An Eventful Day

Levy dreaded going back home. She didn't want to have this talk with Lucy! It would ruin her mood for the rest of the week, and she'd end up taking it out on all the wrong people! She wasn't a confrontational person, she avoided any type of conflict! Anything that would cause a fight, she stayed away from it. 'Except…' She didn't know what it was about Gajeel that got her incredibly worked up, but she seemed to act out of character when he was around. All he had to do was look at her the wrong way and she'd lash out at him with no hesitation.

She caught the train from Crocus back to Magnolia, and she was almost at her stop. She spent most of the ride thinking about the job and how she'd already adapted to the new environment, but also about how nice it was to be away from his intense energy. It was overwhelming! But… the further away she got, the antsier she became, and she couldn't figure out why. At the same time, the closer she got to her apartment, the more tense she got. She was definitely going to stop by Cana's for a drink afterward.

Her mind wandered, thinking of what he could be doing at that moment. It bugged her that she had to skip the day, but she was sure he was glad she was out of his hair for the time being. Why did he hate her so much? She could feel his eyes each time they looked over her with contempt. She could feel his presence every time he was near, just standing there trying to intimidate her, or something. Well, she wasn't backing down!

Though, he told her he was being discreet… which was weird because it felt like he purposely intensified his energy to bother her. She had no reason not to believe him, so how? Was it the same for her? 'Maybe I can write a rune to shroud myself before I go back.' Do a little test and see if there was indeed something strange happening.

She decided to stop by the Magnolia Library when she was finished with her business and buy some books that delved a bit deeper into the anatomy and biology of dragons. She knew a little bit, but she was more into the language than the speakers. But now that there was a dragon in her life… she wanted to know a little more.

About him.

The speaker announcing the stop for Magnolia sounded and startled her, had she been thinking about him that long? She guessed it was better than thinking about the impending argument she was about to have. The train stopped and she grabbed her bag, already missing the serenity of being in nature. She liked the city, being close to everything and everyone. But the peace she felt out there? She was only there two nights, but those were the best nights of sleep she ever had!

She barely noticed she was rounding the corner to her complex and walking up the steps to her building. How long did she have until Lucy showed up? Would she have time to read a little bit? She put her key in the lock and turned the knob, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest at the sight of Lucy sitting on her couch. She hated being easily startled! She wasn't expecting her to be there!

"There you are! I was worried sick!" Lucy almost ran over to her small friend, checking her out to make sure she wasn't injured or anything.

Levy was instantly annoyed, shrugging an overprotective Lucy off her and putting her bag down. "Get away! Geez, I'm fine!"

"I'm just making sure you're alright, Lev," she replied, still investigating. There was something different about her, and the journalist in her wanted to find out what it was. "You just disappeared for two days, what else was I supposed to think?!"

"Lucy, you need to back up," Levy warned, a headache brewing in the center of her forehead. "You're too close! All over me like you're my man or something! I told you I was fine!"

Unfortunately, that rubbed Lucy the wrong way. Why was she being so hostile all of a sudden? "As if you'd know anything about that."

"What was that?" Levy turned around, how could she throw that in her face like she just did?! "I stay single by choice! I definitely don't need my friend insulting me like this!"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Lucy said, stepping closer and holding Levy's hands. "I was just worried and upset that I had to find out from Cana that you took a job alone!"

"So what if I did, Lucy!" Levy snatched her hands away, stomping off into her room to pack more clothes. She figured she might as well bring some more of her things to save herself a future trip. She dug around in her closet, huffing when she heard Lucy follow her. "I'm sick of the way you think!"

"Why am I being called the bad guy when all I do is care about my friends?!" Lucy put a hand on her hip in frustration. "Levy, I know you don't want to hear this, but you're kind of small, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I would have gone with you!"

"How nice of you to care for me only to please your ego," Levy said sarcastically, throwing clothes into a bag. "Is it only in situations like these that you think solely of my stature? I can take care of myself, not that you care."

