. Change .
"And it's a sad picture, the final blow hits you,
Somebody else gets what you wanted again and
You know it's all the same, another time and place,
Repeating history and you're getting sick of it.
But I believe in whatever you do,
And I'll do anything to see it through."
~ "Change" by Taylor Swift
Levy may have been blind for the past few years after an incident that she was not proud of, but she knew for a fact that his eyes weren't on her face. Nor were they on the display case that protected a scaled scarf Levy knew was there - that she knew he cared for deeply without understanding just why he liked it so much. No, she knew his attention was mind was miles away, focused on someone she'd tricked him into coming into contact with: Lucy Heartfilia.
"So," Levy mused suddenly, and Natsu jumped at the sound of her voice. And they thought it was easy to scare the blind woman. "You met Lucy?"
"Yeah," he said faintly, clearing his throat. Finally, Natsu had focused on what was important to discuss. "The lady who gave me your food, right?"
"Right," Levy confirmed, smiling. "She's my friend and I don't know what I'd do without her. She was there for me when I had no one else. You see," she paused to tap her blindfold-hidden eyes, snickering at her own words, "when this happened, everyone thought it was too hard to help. Everyone but Lucy. She's going with me tomorrow. We're giving a talk at a college. About historical artifacts and the different types and places they've been found in, how I decide which guild or person or group they belonged to." She doubted he cared right now, but she didn't like the quiet. Smirking as she tore a bite out of her sandwich, Levy suddenly said casually, "Isn't she pretty?"
Natsu turned a suspicious look on her and she felt it enough to snicker. "So, Mr. Dragneel," Levy hummed as she licked her lips. "What can I do for you?"
"I just…" Natsu faltered. He'd been excited to meet with her. Hoped for answers. But now that he was faced with the prospect of getting those answers… "That scarf...the feeling it gave me...it's important. I feel like it's really important to me." She smiled proudly, happy that he was actually getting to the point now. "And I've had these weird dreams, and there's something wrong. I can feel it in my bones." He paused again. She patiently waited as she took another bite, letting him run through his thoughts. "And when I met that girl earlier...Lucy...it's just...I…"
He clamped up and Levy felt disappointment cloak her. "You thought I could help you?" she said, a bite to her words. "I'm a historian, an archivist, Mr. Dragneel. I'm blind. What exactly do you think you can do?"
"Well, yeah, you're blind and weirdly skilled with all of that stuff, but it doesn't mean you're stupid."
"That's so kind," Levy drawled. Amused when he sputtered, flustered, she said, "I'm joking Mr. Dragneel." Her voice softened. Setting aside her sandwich, she brushed blue locks from her face, annoyed with how they tickled her. "I don't think I can help you with the dreams. Or the feelings, and I'm really, really sorry about that. But...I'll let you in on a little secret." Levy gleaned, leaning towards him. She got close enough that he leaned back, wary of her touching him. "That girl you met earlier, Lucy? She texted me just this morning about a strange dream she had last night. I'll give you her number and let her know that you're going to text her. How does that sound?"
Natsu furrowed his brow, eyeing her suspiciously. "You're not setting me up or anything, are you? I'm not looking for a girlfriend."
Levy tilted her head back and laughed, her hand reaching out and plucking her cane up with ease. "Believe me, it would take you a long time to get that much trust from her. She's had some problems in the past when it came to dating due to her family life. If you end up dating, I'll throw you a party and you'll have my eternal gratitude, Mr. Dragneel. But seriously. Lucy woke up crying from her dreams last night." She stood, ignoring his protests, and took her sandwich back into her hands, shoving the rest of it into her mouth. She had work to do, and though she enjoyed the break she'd been granted...she had a lot to prepare for her talk tomorrow.
She heard the rustling of clothes as Natsu stood and when he spoke again, his voice came from somewhere over her head. She wasn't surprised; she'd had an average idea of how tall he was. Lucy often described people to her by relating them to people they'd known in the past. But for people like Natsu, Levy found she didn't need the comparison. "Thank you. I know we didn't talk about much, but I appreciate that you even met with me."
Her lips trembled; she didn't want him to leave. So long. She'd gone so long without seeing someone outside of Lucy or Gray…
"Would you like a private tour of the museum?" she asked softly, her hidden face tipped back as if she could see his wide eyes. "I'll give you Lucy's number when we're done."
"Sure," he said, and her heart swelled with warmth.
If she couldn't be happy...if she had to wait forever and ever for that one person…
She could at least ensure that they were happy.
Rewritten as of June 16th, 2018!
