~Halloween 2019~

Thursday, October 31st, 2019

-Hargeon Town-

"- and that's why the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell –," the professor droned, and in the back row Levy felt her eyes drooping. She reached for her third cup of coffee, taking a large gulp, and trying to refocus on the lesson.

Levy was not normally one to be sleeping during a lecture, but she'd just pulled an all-nighter to finish a research paper for her advanced journalism course. It had been a busy week for the studious bluenette, since she was in her Junior year of University. She had a large test tomorrow as well, and she surreptitiously glanced at her phone, checking the time, thinking about how she would block out the rest of her day.

Right there, above the numbers displaying the time on her phone's screen, was the date.

October 31st. It was Halloween.

Levy felt a shiver run through her. What a wonderful time of year. But unfortunately what a busy time of year, now that all her classes were more advanced.

Only a couple more minutes, she thought, eager to leave the classroom and get back home to the warm embrace of her glorious bed. Yes, a nap was certainly in order.

The bell rung, cutting the professor off mid-sentence, and he sighed before shouting out to the students, who were already eagerly packing up, about their homework for the night. Levy threw her books and notebook into her bag, downed the last bit of her coffee, and bounded down the stairs. She tossed her empty cup into the bin by the door and pushed out into the biting Autumn air.

She walked briskly across the square, enjoying the atmosphere, but especially looking forward to that romantic date she had planned with her bed…

Of course, since it was Halloween, there would be plenty of student activity throughout the day and into the night, both on campus and off. Her friends were once again throwing the infamous Halloween Bash and Levy chuckled, remembering the disastrous events of the year before.

Since a whole year had passed, Levy could look back on that night with humor. It was honestly a hilarious story, one that she had thoroughly enjoyed recounting to Lucy, who had been shocked to come home and find her friend soaked and injured in bed. Luckily, her ankle had recovered quite quickly over the next couple of days.

But she still used every opportunity in the following months to tease Lucy as much as possible. After all, if it hadn't been for her and those dumb high heels, Levy probably wouldn't have had an issue getting home. She knew Lucy felt terribly guilty, so she'd assured her friend that there were no genuinely hard feelings, but a little teasing every now and again couldn't hurt.

As for Gajeel… Levy shook her head. She didn't even know what to think when it came to him. Lucy had looked at her with that same skeptical expression she'd had the year before, especially since no one else other than Levy had ever seen him. The pair even did some detective work around the campus and throughout the town but came up emptyhanded on both fronts. It implied that he either wasn't a student, or didn't live in Hargeon at all. Levy couldn't even find anything about the man online, he simply didn't exist. He was a ghost.

She took refuge in the thought that it was unlikely she'd ever meet him again. After all, they'd only met twice in two years, what were the odds that would happen once more? They were especially slim since she didn't intend to go out tonight.

She picked up her pace as she neared her house, eager to get into her bed and finally relax a bit, before the long night of studying she had planned. She pulled out her keys, going through the tedious task of unlocking the various deadbolts and the keypad on the front door, and swung it open, feeling the warmth inside sweep over her. She smiled, hearing several other girls in the kitchen, chatting lightly.

In her room, she quickly shed her backpack and coats, snuggling up in her bed and closing her eyes. Just a quick nap, then she'd need to focus on her studies. Lucy hadn't questioned it when Levy had said she wouldn't go to the party. She understood that the bluenette was less than excited to go out again after the previous two Halloweens, and the burden of increased coursework was something also felt by the Blonde. She'd simply given Levy a hug and told her it didn't matter, that she was alright with going alone this year, and Levy had wished her the best of luck in her romantic quest, to which Lucy had blushed and groaned.

Levy looked forward to being up in a couple hours, making hot chocolate or possibly heating up spiced cider, and lighting some candles as she poured through her textbooks, like a witch reading through her grimoires. But for now, she needed some rest, and she smiled to herself as she fell into a deep and pleasant slumber.

Wind whipped through Gajeel's hair, which was pulled back in a low ponytail, streaming behind him as he drove down the highway. Classic rock blared from the speakers of his jet black Corvette convertible, top pulled down. He lounged in the seat, sun glinting off his sunglasses, right hand lazily resting on the wheel, left arm draped across the door, driving twenty over the speed limit.

