the hell was that damn cat, anyway? It shouldn't have taken this long just to talk to some girl and go buy paint!

He was lying on the couch when his nose twitched, prompting him to sit up with haste. There went that scent again… it was the same sweetly herbal scent he smelled last weekend when Lily read the response. Was he back? Took him long enough!

Though… the scent was getting stronger by the second, and he was having a hard time dealing with it! He shot off the couch and went outside to see Lily in the distance, headed toward him. 'An' he bought the paint!'

"Gajeel!" Lily greeted, holding the cans of paint up for him to see. "I have excellent news!"

"It's about damn time! An' it looks like ya finally got the paint!" Gajeel took the cans from Lily and walked them to his shed. "Ya have ta make the shit yerself?"

"If you're inquiring about why it took me so long, it's because I spent the day speaking with Levy," Lily explained, removing his heavy armor and putting it in the shed as well. "As a matter of fact, she's the one who picked out this new set for me. It suited me well, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, it's alright," Gajeel said, giving it a quick once over. "It's better than what ya usually pick. Still won't stand a chance against me, though!"

"True, but it will last a few matches longer," Lily chuckled. "She really has a good eye for this stuff. She admired the sword you made me, too."

A gentle breeze blew, and he smelled it again! What was it and why did it smell so… amazing? There was nothing different or off about the cat, so it must have been something he'd eaten. Whatever it was, he definitely wanted to try it! "So ya spent all day shoppin'? Did ya even talk about the job?"

"Of course, I did, Gajeel. I'm offended that you would even ask me that." Lily joked. "Although she was such good conversation, it did slip my mind a few times."

"Great," Gajeel drawled, leaving the shed and sitting on the porch. "So ya go out an' ya shop, talk, eat good food while I'm just sittin' here, waitin' on yer ass ta come back! Did ya even bring me any food?"

"Food? We didn't eat anything." Lily sat next to him on the steps. "We stopped in my favorite café so she could demonstrate her skills, and I only had a kiwi juice."

He remembered that he had her make some iron, so he dug around in his pocket looking for it. "Speaking of eating, I did bring you something."

Maybe whatever he had was what smelled so good, since he said he didn't eat anything. It was honestly going to drive him crazy until he figured out the source. "What is it?"

"So, remember how I told you she was a script mage? I had her make a sample of iron for you." Lily handed him the tiny letters that spelled out 'iron', watching his expression carefully. "I figured she could make it so I won't have to go searching for it."

Gajeel inspected the metal before eating it whole, and it was the best iron he'd ever had in his life! Even better than what they'd find for him at the castle! But… it wasn't the source of the smell. "This is amazin', Lil! I've never had any iron that tastes like this!"

"Then it truly sounds like she'll be a great addition," Even though he didn't show it, Lily was stressed out. He really liked Levy, and he knew he was going to have to convince her to stay once she realized who 'Kurogane' really was.

"Lemme guess, she's human, right?"

"Yes, and you're going to have to come up with some sort of disguise because she absolutely detests the king!" Lily already knew what his friend was going to say, and he was prepared to back up his statement.

Gajeel looked at him, a look of disgust on his face. "Ya think I actually give a fuck if some human girl hates me? A lot of people hate me! Guess what? I hate her too! She can kiss my ass! Find someone else."

"That was along the lines of what I thought you'd say, but I have to tell you, Gajeel," Lily faced him, a now serious tone to his voice. "She's the best there is. I promise you, you won't find anyone better than her."

Gajeel dragged a hand down his face and sighed deeply. "So what yer tellin' me, is that I should hire this girl, not only is she human, but she also hates the king. What kinda crazy world are ya livin' in, man? An' what? Did ya vouch fer me? Or ya just let her talk her shit?"

"I vouched for you as best I could, Gajeel. I didn't want to give away who you were. I just told her to not let the first impression scare her off, and that you are a really kindhearted guy who cares about more than you let on."

"Even fuckin' better!" Gajeel stood, throwing his hands in the air. "Ya made me out ta be some fuckin' softie! Well, I'll tell ya this: I don't want her!"

Lily knew he'd be difficult to get through to, so he reached into his bag for those gloves he planned on bribing him with. "Here, I got you something."