"Levy," Lucy stepped closer, observing as she angrily packed clothes. Where was she going? Was she still on her job? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't have to tell you anything! You're not my mother or my guardian!" Levy realized she was being a bit hostile, and she figured it was because of the pent-up anger she had toward the way Lucy thought of her.

"Levy…" Lucy gave her a concerned look. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling just fine!" Levy breezed by, searching her dresser for some pajamas. Gods, why was she on her back like this! She couldn't wait to get back to the countryside.

Clearly, that was a lie! But Lucy decided not to push it any further. She sat on her bed and watched her shove things into a backpack. Where could she be going where she needed that many changes of clothes? "Well… now that the cat is out of the bag, do you wanna tell me about your job?"

Levy looked at the blonde, who looked genuinely curious about her job. She sighed. It wasn't like Lucy was a bad friend, she just didn't understand the way she thought at times. It was frustrating for her the think she was small and helpless, but aside from that, she was an amazing friend. She could always count on her when she needed to. "It's a teaching job. In Crocus."

"What?! That's amazing! I know you've always wanted to teach someone something!"

"Yeah," Levy said, now looking for a few books to take. "I'm excited."

"What are you teaching, who are you teaching, tell me everything!"

"Um…" Levy couldn't disclose much about her position, so she kept it simple. "I'm teaching Dragonic, so it's going to be a pretty hefty job."

Lucy wanted to ignore the fact that she didn't tell her who, but she just couldn't. "So~ who's the student? Is it a guy or a girl? Is it multiple people? Why are you being so vague?!"

Levy wished she could enjoy some tea on that porch right about now. Lucy had entirely too much energy at the moment! "It's just one guy."

Levy realized that she was the wrong person to tell that to judging by the look on her face. 'Crap.' She should have lied and told her it was a girl named Lily, but it was too late. The half-truth already slipped out.

"A guy?!" Lucy stood, hands back on her hips. "And you seriously weren't going to tell me this? Don't you think it's a bit dangerous?"

"Luce, please don't start with this again," Levy held her forehead. "I'm begging you."

"Ugh, fine. What about your commute? I know you said it was in Crocus, so it must be pretty far to travel back and forth every day," Lucy inquired.

"I, uh," how could she put this? She didn't really want to tell her she was living with two men! How bad would that have sounded? Would it help if she told them neither of them were human? Perhaps it's best to keep this one to herself. "I'm staying in the Crocus Hotel."

"What?!" Lucy couldn't believe she was being so reckless! "You're staying far away from home, from your friends, from protection?! What if something were to happen to you?!"

Protection? Seriously? Levy internally facepalmed, she really needed better friends! 'Well, Cana's alright.' But sometimes that drunk could be too much for her, too! She was about to say something, but Lucy kept ranting about how much she shouldn't live her life. It was annoying.

"Not to mention you're teaching some man! What if he finds you, Levy? What if he finds you and tries to… I dunno, have his way with you, or something?! What will you do then? You'll be too far from people that could save you!" Lucy paced back and forth in aggravation.

Levy wanted to yell at Lucy for treating her like a baby, but her body got hot at the thought of him doing something to her… consensually, of course. But that thought fled just as quickly as it came; there was absolutely no way she'd ever get that close to him! Just being in his presence was annoying! How could she even imagine giving him her most inner self?

"Are you even listening to me?! You've been acting strange since you got here!" Lucy noted, seeing her drift off into space for a few seconds.

"Maybe it's because my so-called best friend keeps treating me like a child!" Levy shouted, sitting at her vanity to brush her hair. She was trying her hardest to stay calm, and oddly enough, playing in her hair helped. It was one of the things she considered to be one of her quirks. Maybe she could get a vanity for her room at the house.

"I'm not treating you like a child! I just want you to be safe! Gods!"