He sped past a cop sitting on the side of the road, but grinned as he glanced in his rearview mirror and there were no flashing lights behind him. José really had bought the police out here. His distinctive license plate told the officer that he was off limits, and he grinned, his ego inflating.

Gajeel had worked hard to rise up in the ranks of Phantom Lord. It had been a year since he'd last thrown up, and in that time he'd seen more and done more than his past self could've fathomed. But it was for the best, and his new car was a tangible reminder of that. He lived a fairly comfortable life, with more freedom within the organization than he'd ever had before, and it would stay this way as long as, at the end of the day, he was still willing to roll up his sleeves and do the dirty work.

That being said, anyone beneath José was still a grunt, so when the master had ordered him to come back down to Hargeon (on October fucking 31st), he hadn't batted an eye, simply did as he was told. He was really hoping this wouldn't become an annual thing.

Thinking about Hargeon always made him think of her, a topic he'd been careful to avoid since the fated night he'd run into her again, a year ago. But at least he knew where she lived now, and he knew what parts of town she frequented. He figured as long as he was careful and avoided those places, it was likely he wouldn't see her again, and the less he saw her the better. After all, Gajeel's life was complicated. She would be better off not getting dragged into it.

He grinned as a favorite song came on and he started shouting the lyrics, his voice whipping past him and getting lost on the highway.

Yes, all would go according to plan. He'd get the job done and get out.

He pressed down harder on the accelerator, speeding past several other cars as he went. At least it wasn't supposed to rain tonight - the drive back last year had been hell.

Levy had been having the most pleasant dream… She felt like she was in a cloud of golden warmth... it's hot and heady smell was slightly metallic, her stomach twisted pleasantly… But then... Slowly, out of nowhere, a creeping discomfort started to permeate at the edges… The discomfort built slowly until Levy could no longer push it back down, and she found herself waking up with a frown, groggy, pain now pooling in her stomach. Was this…?

Fuck, Levy groaned, rubbing her sleep swollen eyes and shuffling about to find her phone. The movement caused the pain to spike through her and she tapped her phone screen, discovering it was 11:34 PM.

She groaned again, turning to lie on her back and rested a hand on her sensitive stomach, staring at the ceiling. She had just gotten her period.

It was pretty early. Levy didn't have a consistent schedule, but she'd thought she would get it sometime next week, not tonight. She still had her test to study for and the prospect of spending the night poring over textbooks while sedated with painkillers wasn't a pleasant one.

Levy rolled out of bed lightly and shuffled to the small bathroom she shared with Lucy. She started rummaging through the drawers and cupboards for a tampon but frowned when she came up empty handed. They must have run out.

She shrugged and made her way out into the hallway. The house was quiet, all the girls had left for the night already, and Levy was undisturbed as she softly peeked into Lisanna's room in her quest. But once again, Levy wasn't able to find the object of her desire.

Levy went through each and every bathroom in the house, her frown deepening as she went. How was it possible that she lived with a bunch of women and not a single one of them had tampons?! Either they hid them well or they all used menstrual cups! Levy was incredulous. This was surely the Universe, cursing her for not switching to the more environmentally friendly option.

Levy exited from Laki's bathroom, the last one she had searched in vain, finding only a surprisingly large collection of handcuffs and spiked collars stashed in the cupboards… Levy shook her head. What her roommates did was none of her concern, she hadn't been trying to snoop.

But she was flabbergasted. Seriously? Not a single tampon? Anywhere?

She bit her lip as she thought about what to do and made her way to the silent kitchen to pop some aspirin.

Well, there was no other option. She'd have to go buy some. Levy really didn't feel like leaving the house. She probably looked terrifying, with deep bags under her eyes from countless late nights of studying and her messy, unbrushed hair. She certainly felt terrifying. At least she didn't have anyone she was trying to impress.

She groaned and shuffled back to her room like a zombie, the painkiller already easing the cramps slightly. She pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans and threw on an oversized gray hoodie. She shoved a headband on her head, to keep the hair from her eyes, and grabbed her red bag on her way out the door.

