Lemons
The next morning, Levy found herself awake first, weirdly nervous about what the day would hold. She knew how demanding Gajeel could be, and as somewhat of a perfectionist herself, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious about whether they'd be butting heads for the foreseeable future. As she lay there staring at the shadows on the ceiling, she felt Gajeel's arm snake across her stomach.
"Can hear ya thinkin' Kitten. Talk ta me?" His voice was still deep from sleep. words slurring slightly as he was waking fully.
"It's nothin', 'Jeel." She turned to pepper kisses along the lines of studs running down his nose. "Just excited, and a little nervous I guess. Don't want to let you down is all."
"Yer gonna be great, Lev." He tried to reassure her, one hand slowly carding through her tousled hair. "C'mon, le's get started - show ya there's nothin' ta worry about." With a gently kiss against her lips, Gajeel was pushing the covers off to start the day.
Levy flitted around the house, too full of nervous energy to focus on any one task for long and completely unable to sit still. When Gajeel watched her wipe the same section of bench for the fifth time in as many minutes, he'd had enough. Easily, he had her slung over his shoulder, giving him a good view - and a nice handful - of her outstanding ass.
"Right, we gotta burn off some o' this energy Blue. Git ya ta relax."
She giggled as his hair tickled her neck as he walked, squealing when he unceremoniously dropped her onto the still rumpled bed.
Gajeel's large hands made short work of removing their clothing, strewing their pyjama's around the room.
"Ah, Gajeel!" Levy was taken by surprise as, without warning, he pushed his way into her welcoming body.
"So good" he groaned. Hoisting her legs to hook around his waist, he set a blistering pace, hips crashing against hers with enough force Gajeel was sure he was going to bruise her, but his plan worked - Levy was a mewling, flushed mess beneath him, his thrusts driving all thought from her head and leaving her focused solely on how good he felt between her legs. It felt like no time at all before Levy's vision went white and she practically screamed her bliss, the speed and ferocity of her climax catching them both by surprise and pulling Gajeel roaring into his own release.
Levy groaned as the studio came into view, it was apparent that they were the last ones to arrive and she hated being late. Add in the 'I got my brain's fucked out' glow on her cheeks and the fresh love bites adorning her neck and shoulders, and she knew today was going to be interesting, to say the least. Gajeel, however, had no such qualms. He liked being with his woman, liked the noises he could pull from her throat, and he didn't give a damn who saw the marks he left on her. As he walked behind her, taking in the delicious way her hips swung side to side, his mind was on their earlier activities.
"Hey, Shrimp?"
"Hmm?" she questioned over her shoulder.
"Ya okay? Not sore or nothin'?"
"What?" She stopped dead, slightly surprised by his question.
"Just checkin', is all. I mean, I was pretty rough wi' ya. An' then on th' floor, and th' counter, in th' shower..." he trailed off. "Just want ta make sure I didn't hurt ya".
"I am perfectly fine, Gaj. More than, actually. I like it when you're rough with me" she winked at his stunned face, turning and closing the last few metres to the studio. "Come on, we're already late!" Laughing, he just followed her inside, closing the door behind them to block out the cold winter air.
"Finally! Thought you two weren't gonna show!" Natsu yelled from his spot on the couch, where he was laying upside down, causing Levy to rotate her head to try and match his perspective.
"Uh, Natsu? Whatcha doin'?"
"Thinking!" He looked at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm knocking all my ideas loose, duh."
"Riiiiight" she shrugged, slipping off her winter coat and scarf now she was in the warmth, blushing at the whistle Natsu let loose as her neck and shoulders came into view.
"Now I see why you're late." Turning to Gajeel, he smirked. "What are you, an animal?"
"Yeah, in the sack. Yer wish ya had my skills, ash breath."
"Enough!" Wendy screeched. "I already know far more than I care to about everyone's sex lives, I really don't need to know about my two favourite cousins as well. Can we please just get to work?"
"Oh my God, Wendy, I thought you'd never ask!" Levy linked arms with her fellow bluenette, walking to the whiteboard covered with scribbles from the day before.
Gajeel stood behind the group, towering over the girls, as he looked over the board. He truly hated this part of the process, as he knew everyone else present did - the constant analyzing and hyper-criticism of their work was a little soul destroying, regardless of how necessary they all knew the polishing was.
"Fuck it, le's just git it over with" he grumbled. "Lev, give us that manuscript."
The girl in question passed out the sheet music they had spent the previous night writing and editing, and everyone looked it over as they moved to their respective instruments. She couldn't help but be nervous, it was her song after all - the first one she was fully responsible for. Rather than feeling a sense of ownership, like Gajeel had said he did around his music, Levy just hoped it was good enough to live up to their expectations, she didn't want to let anyone down. As if he knew what she was thinking, Gajeel caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up, winking just to see the blush it always caused.
"Ugh, get a room!" Natsu laughed, checking the tuning on his guitar. "All right, let's get it!"
After a couple of quick rough ins, something seemed to click within the band and by their second playthrough, everyone in the room knew they had something special. The third time around, they set up the gear to record. While Levy was glad it was going to be over and they could move on to something a little less personal, the rest of the band was thrilled to have one more song done and dusted.
"Ready guys?" Wendy asked, sticks hovering above her kit as the red "recording" light blinked at them, showing they were indeed getting this on tape. A round of nods, and Levy counted them in with her hand.
The room was instantly filled with the sound of drums and guitar, Natsu abusing the hell out of his reverb pedal. As the high energy intro faded slightly, Gajeel turned his head into the microphone and started to sing.