Levy locked eyes with Lucy through her mirror, ready to cut her down. "Oh, really? You want me to be safe? Have you even taken into consideration that maybe I am safe? That I can handle myself in the event of an emergency? Do you even know how strong I am? Have you seen me on a job? No. You're too busy being selfish, only thinking about how you can make yourself seem like a good friend, how you can make it seem like you care when it's actually just a ploy to feed your 'hero complex'!"

She turned in her chair, continuing to speak her truth. "I hate the way you think of me. Yeah, you're a decent friend and all, but you think I'm some helpless infant that can't hold her own, and I'm sick of it! I'm a grown woman! You, Jet, and Droy need to learn how to treat me like one! Cana is the only one who treats me like an adult! That's why she's the only one I told! If I want to move away so I can be alone, I can! If I want to take a damn job by myself, I can! If I want to stay somewhere other than my apartment, I can! You need to get that through your head!"

Lucy just stood there, her mouth agape while Levy yelled at her. Was her way of thinking that wrong? But… she just didn't understand how! "Levy, I…"

"I can't deal with you right now. Please leave." Levy said, no longer looking at her.

"Really? You too?" Lucy said, headed to the door. She never imagined both of her best friends would treat her like this! "Well, you know where I'll be when you come to your senses."

"If I ever start thinking like you, I'd be in a mental hospital," Levy fired back as she slammed the door. Phew! She slumped down in her chair, that was really hard to do! She'd never lashed out at Lucy like that before, but she had to admit it needed to be done. But now it was done and over with and she could move on with her life!

Her newly refurbished life.

In such a short amount of time, she'd sort of moved all the way to the outskirts of Crocus, started a new, amazing job, made an amazing friend with whom she could speak for hours, and craziest of it all, she stumbled across the king! That selfish, barbaric, aggressive, handsome… asshole of a king.

"Babe?" Bacchus went into the living room to find Cana lounging on the couch with a barrel of beer. "Why is the bar closed? Your soul feeling alright?"

"Eh~ I'm just tired," she waved her arm drunkenly. "Relax~ we can afford a break from bein' open twenty-four seven. Besides, I think I started shit with the girls."

"Don't worry about it, Doll," he helped himself to her beer and debated on opening the bar or not. "It was a wild thing that was out of your control."

"Go, open it," she knew him all too well. "But don't expect me to come help!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Doll," he said, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. "I'm going to meditate first."

"Don't bother," Cana stood and walked over to the front door to their apartment with her barrel in hand. "Blue's here."

She opened the door right as Levy was about to knock, and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her inside. "Well, look what the cat dragged in! Drink?"

Levy graciously took the offer, chugging as much as she could before exhaling heavily. She really needed it after the fiasco she just got out of! "Thanks, Cana."

"Ya can't act so nonchalant with the information you're holding!" Cana was extremely interested in Levy's job, especially since her dad told her who she was working for! "Sit, sit!"

Levy let Cana drag her down to the floor so they could all sprawl out and drink. She looked over at a meditating Bacchus and realized the bar was closed. She knew the money was good and that's why they were open seven days a week, but sometimes, not too often, the bar would close for a few hours or for a full day, just so they could get some rest. "Today's your off day?"

"Stop tryin' to change the subject, and drink some more," Cana nudged the barrel toward Levy, who'd rudely rejected it.

"I can't," Levy pushed it away, wishing she could, but traveling drunk wasn't fun! Maybe Lily would be willing to drink with her when she got back. "I've got a long way back to Crocus, plus I'm gonna stop by the library before I head back."

"All the more reason to drink!" Cana was pretty good at convincing her friends to drink, so eventually, Levy caved and took a few more swigs. "Now you can tell me all about your job with the king! No wonder they're payin' ya so much!"

Levy's eyes widened; how did she know?! She was sure she wasn't really supposed to tell anymore, and information this sensitive could cause some serious issues! Her hand went to the brunette's mouth, a frenzied look in her eyes. "Don't tell a soul! How did you even find out?!"