Outside in the crisp night air, she walked with a clipped pace towards the bus stop, feeling gross and bloated. The nearest convenience store was a couple of minutes away by bus. She planned to be in and out as fast as possible, so she could sooner crawl back into the warm safe confines of her covers.

Ya know, some ice cream sounds pretty good right about now, she thought. Yeah, fuck it. I'm going to treat myself. It is Halloween, after all.

And she smiled lightly to herself, mind now singularly focused on the delicious dairy product soon to be within her grasp.

Gajeel glanced at his wristwatch, and noted the time. Two minutes to midnight. Perfect.

His night was going excellently so far. He'd swept into town, got down to business, and wrapped up on schedule. He didn't even have any blood on his suit jacket, not that he'd done too much damage. Just a couple of well-placed punches.

He pulled open his car door, smoothly sliding in, and threw his briefcase onto the backseat. He rolled his eyes. Look at him, carrying briefcases around. But they really were quite handy when you just needed to carry papers.

He reached over and popped the glove compartment open, digging inside for a pack of smokes. He frowned when he came up empty. No problem, he thought, and reached into a coat pocket. Nothing. He checked the other one, but once again, nada. Frowning more deeply, he started to dig through his pants pockets and looked around the floor. He opened the middle console and felt a rush of relief at the cigarette box inside, but when he grabbed it and flipped it open, it too was empty.

Gajeel groaned. All he wanted after a meeting was a good smoke. He knew it was his own fault, for not buying more when he ran out, but he was still frustrated by the current situation.

He turned his keys in the ignition. Alright, no biggie, he could deal with this slight hiccup and then be back on track. He'd just swing through the nearest store, grab a pack, and then hit the road again.

Easy fix. What could go wrong?

"Hold on, I know it's in here somewhere," Levy pleaded, digging through her bag but painfully aware of the impatient clerk in front of her. On the counter between them sat a box of tampons and a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Possibly not her proudest purchase, but it was 2019, wasn't it time for women to stop being embarrassed by their periods?!

She kept searching through her bag, looking for her wallet. She'd had her bus pass, so shouldn't her wallet be in here too? Had she left it in her room? Lost it? Maybe she had some spare change in here…

"You have got to be kidding me," Levy muttered to herself, anxiety building.

She glanced back up at the cashier to apologize again, but now the boy behind the counter wasn't looking at her. He was staring at something past her, his eyes a little wide.

"Wha-?" Levy started to ask, but the question didn't get a chance to be heard.

"Gihihi," came a deep dark chuckle right over her shoulder, and Levy was already frowning. She slowly turned around and sure enough, there in all his ominous glory, stood Gajeel.

He was standing just behind her, haughty posture with arms crossed over his chest. His muscles seemed to strain against the fabric of his dark grey pinstripe suit. He was grinning down at her from his impressive height, at least a full foot taller than herself, but Levy met his arrogant laughing eyes with a fierce expression of her own, refusing to let him intimidate her. She adopted a similar stance, crossing her arms as well.

"You have got to be kidding me," Levy said again, staring back at the man.

"And what are you doing here, Gajeel?" She asked.

"Ghihi!" He chuckled again, amused by her reaction upon seeing him, and Levy blushed despite herself as Gajeel raked his eyes over her body unapologetically. She was practically drowning in that large gray hoodie, but he liked the way her jeans hugged her curves. Her hair was shorter than it had been the previous two years, and he noticed it curled right above her shoulders, held back by a bright orange headband.

"Can't a guy buy some smokes without bein' interrogated?"

Levy looked at him skeptically.

"Are you stalking me?" She asked, and Gajeel snorted at that.

"Don't flatter yerself, Shorty. I was in the area."

The cashier behind them cleared his throat loudly, but his efforts at getting their attention were too effective as Gajeel and Levy both turned to look at him. Levy was still frowning, distracted, but Gajeel adopted a slight glare as he stared the kid down over Levy's head, losing the grin he'd had before.

"Uhm, is anyone going to buy anything?" the kid asked, a little perturbed by Gajeel's expression.

