Irreconcilable Differences
She spoke up and he finally had the will to move his body. He turned his back to her with a scoff, his hair swinging with his movements. He shoved his hands in his pockets, needing to busy them. He couldn't look at her without feeling fucking weird and he was getting tired of it. "So? What of it?"
How rude! It seems she was right to detest him! And he was the one she had to teach? Absolutely not! She was going to have to have a conversation with Lily in the morning! "Ugh! Looking down on me when you're not so great yourself!"
He turned back around, in disbelief that she would speak to him that way! "Ya know who I am, yet ya talk ta me like that? Ya humans are all the damn same!"
Levy was enraged! She took a step in and poked his very firm chest with her index finger, making him take a step back. "'Us humans'?! What the hell do you mean by that?! And who do you think you are, calling yourself 'Kurogane'? When you should really be called 'Asshole'!"
It was his turn to take a step forward and lean down into her space, a mistake on his part because his knees almost buckled from how her scent intensified. Apparently, when she was angry, her sweet smell turned a little spicy, and he hated himself for being into that, too! "Ya sure got a set on ya ta talk ta the king like that! I could have ya arrested fer disobedience!"
"Arrest me?! For what?! Being honest?!" He was too close to her, her senses were going wild! She could literally feel the heat radiating from his body with how hot it was in that shed! Gods, he hovered over her easily, shielding her small frame with his large, he smelled amazing and she hated it. "I don't care if you're the king of the world, you're not my king!"
With that, she pushed him back a step and turned on her heels to go back inside when he grabbed her arm. They both paused, his touch electric and confusing. She turned her head and glared at him until he let go, letting her go inside like she wanted.
He watched her walk up the steps and into the house with a scowl on his face, his inner dragon admiring what he saw. He hated it! Who the hell did she think she was sashaying away like that?! He had half a mind to 'pin her against the wall and fuck her into submission.'
What the fuck? That's not what he wanted to do!
'Yes, it is.'
His dragon was… speaking to him? Why now? Why for her?! She was aggressive and foul-mouthed and harbored so much hatred toward him, he could literally see it emanating from her! She'd never respect him! But… the way she spoke to him? No one dared say things like that to the king! And how she stood her ground and pushed him? Even with their size difference?
She really stoked his flame.
He looked down, 'fer fuck's sake!' He was hard as a rock!
Levy huffed, stomping up the steps with tears in her eyes. She got to her room and slammed her door, just standing there and looking around. All this work that she and Lily put into creating this space for her, and for what? She wasn't staying there with him! She refused! He could keep his two million Jewel! She fell face-first onto the bed, letting angry tears fall freely.
What were the odds?
She rolled onto her back, ignoring the angry building sounds coming from the shed. Everything was piecing together in her head now that she knew who he truly was. She really should have known! Lily was dressed in extremely fancy attire and kept saying money was no issue. He had her make iron for that asshole; he's an iron dragon! He asked her how she felt about the king, and even tried to defend him! He said his sword was a gift from the king himself! He kept telling her to not let him scare her off, and to give him a chance, and kept spewing nonsense about him being a 'good guy'. The clues were all there, she just wasn't paying attention to them.
Which meant… Lily was his personal knight! And she was speaking to him so casually! She held her hands up to her mouth, she was mortified! She dragged him around Crocus, made him help carry things from her apartment, she hugged him! He even purchased the items for her room! 'Oh, Gods!' She definitely needed to apologize!
She felt so guilty.
But her guilt was quickly replaced with anger again just thinking about who he worked for. Gajeel was a grade-A dick! And she didn't use language like that loosely! How dare he speak down on the people that looked up to him! This was why she didn't like him! He didn't deserve her knowledge!
Although… the critical part of her couldn't help but have more questions! How could the king, a dragon, not know the language of his own race? If he was doing so well all these years, why all of a sudden did he need to learn it now? Why was he out here, in the middle of nowhere, instead of his castle? She would have to stay to find those things out, but pigs would fly before she stayed in the same vicinity as him!