"Relax, Blue! Your secret is safe with me!" Cana pried Levy off her and laughed. "Blondie went and told my dad to escalate the report to the king since he has connections with him, and I had to tell him to call it off. Then, he got a letter from the King's knight saying you were working for him and that you were safe. Like I told her you were!"

Oh, right. Cana's dad was the Chief of the Council of Magnolia. It made sense that the strongest mage in Fiore had a direct line to the king. Levy knew if she could trust anyone, it would be Cana. She didn't talk to anyone except for Lucy and Bacchus, and Lucy was shunned at the moment! How would she feel if she knew her best friend was working for the king? She'd want to get an article right away! Sheesh. "Just promise me, Cana. You can't tell anyone!"

"I promise, I promise! Now, tell me, what's he like? Is he the asshole you say he is? Is he hot in person~" She nudged her friend in the side with her elbow, wiggling her eyebrows. If she remembered correctly, he was one fine hunk of metal!

"Um… honestly, I haven't spoken to him much to know if he's truly an asshole. Lily says he's a genuine guy, but I beg to differ!" Levy crossed her arms, annoyed that she felt her mood improve slightly when she thought about him. Ugh!

"So, I'm guessing you guys didn't hit it off!" Cana laughed, throwing her upper body into Bacchus' lap. "You never liked him! I'm surprised you're goin' back! He that hot?"

Levy rolled her eyes, why was she picking on her! "No, we didn't. All we do is argue whenever we communicate!"

"Is he or is he not hot? Stop ignoring the question!" Cana pulled on a lock of her blue hair.

Levy winced, holding the back of her head. "He's okay! Geez!"

"Sure," Cana was now laying upside down across his lap, reaching up and undoing the tie that kept his bun in place. "Remember, I'm a psychic!"

"Okay, fine! He's hot, Cana!" Once she admitted it out loud, she blushed madly as if he were somehow listening. She didn't want to think he was hot! She couldn't help it! "But it's always the hot ones that are assholes."

"Eh, it's just sexual tension," she stated plainly, taking a swig. "Once you screw him, it'll be better."

"What? How could you say something so absurd so easily?! I would never be intimate with him, let alone even be friends with him! He's a jerk! A no-good, name-calling, jerk! Plus, he's an idiot! How does a dragon not know Dragonic?! He needs me! And he thinks he can treat me any old type of way?! I'm the best damn translator in all of Fiore, I'd bet my life on that! Ugh! He's like a child! Pushing my buttons for no reason! Who does that?! Oh! And get this, his alias was 'Kurogane', like, who does he think he is?!"

Cana actually sat up and watched her best friend go off in a rant about how awful this guy was, but in reality… Levy was down bad. 'But I'm not gonna say that out loud!' She smiled, happy that her frustrated friend was no longer going to be alone. She didn't know how long it would take for her to finally admit she had the hots for him, but it would happen. With the way she was going on about him? She'd love to see their chemistry.

Levy stayed and talked for another hour or two before she left for the library. She ended up telling Cana everything, from their initial meeting to how he was always watching her, and she felt better when she did. Getting a second opinion was always good, even if it was a crazy one. She promised to write to her at least once a week and to bring Lily by the bar for some free drinks if he ever wanted to visit Magnolia.

She strolled through the town, the people were lively on this cloudy Wednesday afternoon. She actually hoped it rained later. It was the perfect time to wrap up with a book or a movie, but she had to tell herself she was there for work, not for relaxation. 'Who says I can't do both?' That's what she'd do tonight! But… she'd have to watch lacrima-vision in the living room since she didn't have one for her room yet.

Ugh.

She could already see him walking past her, looking at her like he was better than everyone else. He'd probably stay in there just to bother her, he'd sit next to her and everything, pushing her buttons. Drowning her in his musk.

Maybe she'll just wind down with a book in bed instead.