Gajeel stalked forward towards the counter, sidestepping Levy on the way, and he leaned forward resting his elbows on the surface, still staring the kid down. The boy swallowed at Gajeel's sudden proximity.

"Pack 'a smokes," Gajeel grunted, and the nervous cashier nodded his head, turning around to shuffle through the shelves of tobacco behind him.

"A-anything else?" He asked when he turned back, and Gajeel nodded to Levy's things, sitting forgotten on the counter.

"Whatever she's gettin'," he said, and the cashier simply nodded, ringing the items up and putting them in a plastic bag. Gajeel handed him his card, grabbing the cigarettes up off the counter, and already ripping the pack open to place one between his lips.

The cashier handed his card back, and started to mumble something under his breath. Gajeel glared at him as if he'd forgotten the kid was still there.

"What was that?" He growled, prompting the kid to point at a sign taped to the counter.

"Uhm, no smoking in here, sir," He said, trying not to look at Gajeel, but the man grunted and turned away, sauntering past a frozen Levy and pushing open the doors to outside.

Levy blinked, shaken from her stillness by the sound of the bell above the door tinkling at Gajeel's exit and her brain seemed to be catching up to her. That arrogant man! He didn't need to buy her things for her, she was perfectly capable of paying for herself!

Levy scowled and darted forward to grab the bag with her tampons and ice cream off the counter, the cashier already busying himself with something else. She swiftly turned on the ball of her foot and walked out of the store after Gajeel, bell ringing again as she pushed through the door.

Gajeel was standing a few feet away, pulling a lighter out of his pants pocket, cigarette still firmly between his teeth. Levy ignored him and started walking quickly in the direction of the bus stop.

Gajeel watched her as she strutted away, her back to him, and he leaned forward to light his cigarette. Damn, those jeans really did look great on her. He took an initial puff then called out to her retreating form.

"Hey, Shorty!" he said, causing the bluenette to pause, then spin around crossing her arms, hip jutting out.

"What?" She snapped, and Gajeel chuckled, taking another drag of the cigarette.

"Want me ta give ya a ride?" Gajeel asked, unperturbed by her hostile gaze. She snorted.

"On your bike? Yeah, no thank you," and Gajeel was already shaking his head.

"Nah," he said, "In this," and Levy watched as he walked over to the sleek black Corvette sitting outside the convenience store, leaning against it lazily and looking back at her.

Levy couldn't help herself, she found her jaw dropping slightly. Well, that was a surprise. Now that she glanced him over again, she noticed that the man looked a lot more sophisticated than he had before. He was in a nice suit, with shiny black shoes, his hair pulled back to show off the piercings glinting on his face.

She noticed a briefcase sitting in the backseat of the glossy car, and she almost laughed to herself, unable to imagine the man in front of her with such a thing. But he sure seemed to be more suave than he had years prior, and she supposed a lot could change about a person in a year. She herself was much different than she had been when they'd first met, so why shouldn't his life be completely different as well? His attitude was certainly more… cocky. She didn't like it.

"No thanks," she said, with sharp red eyes staring her down. "I'm taking the bus."

Gajeel simply raised an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder, where she had jutted her thumb in the direction of the bus stop.

"Ya mean," he drawled, "that bus?"

And Levy whirled around, heart sinking as she saw her bus begin to close its doors and pull away from the stop.

Crap! She thought, eyes wide. Was that the last bus of the night?!

She whipped out her phone to check the bus timetables and ignored the tall man chuckling against his fancy car, smoking his cigarette.

"Crap!" She said again, this time out loud, and much to her annoyance Gajeel chuckled again.

"Was that the last bus?" He asked, and Levy glared as she met his shining eyes, annoyed at how perceptive he was.

"Whatever," She grumbled, turning to walk away.

"Oi!" Gajeel called, but this time Levy didn't stop.

"Where do ya think yer goin?" He asked.

"I'll just walk!" Levy yelled back, eager to get away from him. "A pleasure as always, Gajeel! See ya!"

"Oh ya?" He replied, loud enough that she could still hear him.

"And let's see," he continued. "Yer place is, what, a ten minute drive? So that's like, a thirty? Forty minute walk?"