Lily's words kept replaying in her head, the ones saying he's super genuine and cares deeply about everything. What a load of crap! At least he warned her about a first impression! It definitely was not a good one! And he didn't deserve any chances from her! 'With his, with his long crappy hair and his huge crappy body and his deep crappy voice! And he smells bad! Like crap!'
And screw her body for betraying her! There's no way in hell she'd ever be attracted to him!
She sat up in another huff, looking around the room at everything neatly put away. It looked lived-in. Cozy. Comfortable. Too bad it was going to get uprooted! She stood and grabbed her bags, throwing her things into them messily. She was going to get up early and apologize to Lily in the morning so she could leave before he showed his face.
After about ten minutes of aggressively packing her stuff, she fell back into the bed, staring at the ceiling. She planned on putting a canopy over her bed and painting the walls and everything. She was truly going to make the room hers. She closed her eyes, tears staining her cheeks. This time, sad ones. But why? What did she have to be sad for? Was it because she wouldn't be able to talk to Lily anymore? Was it because she wouldn't be fulfilling her dream to share her knowledge with someone?
Was it because of the money?
No, she was doing just fine as she was before she accepted this job.
Then, why?
Gajeel hadn't been this angry in a long time. He couldn't believe he let that woman get the best of him! Did she not know who he was and the power he held?! Clearly, she did! And she still talked her shit to his face! He heard her slam her door like she owned the place, who the fuck died and made her Queen?! There was only room enough in that house for one person to have a goddamn attitude, and that was him!
He sat back down and angrily continued building the desk, the desk that was his now! Fuck her! She wasn't getting shit from him! 'Ya wanna act like a little prissy fuckin'… fuck!' She rubbed him the wrong way! Does she think she's the shit, or something? She's not worth his time or effort! He hoped she quit, too! Like the loser that she is!
Fuck, she really pissed him off!
'I mean, who has blue hair like that?! It's ugly! And her big ass eyes, looks like a fuckin' deer or somethin'. She sucks! An' when I see her in the mornin', I'm gonna tell her she sucks!' Yeah, that was a good idea, for sure. Make her leave with her tail behind her legs.
Why the hell was he even still putting thought into her? All it was doing was stressing him out, riling him up and whatnot! Soon, she'd be out of his hair, never to be seen again, so why continue to let her wrack his brain?
It wasn't like she was so great!
Sure, she had the guts to stand up to him, yeah, she boldly declared that he wasn't her king, but… he smirked, exhaling sharply through his nose. Her tiny little hands managed to push him back a step, which was impressive. She walked away so proudly, wide hips swaying with each step. A dull ache in his pants brought him back to reality and reminded him that she was the devil, and he hated his body for betraying him!
If he couldn't get it together soon, there may be a cold shower in his future.
He stayed out there for maybe another hour before he decided to call it a night, and when he went inside, he got pissed off again. The entire house smelled like her! She was just a human, a script mage, why was her presence so strong?! How in the world was he going to sleep at night? His room was right next to hers, and the further up the steps he went, the stronger it got.
He was so frustrated. His entire world was thrown off just by her being there, and now he had to deal with her stinking up the place even for a few days after she leaves! He held his nose as he passed her door, but for naught. It had already taken over his body.
He slammed his door, noting that it was extremely unfortunate that his bed was against her side of the wall. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, laying as close to the edge as he could. He didn't want to be anywhere near her! She smelled!
And yet…
It was putting him to sleep, like a sedative.
He tuned into his super hearing, listening to her steady breathing and heartbeat. For what reason? He was unsure, but he couldn't turn it off, so he just let it serve as white noise as he eventually fell asleep.
Lily lay in bed wondering what happened with those two. He guessed Levy went outside or at least left her room because he heard her stomp up the steps and slam her door. Then, about an hour later, Gajeel did the same. 'Oh, no.' Did they meet? Did she figure out who he was? He could only imagine how that went down if she did!
He put together a scenario in his head based on what he knew about the two of them. If Levy went outside to his shed, then she most likely knew immediately who he was. Lily was pretty confident that Gajeel didn't have anything covering his face due to how hot it got in there. Levy probably knocked and he likely flipped out because he sensed it was her, causing him to greet her coldly. Of course, with her harsh feelings for the king, she probably didn't take too well to his coldness and they probably butt heads.