"Yer bribin' me," Gajeel said, reaching for whatever was wrapped in cloth. He didn't like admitting it, but he liked when Lily bought him things. They were usually heartfelt and customized, occasionally given to him as a bribe to get him to do something he didn't want to do. "But I'll see what ya got yer best friend."

Lily watched Gajeel unwrap the gloves, and he swore his face lit up when he saw what they were. "I know you've had your eye on those, so I got them engraved and customized to your liking."

Gajeel couldn't keep the wide grin off his face as he slipped them on and held his hands up to admire them. They fit perfectly! He cracked his knuckles and laughed. "Gihi! Ya bought me these just ta get yer ass beat by 'em? Brave!"

Lily shared in his humor as he stood from the porch. "Heh, I know you're ready to try them out, and I'm a little more confident now that I have some better armor."

Gajeel inspected his new gloves, taking into consideration what Lily said about that woman being the best there is. This was clearly given to him in return for him hiring the girl, which meant that cat really liked her. Lily was his best friend, and with helping get him out of sticky situations over the years that they'd known each other, Gajeel was eternally grateful to him.

And it was because of Lily's loyalty, that he deserved any favor from the king.

Gajeel pat Lily on the back before heading inside. "Ya really want me to hire this girl, huh?"

The Exceed followed him inside, locking up behind him before joining him on the couch. "You know I would never steer you in the wrong direction."

Gajeel faced forward and kicked his feet up, thinking to himself for a bit. How was this even going to work? The girl hated him! 'Fer what reason, I don't fuckin' know! I'm a great king!' And it wasn't like he was too fond of the human race, either. What if she was filthy like the rest of them? What if they didn't even get along? How foolish would he look if he had to find someone else in the long run?

But there was a reason Lily was adamant about hiring her, so there must have been something he saw in her. He looked down at his very nice fingerless gloves. They felt like they were an extension of him. "An' ya want me ta do this, as a favor?"

"I do. I am confident in this decision, Gajeel."

Okay, fine. He'd step outside of his comfort zone, only because of Lily. "Alright. Then tell me 'bout this 'Levy' girl."

Lily sat up, perking up immediately upon finally being able to talk about his new friend. "Well, I must say, she is a very refreshing individual. She's extremely intelligent and likes to understand how people think."

"So, she's similar t'ya? Makes sense as ta why ya like her then," Gajeel snorted.

"She's very excitable and energetic, and she's extremely passionate about the things she cares about, kind of like you, Gajeel," Lily continued. "And when it comes to Dragonic, she really knows her stuff. She actually let me take the notebook she brought with her so I could show you how dedicated to understanding the language she is."

Lily pulled the notebook out of his bag and handed it to Gajeel. "I originally thought this was years of work, but it turns out, this is only a few months' worth."

Gajeel flipped through the pages, raising his brows at the depth of her studies. Each page was filled with information even he didn't know as a dragon! 'Shit. Maybe this girl is the real deal.'

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, she is the real deal," Lily confirmed, hoping this was enough to get him convinced. "She can speak it naturally as if it were her first language. She proved it to me when she opened this very intimidating book that was written completely in Dragonic."

Gajeel was actually getting a little excited to begin this journey. It would lead him to the throne! But wait…

"Gajeel," Lily interrupted his train of thought unintentionally. "She's even willing to stay onsite!"

Wow. This was too good to be true. There must have been a catch of some sort. He rolled his eyes. "Any conditions? They always have conditions."

"What are you expecting?" Lily had to hand it to him. He really knew his people.

"I dunno," he waved his hand around in thought. "Somethin' along the lines of 'someone must cater ta me' or 'I must be presented with the finest cuisine' or whatever, who the fuck knows!"

"On the contrary, she was very simple with her requests, and they actually have nothing to do with you."

"So, what does she want?"

"She told me she must be comfortable with her living arrangements, and that she would like to go shopping with me once a week."

"Seems simple enough," Gajeel said, surprised she didn't have any other demands.

"I told her we can go shopping for things for her room tomorrow morning before she arrives. I'm actually quite excited to rove around Crocus with her again!"

"Wait, wait, wait. She's comin' tomorrow?" Gajeel sat up almost urgently, concern laced in his words. "If she hates me, won't she leave as soon as she finds out who I am?"

Lily smiled, knowing what he was about to say to him again would grind his gears. "That's why I suggested a disguise!"

"Fuck a disguise, damn cat! If she can't fuckin' deal with her goddamn hatred an' focus on her job, then what the fuck do I need her fer?!"