Levy sighed and stopped, turning back to Gajeel once more. The way he was leaning against that vintage Corvette in his suit, he looked like an old school mobster.

"It's fine, I don't mind the walk," Levy said truthfully.

Gajeel was shaking his head.

"Ya, but that's gonna melt," he said, causing Levy to frown.

"What's going to melt?" She asked.

Gajeel responded by pointing at the bag she held in her hand and she looked down at it realizing that… crap, he was right. Her ice cream would be toast. Well, the opposite of toast, it'd be a melted mess after a forty minute walk. Damn it!

"Come on, I don't mind," Gajeel said, taking one last puff on his cigarette before tossing the butt on the ground and stamping it out with his shoe. Without waiting to see what she'd do, he opened his driver's side door and slid in behind the wheel.

Levy sighed, weighing her options. She could walk back and give up on her ice cream. Or she could get a ride from Gajeel, who was sitting in his car playing with his lighter, waiting for her to decide. Maybe she could eat her ice cream all at once, on the walk back? But she shook her head at the silly thought.

Sighing, she walked over to the passenger side door of the Corvette, pulling it open and sliding in beside the grinning man. He turned the keys in the ignition, starting the car up, and pulled out of the parking lot swiftly as Levy buckled the seatbelt across her lap.

"You need to go…" Levy started, but Gajeel interrupted her with a laugh.

"I know the way, Shorty," He said and she blushed. She supposed he did.

Levy looked out to her right at the streetlamps slipping by. The cool breeze rushed past them as they drove and Levy enjoyed the way it felt running through her hair.

This was a pretty fancy car, Levy thought to herself, glancing around at the shiny and buffed interior. Smooth, unblemished leather. She glanced once more at the man lounging at the wheel, his eyes on the road. How could Gajeel afford a car this nice? It had to be pretty expensive.

"What did you say you do for work?" Levy found herself asking and Gajeel's eyes flitted over to her briefly, before returning to the road.

"I didn't," He grunted, and Levy frowned.

"It's just, this is a pretty expensive car. It must be vintage, right?" she kept pondering, mostly to herself.

Gajeel didn't like the direction this conversation was going so he switched the topic.

"And what about ya?" He asked, causing Levy to look at him once more.

"Yer a student, yeah?" He asked, and Levy nodded.

"Yeah, I go to Hargeon University. I guess that's pretty obvious, considering this is a college town."

"Whatcha studyin'?" Gajeel asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, right now I'm taking a lot of journalism classes. But I wouldn't mind going into publishing either. Maybe be an editor?" She said thoughtfully and Gajeel frowned darkly.

"Ya should be a publisher. Or an editor," He growled, causing Levy to look at him surprised.

"Oh? And what's wrong with journalism?" She asked. Gajeel snorted.

"Journalists poke their noses in shit best left alone. It's too dangerous. Trust me, Short-stuff, don't do it if ya wanna keep that pretty little head 'a yers on yer shoulders," And Gajeel looked over at her, meeting her eyes briefly. Levy could see he was being serious and it made her frown suspiciously.

Levy found herself saying, "Oh yeah? Well isn't that the whole point? To uncover the truth from the lies? To shed light on the darkness? And what's wrong with that? You still haven't mentioned what you do, Gajeel, and why exactly is that? You can't tell me you're a student, not with that suit or this car."

Gajeel just grunted, eyes on the road. "See? Too many questions."

Levy just huffed, crossing her arms and sitting back into her seat. This man was so evasive. He was a mystery, and she usually preferred being able to solve those.

Gajeel was now wishing he hadn't offered to give Levy a ride. When he'd seen her in the store, her back to him as she rummaged through her bag, he'd wondered if he should just turn around and leave. But the opportunity had presented itself to interact with her one more time and he'd selfishly decided to take it. He liked the way she blushed when he teased her, and he liked her spark.

But he should've known she'd be too inquisitive, and he wasn't happy hearing that she was interested in investigative journalism. She needed to keep her nose out of other people's business, especially his. He prayed that when she graduated, she'd go to a different city, maybe leave the country of Fiore altogether.

Just don't go ta Magnolia City, Lev, he thought. Stay away from there, 'n the underground world of crime.