Or something along those lines.
Well, whatever happened, Lily was ninety-five percent sure that Levy knew the truth, and he was going to have one hell of a conversation in the morning.
He sighed. He really liked Levy. So, he had to keep her there at all costs.
Levy woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning, begrudgingly admitting that she slept really well. She did enchant her room so that it would keep her nice and warm, but there was something serene about it this time around. She wanted to believe it was because she could wake up and see the trees and the sky and whatever the weather may be, so she did. It was a shame she'd never see this particular view again.
She pouted, groaning quietly at the fact that she had so many books to lug back home, by herself. Because she wasn't going to let Lily, well Sir Lily, carry her things again! She sat up and admired the room one last time. She planned on leaving the stuff he bought for her and only taking her personal stuff.
"It sounds like everyone is still asleep," she mumbled to herself as she began getting dressed and gathering her things.
Gajeel was awake, generally because he had to get up early in the castle. Lily was usually awake too, and they liked to use the fresh morning air to fight for a while. Today was different. He had a woman there throwing off his daily schedule and making him act all crazy and out of character. He heard her wake up, and he found it amusing that she thought she was the only one up.
He was on to her little plan.
She was going to try and leave quickly and quietly, so she didn't have to confront him. Well! Two could play at that game! He'd purposely pick a fight! 'Let's see her take the easy way out, then!'
Levy cracked open her door, peeking down the small hallway and down the stairs. Both doors were still closed and all was quiet, so she confirmed that they were still sleeping. She tiptoed back and forth, putting bags at the top of the stairs to help her make a quick escape. 'I think I can do this!'
Gajeel timed it perfectly to where he opened his door when she went back in the room so she wouldn't notice him. He stepped into the hall and crossed his arms, a smug look on his face.
She bent over to put a bag down, and he cocked his head to the side, looking her up and down. Fuck. He lost his train of thought.
Levy felt him. She felt him watching her, probably judging her and feeling superior. He had a presence to him that was just… noticeable. She stood up slowly, thankful her back was to him. Her heart was pounding! What was up with that? She found it hard to turn around!
He watched her stop what she was doing and freeze in place, 'fuck, she knows.' Was his presence that noticeable to her? Even Lily wouldn't have caught that! But what he found interesting was how worked up her could feel her getting already. This was going to be fun! He decided to break the silence.
"Goin' somewhere?"
Immediately her blood began to boil and whatever she was feeling before was replaced with anger. She whipped around and glared at him, wanting so badly to slap that smug look off his face. She put her hands on her hips. "So what if I am?"
Lily was indeed awake, and he was turning the knob to his door when he heard Gajeel speaking to who he assumed – hoped – was Levy. And by the sound of the brief exchange, his earlier assumption was correct. It alarmed him when Levy basically confirmed she was leaving, but something told him to listen to their interaction. 'This might get interesting.'
"I knew it, just like I thought!" Gajeel said, pointing a finger at her.
Levy scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothin'." Gajeel turned his nose up at her, knowing it would piss her off. "Go."
Levy's mouth dropped. She didn't even know what to say! "Fine. I will."
He gave a condescending chuckle as she went back into the room for another bag. "Yeah, just like I knew ya would. Yer all lazy like that."
She gasped loudly and stormed out of the room to see an annoying grin on his face. "Lazy?! How dare you! You continue to talk down on your people at the same time calling me lazy?!"
"Hey," he held his hands up. "I just call it how I see it."
"Have you walked in my shoes, lived my life to know enough to call me lazy?! Have you seen the amount of work I put into things I care about?!" She gestured at the pile of books by the steps. "You have no right to call anyone lazy!"
Gajeel yawned, running a hand through his messy mane. "Yeah, yeah. Ya leavin' or what?"
"Gladly," she said with a sweet smile. "I would rather eat glass than spend another second in this house with you."
He stepped closer, lifting his arm and resting it on the doorframe so he could lean into her space. "Big words fer someone who's lingerin'."
"Get away from me!" Gods, she just wanted to make a body wash out of his musk! She used his close proximity as an excuse to put her hands on his chest again and push him away. "You smell!"