She was so caught up in her head, she'd walked right past the library! This is exactly what he wanted! He was in her head, driving her crazy, making her act unlike her normal self! With his… with his…!

"Levy, nice to see you again!"

Her eyes snapped over to the librarian, who was in his usual position behind the desk. He was always super nice to her, and a nice little slice of her day whenever she stopped by. He also had a thing for her and made it a habit to ask her out every once in a while in the hopes that she'd change her mind.

Who knew? Maybe she would one day. She liked the attention.

"Freed!" Levy greeted him with a hug. "Always a pleasure."

"What brings you by today, Levy?" Freed lingered a bit, rubbing her arms and shoulders. He's liked her since the day he met her years ago. She was so beautiful and studious, they had similar magic and both liked books. It was a match made in heaven! He'd keep trying until the day he couldn't. She was the one.

"Oh, I'm just looking for some information on dragons," she said, feeling a bit off. She usually didn't mind his blatant flirting, but this time around, she was… slightly uncomfortable. Only slightly, though! It was easy to look past, so she just chalked it up to the beer she had earlier.

"Still learning Dragonic, huh?" Freed asked, grinning at her.

"Not learning," she gave a cocky smirk, turning to go to the proper section of the library. "Teaching!"

He checked her out as she walked away before catching up with her. "Teaching? Wow, no wonder you never have any time for me."

"Oh, hush!" Levy giggled. "It's an amazing opportunity. Sharing knowledge is a beautiful thing."

"You know what's even more beautiful?" He asked, following her through the aisles. "You."

"You're so cheesy," she poked. That was his go-to line! "So predictable!"

"See, you know me so well, Levy," he said, his hands over his heart. "We're perfect for each other!"

"Says who?" She asked nonchalantly, slowing down to check out some interesting-looking books.

"Says fate!" He threw an arm around her shoulder. "We get along so well, we've known each other for years, and we have a lot in common, what more can I say?"

"But I really don't know you that well, to be honest," her fingertips grazed the spine of a few books, not really the ones she was interested in, but ones that looked old and weathered. "Our only relationship is this library."

"You're right, so let me change that," Freed truly believed they would look really good together, he just had to convince her!

She looked him over, he was tall and skinny with long green hair, he always had one eye covered by a bang, but aside from that, he wasn't really bad looking. And she didn't get a bad vibe from him. Maybe it was time to break out of her shell!

"I'll think about it," she gave a small smile. "But I can't promise anything. My teaching job is in Crocus, and I think it'll take up most of my time. A year, at least."

"Hey, I've waited this long, what's a little while longer?" He held her waist and rested his head on hers. This was a milestone! There was hope!

"Thanks for being so patient. I think you're the only one who's shown genuine interest in me," though, the more she thought about it… she didn't think she could do it.

He wasn't worthy.

Lily was tasked with the unfortunate job of following his dear friend Levy, and he had to say, even though it sucked being secretive like this, he was really glad he did it! He watched the librarian's extreme familiarity with Levy, it was obvious he liked her a lot! Lily had to hear their interaction.

He followed them once they walked away from the front desk, he was in his smaller form so it was easy to go unnoticed. This green-haired guy really had it bad for Levy, and she was just so nonchalant about it! He kept touching her and calling her beautiful, how long had this been going on?

Should he tell Gajeel?

A mischievous smile graced Lily's face upon the thought of stirring the pot. How would his brash friend react? He knew Gajeel liked her enough to keep her there, but did he like her enough to get upset over someone else flirting with her? It's only been two days, but dragons were different, Lily at least knew that much. Once they found the one they could claim as their mate, they'd get tunnel vision until the potential mate was claimed…

Or at least that's what he read in a book many, many years ago. Who's to say that was even true?

Because when he thought about it… Levy wasn't showing the telltale signs of being affected by Gajeel's energy. She wasn't irritable, she seemed to be handling this librarian well, considering she told him she'd think about going on a date with him. Though, she did mention that it likely wouldn't happen because of her lengthy teaching job a few cities away. Was that a rejection?