Even the quote-unquote "good guys" of Fairy Tail had their paws dipped in the darkness. Gajeel never wanted to see someone like her get wrapped up in that life, and it had been a mistake to bring that life to her by choosing to say 'Hi.'

Gajeel pulled up outside Levy's house and she was already unbuckling her seatbelt and gathering up her things.

"Well, Gajeel," she said, turning towards him. "As I said earlier, it's been a pleasure. But I doubt we'll ever see each other again. Have a nice life."

Gajeel had put the car in park and he was watching her. When she turned to him to say goodbye, his eyes caught hers, and his brain did that silly thing again where it couldn't think straight. He was lost in her eyes, beautiful pools of hazel shining in the light, and she just looked so beautiful.

He decided, on an impulse, as long as he wasn't planning to ever see her again anyways… might as well just have once last bit of fun.

"Wait, Levy," he said, reaching out and catching her wrist in his hand. Levy paused from opening the door and stared down at the large hand that had captured her wrist, then back at Gajeel with a raised eyebrow.

"Is this it?" She asked dryly, "Are you kidnapping me? Come on, Gajeel, let me go."

He simply grinned and shook his head. His grip on her wrist didn't hurt, but she could feel the strength behind it, and she knew she'd never be able to break out of it unless he wanted her to. Levy was starting to feel very uncertain. Was Gajeel going to do something bad to her this time? He'd driven her home, why wasn't he letting her leave his car now? She frowned back at him as he continued to grin, and she started feeling flustered.

"Okay Gajeel, jokes up. Let me out now."

Gajeel simply shook his head again, to her chagrin.

"Not until I get a treat," He said, a shit-eating grin on his face. "It's Halloween, ain't it? Don't I get somethin' fer drivin' ya back?"

Levy's eyebrows shot towards her hairline, aghast.

"Excuse me, WHAT?" she exclaimed.

Gajeel had never asked anything of her before, had never threatened her or taken advantage of her, and now he wanted something? A treat? What the fuck, did he want a kiss? Levy started blushing madly as the thought came to her. She'd never kissed anyone before! And now this bastard wanted to steal her first kiss from her?! Because he'd driven her home? Screw that!

"No! Gajeel, no I am not kissing you! Let me go this instant!" Levy shrieked, trying to pry herself from his grasp but unable to loosen the iron grip.

Gajeel's grin grew wider.

"Woah, Shorty, didn't know yer mind was so filthy. Who said anythin' 'bout a kiss?" He loved how bright red her cheeks were as she turned towards him in anguish.

"Then what? What kind of a treat do you want?!" and Gajeel nodded towards the plastic bag in her hands.

She looked down at it, needing a moment to comprehend what he was suggesting.

"… My ice cream? You want some of my ice cream?"

"Bingo," Gajeel grinned, meeting her widened eyes with his own.

"Gajeel...!" Levy said exasperatedly, still distraught. The man beside her was chuckling at her distress. Levy was normally a calm and thoughtful person, but this arrogant and conceited man was somehow always able to turn her into a flustered mess. Levy sensed that if she continued to protest, the whole affair would just get drawn out more, so she grumbled as she relented, pulling her pint out of the plastic bag with her free hand and holding it out towards him.

Gajeel raised his eyebrows at the proffered pint.

"What?" Levy snapped, glaring, face still red. "Just take it! It's want you wanted, right?"

"Gihi, not quite…" Gajeel said, licking his lips. His eyes looked dark in the low light and Levy swallowed nervously. "My hands're a little busy, Shorty. Why dontcha feed it to me?"

Levy felt like steam was just about to come out of her ears. She was completely flabbergasted and thoroughly annoyed.

"Levy! My name is Levy! Not Shorty!" she shouted, but stuck the pint between her legs and used her free hand to rip the plastic seal off from around the lid. She noticed there was a plastic spoon in the bag and she pulled the lid off the pint, it's smooth untouched surface glistening.

She used the plastic utensil to dig out a sizeable spoonful of the vanilla-based flavor, with a nice big chunk of chocolate covered pretzel.