"You're really going to risk your position on the throne over that? Think about what's really important here, Gajeel."

"Did she even tell ya why she feels the way she does? I betcha it's all false fuckin' information!"

"Her points are valid, but I will agree that she does have it all wrong about you. I desperately wanted to clear things up with her, but it wasn't my place."

"So ya want me ta defend myself ta someone who ain't even worth my time?" Gajeel scoffed. "Just find someone else. I don't care how long it takes. Shit's already givin' me a fuckin' headache."

Lily was determined to get Gajeel to agree, and he had one more offer up his sleeve… not that he wanted to do this. He sighed heavily. "Gajeel, if you give her a chance, give me a chance, I will personally go to Hargeon and walk the town for a day, as well as get communication from your informant."

Hm. Now that was an offer. Gajeel didn't like going anywhere near Hargeon since his presence seemed to agitate them, and they would then, in turn, take it out on the people. Because of that, he rarely saw them. They didn't even know who Lily was, and when he was in motion, Lily was always with him.

He chomped on a piece of iron he had in his stash on the side of the couch, considering taking his offer. He really needed to know what was truly happening in that town, but all he could go by was word of mouth. With Lily patrolling the area for a day, he could learn the truth and finally figure out a way to put a stop to the suffering of his people.

Maybe then his dad would respect him as a leader.

"Fine." He swung his feet down and stood, making his way upstairs. "Bring her tomorrow, show her where she's gonna be sleepin', an' get her situated. I'm sure she's gonna have a buncha books an' shit ta bring, so if she needs yer help, help her. I'll start when she's settled, so let me know."

And with that, he ascended to his bedroom and slammed the door, still never figuring out what that scent was.


Levy was sitting on the same bench they sat on the previous day, waiting on her new Exceed friend. She only had two cross-body bags filled with books and notes with her since it was all she was able to carry on her own, and she definitely wasn't looking forward to making the trips back and forth! She knew in the end, it would be worth it, though.

She was excited!

She was finally going to be able to put her years' worth of knowledge to use, and even better, she'd be teaching someone who seemed like they'd be genuinely interested! She couldn't wait to get to know Lily and Kurogane and see their friendship and how well they all would get along. This was the beginning of a new chapter of her life, and she was very eager to see how it would play out.

She looked up at the sky, much clearer than the day before. 'Exactly how brash is this guy?' She wondered, thinking of Lily's words to not let him scare her off. Was he that bad? 'No, Lily said he was a kind being. Why does he put on a tough exterior?' It was a question she wanted to know the answer to badly, but she'd have to be patient and wait.

"Levy, it's so nice to see you again," Lily approached the blue-haired girl who appeared to be lost in her thoughts. She already happened to have a hefty amount of resources with her, how much more could she have?

"Lily!" Levy unhooked the bags from her body before springing off the bench to give him a hug. "Thank you for this opportunity! You don't know what it means to me!"

Lily stood there, not really knowing how to react. He wasn't used to receiving affection like this, as Gajeel wasn't really an affectionate guy. Not to mention, since he was the king's personal knight, he didn't have any friends aside from that dragon, and Hell would freeze over before he gave him a hug. Not that Lily wanted one.

But it was nice, he supposed. He was going to have to get used to this since she was going to be around all the time. He put a timid arm loosely around her shoulders, wondering why humans showed emotions this way. It was so awkward! 'Perhaps this would be better in my smaller form.'

"No, thank you, Levy," Lily finally replied. "You are more helpful than you know."

"I'm glad!" She turned and grabbed her bags from the bench. "Do you mind if we go drop these bags off before we shop? They're kind of heavy."

"Not a problem. Here, let me," he took the bags from her, and wow. She wasn't kidding. They were pretty heavy! Well, not for him, but for any normal human or someone small like her.

"You didn't have to take them," Levy said sheepishly, but she was grateful.

"Nonsense, I'd love to help," Lily said honestly, draping them on his shoulders. Even if Gajeel hadn't told him to help her, he would have done it anyway. "Now, I have three options in terms of getting there. We can walk, which would take forty minutes or so, we can take the train to the closest stop and then walk the rest of the way there, which would be about a fifteen to twenty-minute walk, or we can fly, which takes twenty minutes from here."