All Lily could do was follow and observe. They seemed to be good friends outside of his romantic feelings for her, and he predicted they've known each other for a few years, at least. On the plus side, Levy said aloud that they've never had any sort of relationship outside of the library, which made him feel a little better because he knew it would make Gajeel feel better.

Lily really couldn't wait to tell him!

What type of reaction would he get?

Eventually, Levy ended up leaving for the station with a bag full of books, and Lily couldn't have been more relieved. He followed her around all day and hated it! He didn't like prying or sneaking around, especially if it was someone he considered a friend. But he did get to learn a few things about her life outside of the job.

Once he made sure she was on the train safely, he checked the schedule to see what time she'd get to Crocus and flew back to the house so he could give Gajeel a debrief before she got back.

Gajeel hated being alone like this! Lily and that girl had been gone for several hours, and it was starting to get dark. She told him she would be back before it got dark! What the hell was that all about?! She's late!

But really, why should he care?

He'd busied himself all day, chopping wood to fix the hole he made in the wall of the shed, working out, cleaning up, he even started painting his bedroom! He did all of this while the polish on the desk dried, and in the hopes that it would make that antsy feeling go away, but nothing worked! What the fuck?! He desperately needed Lily to come home so they could fight for a while if he was up for it. Surely, letting loose some tension would help.

He got the ceiling of his bedroom painted before he decided he was bored of that particular project. He went to check to see if the desk dried, and to his surprise, it was! Now, all he had to do was get it inside.

He got it up the steps, but then came the issue of getting it into her room… she had shit scattered everywhere, books, papers, clothes. How was her work so organized when she wasn't? He smirked; it was cute. 'No the hell it ain't!' He sighed, looking around. Would she get upset if he moved her things around? His curiosity got the best of him again and he ventured in, picking up and straightening out what he could before moving the desk into the only free corner of the room.

"That don't look half bad," he mumbled to himself as he viewed his work. Now left the task of somehow organizing her books on the desk. He wasn't sure how she wanted shit, so the best he could do was neatly stack the books and papers off to the side.

He inhaled deeply, her lingering energy sedating him as it usually would, he noticed. He was sleepy. He glanced at her bed, what was so cozy about it? He couldn't resist the urge to sit on the edge of it, getting a feel of the blankets she had piled high. They definitely were soft. He mimicked her, wrapping one of the blankets around him just to see if they were as comfortable as she looked the other night.

They were.

'It'd be better if you were wrapped up in them with her, though.'

He shook his head almost violently, snapping out of the trance he found himself in. He jumped up, why the hell was he wrapping himself in her covers?! Had he gone mad?! There's no way she wouldn't notice what he'd done! Fuck!

"I gotta get outta here," he muttered, leaving her room and running into Lily on the steps. "Oi! Cat! Took ya long enough!"

Lily couldn't help but notice he saw Gajeel coming out of Levy's room looking guiltier than ever. "Sorry, Gajeel. Levy had a busy day. What were you doing in her room?"

Gajeel scoffed, hating the fact that he'd been caught! How embarrassing! He needed a beer. "If ya must know, I was puttin' the desk in her room."

Lily turned and looked at Gajeel as he walked down the steps and to the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. He chose to ignore the fact that he smelled a little bit like her, and peeked into Levy's room to see what he'd done. He even did his best at organizing it for her! This only made the news about the librarian even sweeter to tell him! "Wow, Gajeel! This looks really good. I think she'll love it, for sure."

"Tch. I don't care if she likes it or not," he said, headed to the couch. An obvious lie, but who was going to combat him? "Where the hell is she, anyway? She said she'd be back before dark!"

"She caught the train from Magnolia about an hour ago, so I wanted to come by and talk to you for a bit before she came back," Lily explained, fluttering to land on the coffee table.