"Oh, I smell?!" Gajeel scoffed, taking a step back and pointing at her again. "Yer the one who's been reekin' up the place since ya fuckin' got here! Fer fuck's sake!"
Unbeknownst to both of them, Lily had opened his door a while ago and was just watching it all go down. He had to admit, he was quite entertained. 'It's about time I shook things up around here.' It appeared those two had a natural chemistry that neither of them understood. It would be interesting to see how things unfold. Although, Gajeel was working hard to push her away… Or was he purposely being petty to keep her there?
"Me?!" Levy found that hard to believe! She always smelled good! "You're delusional!"
"Oh really?!" He stepped back into her space again, her tiny hands flat on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. Ignoring how nice it felt, he quickly figured out another way to push her buttons.
"Yer just lookin' fer a way out because," he leaned down next to her ear. "Ya know yer not qualified fer this position."
She let her pen fall out of her sleeve and into her hand, quickly zapping him in the side with it. It didn't affect him much, but just enough to get him to back off. "You have no idea what I'm qualified for. Screw you!"
Lily just watched, wide-eyed and attentive. He wished he had some popcorn! Levy was hardcore! She truly didn't care who he was. If she felt someone was a bad person, she wouldn't even pretend to respect them, and that was a respectable trait.
Wow. Gajeel was stunned, literally and figuratively. She wasn't like the rest of them, that's for sure.
But he still didn't like her!
"Yer right, I don't," he said, turning his back and putting a hand on his hip. "But I do know that a human could never learn Dragonic like a dragon could."
He snickered, glancing behind him at the irate woman. He knew good and well that she was possibly the only human in Fiore who could speak it like it were her own language, but 'she has to stay.' He ignored his dragon, internally calling himself crazy because of a damn voice in his head.
Levy could only stand there with her mouth wide open and fists at her sides. "I can't believe you would fix your lips to say that to me when you're the one who needs me! You're a dragon! A dragon that doesn't even understand his own language! That should make you feel pretty dumb!"
By now, she'd invaded his space and had her finger in his chest again. "My Gods! You're the worst!"
He crossed his arms again, trying his hardest to not get brainwashed by her scent. 'She needs to stay.' He pinched the bridge of his nose, willing the voice in his head to go away. "I'm the worst? Look at ya! Ya think yer the shit, with yer ugly blue hair? An' yer short! Ya look like a deer!"
Now, he was being petty! Well, two could play at that game! "Ugly?! Does it bother you?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, it does! Makes me fuckin' sick just lookin' at it! I think I'm gonna throw up right now!" He held a hand over his mouth, fake gagging just to add icing to the cake.
Levy curled the corner of her lips up, staring into his striking ruby eyes defiantly. "Then I think I'll stay! Just as long as it torments you."
He watched her turn around, the ends of her hair whipping him in the face and making him stagger backward. Only because he wasn't expecting it! He flipped her off as she began putting her bags back in her room, and if she thought she was in any way hurting him by looking at him the way she was every time she turned around, she was sadly mistaken!
Lily was no fool. Gajeel did that on purpose! Why was he messing with her? He wasn't usually the one to pick a fight like this. 'For goodness' sake.' Gajeel looked like he was about to keel over! What kind of weird power did she have over him? And the way he wasn't stopping her made it seem like he actually wanted her to stay! 'Secretly, of course.'
In the end, Lily was glad Levy was staying, even if it was only to be petty.
Because something was telling him that she secretly wanted to stay, too.
He cleared his throat, stepping into the hallway. "I'm sorry to interrupt your little spat…"
"Tch." Gajeel rolled his eyes. "She started it."
"Excuse me?" Levy said from her room before emerging angrily. "I started this mess?"
"Yeah. Ya did. With ya threatenin' ta leave, an' shit. When ya know damn well this is an opportunity of a lifetime."
"Don't get it twisted!" Levy waved her finger side to side. "I don't need you or this job! I'm only staying because it pisses you off! And you're the one who told me to leave!"
"Only 'cause ya were already halfway out the damn door!"