Levy turned towards the waiting man, glaring at him fiercely, and held the spoon out towards him in disgust. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Gajeel leaned forward slowly, maintaining eye contact with Levy as he did, and opened his mouth to engulf the cold, sweet treat in one bite. Levy couldn't look away from his eyes, feeling hot. Something in the dark look he was giving her made her insides twist.

And as soon as he'd clamped his mouth down fully on the bite of ice cream, Levy released the spoon and pulled her hand back. Gajeel chuckled, letting go of her wrist and he reached up to take the spoon out of his mouth, crunching down on the pretzel and savoring the thick vanilla ice cream before swallowing it down in one gulp.

He watched as Levy, with slightly shaky hands, fit the lid back on the pint and tossed it unceremoniously back into the plastic bag with her tampons. She opened the door quickly and hopped out of the car, barely taking the time to close the door behind her.

"ThankyoufortherideGajeel,HaveaGoodNight,HopetoNeverSeeYouAgain," Levy was saying as she went, refusing to meet his eyes.

Gajeel lounged in his seat, watching as the girl raced away down the path and up the stairs to the door of her house. Damn, those jeans really were great...

He was pleased to see it took her a minute to fumble with the various locks on the door and he noticed the glint of a security camera hidden above. The entire time, Levy refused to look back, and soon she'd slipped through the door into the house, leaving him sitting in his car, alone. The street around him was empty and he sat for a moment, licking the spoon clean, before tossing it back next to his briefcase.

Gajeel grinned. The look on her face had been priceless. He loved watching her vibrant reactions. It had been cruel of him, yes, but it had been worth it, and he was grinning even wider as he shifted his car back into drive, pulling away from the curb.

It'd been his choice, these last several years, to interact with her. Each time he'd been the one to make the first move. He knew that next time, if there ever was a next time, he would walk away without a word. He would never approach her again, and he would never try to find her. In fact, he planned to actively avoid her as much as possible. It was the only way to keep her safe.

Yes, that was his excuse for the extra teasing he'd done tonight. These would be the last memories he'd ever make with her, so he was pleased with himself that they were such colorful ones. But he'd need to practice self-restraint with these memories, he knew, if the tightness in his pants was anything to go by. Damn, this girl...

Levy leaned against the front door she'd just slammed behind her, breathing heavily, eyes wide.

That prick! She knew he'd been cockier this year!

She scowled as she headed towards the kitchen, putting her vandalized pint of ice cream in the freezer and getting herself a glass of water. The clock on the microwave told her that it was a little past one in the morning, which meant her housemates probably wouldn't be home for several more hours.

Levy relaxed against the kitchen counter, simply taking a moment to catch her breath and allow her flushed cheeks to return to normal. The cool and still air around her was a much needed reprieve from the scene in the vintage Corvette outside.

Well, at least I've got another interesting story to tell Lucy, she thought to herself, thinking back on her night. But then her blush was coming back, as quickly as it had faded, when she thought about the look in Gajeel's eyes when she'd fed him the scoop of ice cream. The way she hadn't been able to look away as he'd leaned in, eyes hooded, and seductively enveloped the spoon she was holding out to him, his tongue outstretched slightly, his sharp teeth glinting in the light...

Levy shook her head hard, insides twisting. She quickly grabbed the bottle of aspirin and swallowed a couple down, with another drink of cool water.

Damn these cramps, she thought, cheeks red. They were the only reasonable explanation for how messed up her stomach was!

She wandered back to her room, thinking about the studying she still had to do. Luckily there was plenty of time left in the night and she knew she'd need those hours if she wanted to do well on her test tomorrow. But before she could help it, her traitorous mind had drifted back to Gajeel...

Damn it! She needed to stop thinking about him and his dumb face if she wanted to be able to focus! Hopefully she'd never run into him again, he'd already done enough. More than enough. Damn, that man...

A/N

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I'm so happy to hear that there are people enjoying my work! ^.^

The rest of the story will be set in 2020, with the night spread out over multiple chapters. This is where the real meat of the story will happen, and there will be more NaLu and Gruvia as well. Super exicted to get into it. I'll hopefully post the next chapter in a couple of days! Cheers and thanks for the support!~