"Let's fly!" Levy bounced around Lily happily. Her script powers didn't give her the ability to fly, and she'd always wanted to fly with an Exceed. It was already turning out to be an amazing day! "I don't mind holding the bags while we're in the air!"

"Not to worry, Levy," Lily said, transforming into his smaller form. He hovered at eye level, showing her he could still have the bags draped around him while he flew. "This is nothing."

Which was true. Occasionally, he'd fly Gajeel to and from his destinations when he didn't feel like walking, not to mention the heavy weapons and equipment he would hand deliver to the members of the Council. He lifted her with ease and took to the skies, flying slower than he usually would so she could take in the scenery.

"Wow, this… this is amazing!" Levy never got to see Fiore from this angle, and it was magnificent! She could see everything, from the mountains far in the distance to the structure of the buildings below her. The people looked like ants! It must have been awesome to see this every day!

Lily could always fly, so this wasn't anything new to him. Though, he did understand how it could be magical for someone who hadn't seen the land this way. He wondered how Gajeel felt the first time he flew over the city. "It's nice, but I see this all the time. It gets old after a while."

"I could never get tired of seeing the true beauty of nature," Levy said purely, taking everything in with stars in her eyes.

It was then that Lily realized she had more in common with his rigid friend than he originally thought. "I think you and Kurogane will get along well, once you get past his exterior."

"I can't wait to meet him."

"Well, he's kind of in a bad mood at the moment, and would prefer to start once you're all settled," Lily explained.

"Why is he upset? He should be excited! He's about to learn the greatest language in the world!"

"Well…" Lily couldn't tell her that Gajeel was mad because a girl who hated him was about to occupy his space for the foreseeable future. He wasn't even sure if he came up with a disguise! This was a mess. How was this going to work? "He just woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"Oh, I get that! But it's a beautiful day, and the mood is great, he should be happy!" Levy knew all too well about waking up annoyed. Especially if she had to go on a job that day, but this job wasn't like the others. She could tell it would be fun! "But, if he doesn't want to meet me just yet, that's okay. I figured I could make a few trips and grab the rest of my stuff, and I was hoping you'd be willing to help…?"

Lily laughed, her shyness amusing to him. She didn't have to ask for his help! He'd do it gladly! "Actually, Levy, I was thinking the same thing. I have no problem with helping you. Perhaps we only need to make one trip instead of multiple."

"Oh my goodness, Lily! You're a godsend! How can I repay you?"

What he really wanted was for someone to melt the ice around his friend's cold heart, but he couldn't tell her that, so he went with something simple. "No need to return the favor, just provide good conversation every once in a while."

"Done." Levy could tell she was finding a new best friend in the Exceed, and it was the refreshing change of pace she needed. Of course, he could never replace her current friend group, but they liked to do the same things, so it got boring sometimes. Cana and Bacchus only drank, Lucy only liked to have movie night sleepovers if she wasn't busy with her journalism job, and Jet and Droy… she'd been seeing them less and less, only when they go on jobs. Which was nice.

Those two were obsessed with her and it drove her crazy!

"I get the sense that you're in your thoughts, and I'm sorry to interrupt you," Lily said, landing gently and transforming into his battle form again. "But, I wanted to land early and walk the rest of the way so I can show you the surrounding area."

"Sure!" Levy looked around, they were in the woods, but the area they landed in looked to be torn to shreds! Fallen trees, brush scattered everywhere, even shards of metal and chunks of armor littered the grounds. She was able to piece two and two together and determine this was where he sparred with Kurogane.

"This is where we spar, but I'm sure you've deduced that by now," Lily said, watching her study the area. She was very observant, and he had to keep that in mind if he wanted to keep his and Gajeel's true identity from her. "I know, it's a mess. I need to clean up and recycle all this metal."

"Well, maybe I can help you and we can do that in our downtime," Levy suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, Levy. Let me show you where we gather wood and the rest of the area before heading inside."

Gajeel was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and going over how this whole thing was going to work out. The cat and the woman should be there any moment, and he wasn't ready in the least! He didn't want to be. He didn't want to do this! But he had to. Who knew? Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

Should he attempt to hide his identity? What if she was too intimidated by the fact that the king would be her student? Would she be rude to him if she knew who he was? With the length of the job, she would be bound to find out who he was eventually, what would happen then?

All of a sudden, he got unusually hot.