Lily couldn't take this anymore. He stepped in between the two, putting a hand on Gajeel's shoulder. "Do you mind if we chat for a bit? Give Levy some time to cool off?"
"Tch." Gajeel brushed past Lily and went downstairs, bumping her shoulder in the process. "Loser!"
Did he really just bump her and call her a loser?! She stood at the top of the stairs with her fists balled up again, watching Lily usher him down the steps. "Why don't you get back here right now and say that to my face!"
Gajeel was about to turn around and antagonize her more, but Lily gripped his shoulder and pushed him through the front door. 'She's fuckin' lucky!'
"Would you like to tell me what's going on?" Lily asked as he followed him into his shed. "What's the problem with you two?"
"She's the fuckin' problem!" Gajeel exclaimed, sitting on his stool in front of his unfinished desk. "Comin' in here, smellin' up the place and talkin' ta me like I won't have her arrested!"
Lily knew that what he said was a complete lie, because if he wanted to arrest her, he would have done it by now.
"Treatin' me like I'm some regular Joe off the damn street," he continued grumbling. "What she doesn't seem ta understand is that bein' here is a privilege! Ya think the king needs someone like her?"
Lily knew there was something deeper happening, but he just couldn't figure out what. In all the years he'd known him, he'd never seen him this worked up! Levy did something to him, chemically, and Lily was going to find out what it was. "Gajeel. Be honest. Do you want her to stay or to go?"
'Don't let her leave.' He growled and punched a hole in one of the logs that made up the wall of the shed. Fuck, he really couldn't stand her being there, but something was eating at him, making him want her to stay. It was like he didn't have control of his own mind!
Lily could see clear as day that Gajeel was battling something, and he looked like he needed help figuring it out. "You want her to stay, but you don't know why."
"I hate her, Lil," he replied, a bit calmer than before. "But when she was packin' her shit, I couldn't stand ta see it. It's like there's a voice in my head tellin' me ta make her stay an' it's drivin' me insane!"
"Why do you keep picking on her?"
"She approached me last night, an' I'll admit, I wasn't the friendliest, but she just started yellin' at me! An' she told me I wasn't her king. How the fuck am I supposed ta react ta that? An' I'm supposed ta respect her as my teacher?"
"If she were to leave right now, how would you feel?" Lily had his reasons for asking these questions. It would help him determine the root of it all since he believed it wasn't just because of how she approached him.
Gajeel got pissed again at the thought of her walking through the front door with her bags in tow. Then he got pissed at himself for even caring!
Lily had his answer, just by the look on his face. "You should try being nicer to her. I have a feeling you two would be good friends."
He thought they'd do well as more than friends, but he'd wait a few months before he told him that. "Besides, you're right. She is here to be your teacher, so don't you think it would be wise to be on good terms with each other?"
Gajeel stayed silent, simmering in his annoyance. The cat was right like he always was, but he really wasn't trying to hear that right now!
"At least apologize to her," Lily said, taking his leave.
"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel muttered. "I'll apologize on my own damn time."
While Lily took that asshole outside, Levy calmed herself down by making herself a cup of tea and bundling up in bed with a book after a nice bath. Screw him for making her feel like this! And screw him for calling her hair ugly! His hair was ugly! His face was ugly! All tied together with an ugly personality!
But once she was engrossed in a good book, she entered a dreamy state, where no negative emotions were allowed. She was completely transported into the book, even if it was one she'd read a million times over. It was also the easiest time to talk to her… if you could get her attention, that is.
Honestly, as much as she hated his guts, she was really glad she decided to stay. Crazily enough, she was completely comfortable as if she'd been there her whole life. Plus, she didn't want to lug all her stuff home, and she decided if she got too annoyed, she could go distract herself by hanging out with Lily. She couldn't get a view like this at her apartment!
She was unsure how much time passed as she read her book, and it wasn't until a soft rap on her door broke the silence and gained her attention.
"Levy, let's talk," Lily said through the door.
Oh yeah, she had so much apologizing to do to Lily! She spoke to him like a commoner! She unwrapped herself from her cocoon and slid out of bed, throwing on her robe.
"Lily," she said with a small smile. "Well, I should say Sir Lily, instead."