"Ya better go back when her train gets here! It's dark!" Gajeel demanded, flicking the top of the bottle with his thumb and taking a drink. He knew she could hold her own, but the idea of her being out at night alone did not sit well with him! He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let her get lost or hurt!

"You know, Gajeel," Lily started, sitting on the couch next to him with a kiwi in hand. "She recently got into a spat with her friend about being treated helplessly. I don't think it wise to do the same."

"Oh, trust me, I know she can handle herself," Gajeel remembered the several times she'd pushed him and even zapped him with her pen. That was just a minuscule amount of her energy. She could hurt him if she wanted to, he knew it. He could feel it.

"Then… why—"

"'Cause I said so, damn cat!"

"Okay, okay," Lily held his hands up in defeat. "I'll meet her at the stop and pretend I was just waiting for her."

"Good." Gajeel drank, trying his hardest to appear uninterested, but he knew the cat was too smart for his own good. He at least appreciated he wasn't making fun of him for experiencing these weird emotions. These were odd times he was going through. "Anythin' interestin' happen while ya were out?"

"Well, let's see," Lily thought he'd never ask! He was giddy with mischief and really couldn't help himself. He held a paw to his chin while he thought about how to ease into it. "I wouldn't really say anything interesting happened. She went home and her friend was apparently already there. Eventually, she kicked her out and left for another friend's place."

"An' these friends of hers," Gajeel said, nonchalantly taking a sip. "They're women?"

Lily smiled. Interesting. "Yes, well, one of the women seems to be in a relationship, but I don't think he's a part of the main friend group."

"That's all she did? Why'd it take so fuckin' long?"

"She did stay and drink with the second friend," Lily continued. "She was there for a few hours, then went to the library for a few books. Though, I will say the librarian was a bit familiar with her. He had a hard time keeping his hands to himself and even asked her on a date. Judging by the way they communicate, I'd say they've known each other for a few years, at least…"

Lily trailed off in the background as Gajeel experienced an emotion he'd never felt before. He couldn't describe it even if he wanted to! All he knew was he was pissed! He didn't even know why! So what if some ugly human flirted with her? So what if she decided to date some lesser being?! Why the hell would he care about what she does?!

"…jeel? Gajeel? Are you okay?" Lily had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds, now, and the only thing that snapped him out of it was the bottle he'd smashed in his hand!

Gajeel looked at the broken glass that was in his hand and ignored it, keeping his eyes on the floor. "What did she say?"

Lily looked at him incredulously. Was he seriously ignoring what just happened? This was an even better response than he could have imagined! He decided to push some buttons and see what happened. "Gajeel, are you upset that someone was flirting with Levy?"

"Lily, I swear ta fuck, if ya don't just tell me what the hell she said ta the asshole that asked her out…!" Gajeel didn't understand what was happening, but there wasn't shit he could do about it! Which seemed to be the theme of his life lately!

"She told him she'd think about it," Lily said as he carefully watched Gajeel's expressions. He was trying so hard to stay stoic, but unfortunately for him, Lily had known him for quite some time, so there wasn't much he could hide from him. "But she did tell him she was on a long teaching job in Crocus that would take all of her time, which sounded kind of like a soft rejection to me."

Gajeel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before standing to go get another beer. 'Keep her away from the library.' But why, why, why should he care?! He hated her! And she hated him! He reached into the fridge, digging out some to share with Lily. He did well getting this information. "That librarian, ya catch his name?"

"Sadly, I didn't," Lily really wished he did, but he missed their initial greeting.

Gajeel tossed him a beer and sat back down, kicking his feet up. "What time's her train get in?"

Lily pulled out his pocket watch, she'd be there soon! "Actually, it's due to arrive in the next few minutes. I'll head out now."

"Drink with me when ya come back," Gajeel said, directing his attention to the lacrima-vision.

"I'll be back," Lily said, flying through the window and taking to the dark skies.