He sat up, uncomfortable and suddenly sweaty, and opened his window, trying to figure out why he was feeling like this. Mating season was over, so his body shouldn't have been doing weird things anymore! A fresh breeze blew through the window and he was nearly knocked over by the strength of that damn scent! What the hell was it?! Why did it keep tormenting him like this?! He so badly wanted to find out what it was, and that cat wasn't any help!

The scent was getting stronger and stronger by the second, and he scanned the edge of the woods to see if he could pinpoint what it was. At that moment, Lily emerged from the trees with a tiny, blue-haired girl, and Gajeel fell on his ass from the realization that it was coming from her. He gripped his chest, his heart was pounding! What the fuck was happening?!

"Fuck," he muttered, looking around his room frantically. "Disguise, I need ta find a disguise, fer fuck's sake!"

He tore through his clothes, throwing shit in every direction to find something suitable enough to hide his kingly features. It all made sense, now! When he first smelled her, her scent lingered on the letter she wrote to Lily. When they met up the previous day, Lily spent all day with her, so her scent stuck to him a little, and now? It was because she was right outside! Why the hell was it so strong?!

Lily was on his way upstairs to let Gajeel know Levy had arrived when he heard a bunch of noise coming from his room. Gajeel was typically a quiet person when he was alone, so it alarmed him a bit. He skipped up the remaining stairs and deftly pulled his sword from behind him before swinging open Gajeel's door. "Gajeel! Are you al—"

Gajeel whipped around, panting heavily and staring at the Exceed with wide eyes. Good lord, he smelled like her! He couldn't handle it right now, he wasn't prepared! He backed up, trying to get as far away from the scent as he could. This… could be a problem. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fuck, Lily! What d'ya want?!"

Lily was confused. He'd never seen his comrade this shaken up before! What could be the cause of his discomfort? He approached slowly, stopping in his tracks when Gajeel backed into a corner and stumbled to the floor. Was he… afraid?! He put his sword back in its sleeve and took a step back. Something wasn't right. "Gajeel, what in the world is going on with you?"

"I…" He looked down at his hands, they were trembling. "I don't fuckin' know! But ya gotta help me find a disguise!"

Lily watched incredulously while Gajeel shot up from the floor and began throwing stuff around again. What could have made him do a complete one-eighty? And so urgently, at that? What was making him act so weird? "Gajeel, I wanted to let you know that Levy has arrived… but it seems like you already know."

"How could I not?! Damn woman is smellin' up the place! Either help me or take her somewhere! I can't fuckin' deal with this right now! I wasn't prepared!"

Smell? Lily didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about Levy's scent, but then again, dragon's senses were abundantly stronger than any being's. But what was it about her smell that was making him looney? "We're actually going to make a trip back to her apartment to grab the rest of her belongings before we purchase things for her bedroom. Do you mind if she comes inside to see her room first?"

"Whatever, just make it quick, man! Just close my damn door, an' don't let her see me!" Gajeel pulled a hat out of his closet and found some old sunglasses that he wore for a performance years ago. Maybe he could find a mask of some sort.

"Are you planning on blowing the dust off your guitar?" Lily asked with a mischievous smile. And when Gajeel glared at him, he knew he pressed the right buttons. He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just asking because that's what you wore when you performed for Crocus twenty years ago."

"Ya think I don't fuckin' know that?!" Gajeel barked. "Get the hell out!"

"I'll bring you some masks back, just in case."

"Yeah, why don't ya make yerself useful, damn cat!" Gajeel yelled as Lily left the room and closed the door. He rubbed his temples, he didn't know if he was going to be able to make it through this. Not with her smelling like that! And why was he acting so weird all of a sudden?! For whatever fucking reason, he wanted to wear a disguise. The thought of her hating him made him nauseous, and all he wanted to do was clear his name.

He fell back on his bed, smothering his face with his pillow. She was in the house now, and he could hear her voice. It was pleasing to his ears and he wanted to hear her speak more. Her room was right next to his, and he knew he was going to be tortured by this… siren until he figured out what was going on!

"I don't think I'll be able to bring my lacrima-vision," Levy said, looking around her new space. It was a decent-sized room, perhaps about the same size as the bedroom in her apartment. "That'll be too big to carry."

"That's okay, Levy," Lily said, making a mental note of the stuff she mentions. "We can get you one."