"Please," Lily chuckled, holding up a hand. "Don't treat me any differently. I'm still a regular being."
"I spoke so casually to you, dragged you around Crocus, you even paid for my things! I'm completely mortified! I'm so sorry!"
"I promise. I hate the attention. Just treat me as you would treat a good friend, that includes speaking casually and hanging out as normal friends would."
It did feel surprisingly natural to converse with him, and it would make things easier… "But you're royalty!"
"Gajeel is royalty," Lily stated.
"But I don't see him that way," Levy replied coolly.
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."
"There's nothing to talk about," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "He's a lowlife douchebag who thinks he's better than everyone else. He'll get my respect when he deserves it. Which will be never."
"And you don't feel that to be a little extreme?"
"Absolutely not," Levy said simply. "With the things he's done in the past, there's no redemption for him."
"May I?" Lily asked, gesturing to an open spot next to her.
"Sure."
Lily sat next to her, realizing their beds were on either side of the wall. With how good Gajeel's hearing is, he probably hated it. "Remember how I told you to not let the first impression dictate your feelings? I meant it. I think you should get your answers directly from him."
"Why would I do that? He's been nothing but rude to me the whole time I've been here! I don't want to talk to him!"
"Levy, from what I hear, you've been rude to him, too. Instead of greeting him kindly, you did the opposite. How else could he have responded? I already warned you he was rough around the edges, and now you know why."
"So just because he's the king means he can treat people how he wants?" Levy crossed her arms and looked out the window.
Wow. She was just as stubborn as he was! No wonder they butt heads! It was like speaking to the same person! "I just want you to hear it from him first before you make accusations."
She looked at Lily, who was trying really hard to get them to be friends. "Why? Why should I? Give me one good reason."
"Think about it. You have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear the story, the truth, from the king himself. Why drown yourself in assumptions when the answers are literally in the next room?"
Crap. He was right. "Fine. But it's going to take a while for me to warm up to him! Don't expect us to be all buddy-buddy by tomorrow, or anything."
"Thank you, Levy," Lily was genuinely grateful that she was at least easier to talk to than his brash friend. "Though, there is something I've wanted to ask you since this morning."
"What?"
"Were you really going to leave?"
Levy thought for a bit. She definitely planned on it! "I was."
"So, are you really staying just to get a rise out of him? Because he actually wants you here," Lily knew what he was doing when he said that! He loved being a mischievous cat.
Levy looked over at him, taking in his words. "No, he doesn't. Or he wouldn't be mean to me. And yes, I originally decided to stay to torture him, but… I'm actually very comfortable here. Even with that douche."
That made Lily happy to hear! It meant she was strong enough to deal with Gajeel's shenanigans! "I'm really glad you feel that way, Levy! Now please, at the very least, apologize to him!"
He was right, she should at least tell him she was sorry. "Yeah. I will. One of these days."
After Gajeel talked to Lily for a little bit, he felt a little better. He was going to man up and apologize for picking fights with her, even if she started it! He left the shed, taking his shirt off and throwing it over his shoulder before he went inside. He was hot and sweaty and needed a shower, and 'it'd be nice if she joined.'
He grit his teeth, silencing the voice that was turning him into a madman as he trekked up the steps. Unluckily for him, her door was open, and when he walked by, he paused. She had her hair hanging wildly around her face, and was wrapped up in bed looking cozy and comfortable, reading a book. Never in his life had he been jealous of a blanket until now. 'Jealous?!'
She looked up from her book and met his gaze, both wearing straight faces. He… was shirtless! Ducking her head back down into her book, she bit her lip. Why her?!
He sighed, just about to come out and say it. "Sorry."
She peeked above her book, making sure only her eyes were visible. She really wanted to respond, but she lost all train of thought every time her she looked over his chiseled abs! 'Curse my body!'
He stood there awkwardly, scratching his head. Why was she staring at him with those big beautiful eyes like that? Gods, he felt like he was being pulled into them! He averted his eyes. "I just wanted ta say… I'm sorry, an' we can start tomorrow if ya want. Let me know."
With that, he disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving her speechless for the umpteenth time that day.