"They're expensive, and I don't have the money saved for another one," she said sadly. "But that's okay, I'll probably be too tired to watch anything, anyway."

"Don't worry about that. As I mentioned before, anything you want will be provided to you. If a lacrima-vision is what you want, then that is what you shall receive."

Gajeel groaned internally, when were they going to leave?! All she was talking about was where she wanted shit, what shit she wanted, and what shit she couldn't afford! 'Lady, just fuckin' go so I can get myself sorted!' If he was like this and he hadn't even formally met her yet, he could only imagine how he'd feel once she stood in front of him!

Eventually, they left and Gajeel could finally breathe. But the damn woman's energy was so strong, it lingered in the house! He needed fresh air! He left his room and stopped when he was passing hers. There were already a bunch of books and stuff scattered on the bed. His curiosity got the best of him and he stepped inside, subconsciously inhaling deeply. He glanced at the papers laying everywhere haphazardly, understanding that she indeed was the best there is.

Maybe he should build a desk.

That way, it would be easier for her to keep things organized.

He suddenly found himself in his shed, carving up pieces of wood like his life depended on it. He was so engrossed in his craft, he didn't even notice they'd already come and gone for the second time.

Levy and Lily were conversing casually, walking through the woods to what was now her temporary home. It was dark now, and Levy was tired from running errands and traveling all day. And she still had to organize her room! She'd gotten mirrors and small pictures to hang up, lots of pillows and fluffy blankets for her bed, a nice rug for the floor, and a small chest for her books and stuff. Eventually, she'd get a desk and organize her things better, but for now, she'd make do with what she had. Thankfully, Lily offered to hang her mirrors and pictures for her!

"Thank you so much for your help, Lily," she said as they passed the wooden shed that sat out front. She glanced at it and saw light coming through the cracks of the wood. "What's in there?"

"That's where Kurogane builds his furniture. He's in there right now doing who knows what," Lily answered, holding the front door open for her. "He built every piece of furniture you see in here by hand."

"Wow," Levy was amazed that someone could be so handy. It was a great attribute to have! "I bet he can fix anything!"

"He is really good with his hands, I must say."

Lily helped Levy get situated, putting things away and hanging the mirrors how she wanted. In the end, they both worked up an appetite and Levy offered to cook some food to show her appreciation for all the help. Lily accepted since she was so adamant, and he was glad he did; it was delicious! He couldn't decide whose food tasted better, hers or Gajeel's!

After Lily turned in for the night, Levy cleaned up her mess and went upstairs to her newly decorated room. It was honestly more homey than her room at her apartment! She wasn't sure if it was the company of her new friend, or just the fact that she was one with nature, but it was really peaceful.

"Maybe I should go introduce myself to Kurogane," she thought aloud, glancing through the window at the illuminated shed. She was really excited to meet him earlier and hoped he was in a better mood by now.

Gajeel stood in his shed, staring at his progress on the desk he decided to make out of the blue. Why the fuck was he doing this again? He'd been out there for hours, unaware of time passing him by building something for some tramp that hated him! He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "Have I fuckin' gone mad?"

He inhaled, her scent still very prominent in his nose. Would he ever get used to it? He heard footsteps outside the shed and assumed it was Lily, and it was perfect timing too, since he wanted to fight a little and blow off some steam. "Oi! Damn cat! Come get yer ass beat!"

He walked to the door of the shed and threw it open, his body going rigid when he saw that it wasn't Lily looking for him. Instead, it was Levy standing there with her mouth agape and staring at him with her large honey eyes. Fuck! He didn't have on his hat or his glasses, or anything that hid his identity! And her scent was assaulting him, making his heart pound again while she stood there so beautifully.

She was intoxicating, and it pissed him off.

Levy stood at the door to the shed, nervous for whatever reason. She wasn't really sure why, but she was having a hard time making her presence known. Though when she heard him yell at who she guessed he thought was Lily, her hands got clammy. What was going on?

The door swung open and her mouth fell open at what stood before her. So many thoughts running through her mind, like how massive he looked standing in front of her, how electrifying the scowl on his face was, the baritone of his voice when she heard him seconds ago, how the strong smell of metal weakened her defenses, how delicious he looked, and it angered her beyond belief!

"You're…" She couldn't even finish her sentence without anger bubbling inside of her. No wonder Lily kept telling her to give him a chance! Over her dead body! "…King Gajeel."