"Couples on their back in the park
Lay on blankets bought
On a date the day before
A routine I've been longing for
Can't help but to glance
From the corner of my resentful eyes
Guess it's all perspective, but
It's you I never get enough.
We're always far apart."
Taking a breath, Levy inched up to her own microphone, smiling as she caught Gajeel's eye.
"We've got a vicious love
We mix our tears with blood.
No clock will stop for us,
We fight as hard as we love.
We've got a vicious love."
She had to hold back a giggle at the faces Natsu was making, tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he concentrated. She could feel Gajeel next to her vibrating with silent laughter - no matter how long they'd been doing this together, apparently his cousin's antics still amused him.
"When I go out alone
And see them sharing meals
Like Lady and the Tramp.
Hate their loving eyes
Wishing it was you and I.
Add tip to my receipt
Fold it up behind a picture of us.
I guess it's all perspective but,
Together though we rarely touch.
Hard not to fall apart."
They'd decided for the second chorus through, the whole band would make a vocal appearance, and as Levy listened to the play back in her in-ear monitor, she knew it was the right decision.
"We've got a vicious love
We mix our tears with blood.
No clock will stop for us,
We fight as hard as we love.
We've got a vicious love."
Gajeel took a breath, his gravely voice commanding attention as Levy fought to focus on her harmonization, when all she really wanted to do was stop and watch the man she loved in his element - the sight had her clenching with desire.
"I could have given up a thousand times
In the past that was so easy.
When the thought came to my mind
There was no convincing me
Plant my feet to face it all
Side by side or a phone call
Living in tension with you
Still feels better
Better than I've ever known."
As they eased into the brief reprieve, Gajeel looked over at his girlfriend and the raw desire she was staring at him with made his breath catch in his throat. Of course she looks like that, you idiot. He scolded himself - the song was blatantly about him, about their relationship. Fuck he was gonna show her just what she did to him. Later though, right now they had a job to finish.
"We've got a vicious love
We mix our tears with blood (we mix our tears with blood)
No clock will stop for us
It ticks by
We fight as hard as we love
We've got a vicious love (we've got a vicious love)
We mix our tears with blood (we've got a vicious love)
No clock will stop for us
It ticks by
We fight as hard as we love
We've got a vicious love".
As the last few bars played out, the entire group was silent for a moment, before they exploded into smiles and a few fist pumps from Natsu.
"Hell yeah guys! That fucking rocked!"
"Oh my God, that was so much better than I ever imagined!" Levy exclaimed as Gajeel picked her up, swinging her in a circle.
"Fuckin' love ya, Lev'"
Wendy just giggled quietly, secretly filming the entire interaction.
Following a brief respite for lunch, the four members - buoyed by their successful morning - set about combing through their remaining song options. Levy had divided them into two lists, one of songs basically ready to record, the other full of options that needed a substantial amount of editing. Following a heated argument, where neither side had wanted to concede, Levy had stepped in as peacemaker and general task master.
"Why don't we just record both options and the label can choose?" She volunteered to break the tension regarding the 'Static' vs 'Situations' disagreement.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense!" Natsu had readily agreed, to a chorus of groans.
"Great, now can we get on with it?" Gajeel grumbled, it was getting late in the day, and the way Levy was watching him earlier was still seared into his brain. Focusing on anything other than ravishing her again was getting harder as the day went on, much like his manhood had been all day long.
"But..." the pinkette had started to argue again.
"Natsu!" Wendy raised her voice slightly at him, enjoying the way it caused him to stop dead. "I will buy you some of that ridiculously hot chicken on the way home if you will just shut up so we can keep going!"
Natsu cracked one of his trademark goofy grins in response. "Oh yeah, I'm fired up now!"
Blessedly back on track, the rest of the day went smoothly as they managed to crank out three more recordings in quick succession. When she checked her phone, Levy was stunned to see it was late - somehow the entire day had gotten away from them, and she set about tidying the studio as the cousins packed away their gear. With that done to an acceptable standard, Levy had all but ushered the entire group out the door with quick cries of "get home safe!" and "see you tomorrow!"
"Finally" Gajeel growled as he locked the door behind them, wrapping an arm around his girls shoulders against the bracing wind that promised rain. "Felt like I'd never get ya to myself again."
"Silly Gajeel" she giggled, moving closer against his warm body. "You have me all to yourself most of the time! Come on, let's get home, it feels like it's going to rain tonight."
Thankfully, home was a short walk from the studio - even with their detour passed Fairy's to pick up an easy dinner, and they made it well before the skies opened and treated them to a spectacular thunderstorm.
Levy didn't quite know what had gotten into her, but as she watched the lighting flash in the skies above Magnolia, she was struck with an overwhelming urge to go dance in the rain that was currently pouring down.
"Gajeel! Come dance with me!" she called, giggling as she slipped out the back door and ran down the steps into their tiny courtyard.
"Oi, Shrimp, git in here! Yer gonna freeze ta death"
"Come on Gaj, it feels amazing" she purred at him, running her hands down her body, accentuating the curves her wet clothing was clinging to like a second skin. Maybe coming out here in just a shirt wasn't the best idea, she thought to herself as the raindrops burned against her skin. But, rather than finding it unpleasant, Levy was enjoying the cool air and the feeling of the rain on her skin was doing all kinds of interesting things to her brain - mostly, she was feeling the effects between her thighs. As she laughed, spinning and dancing, she felt strong arms wrapping themselves around her waist, and she sighed happily, pushing her hips back against him.
"Careful, Blue, ya might give a man ideas" Gajeel drawled, leaning down so his lips brushed against the shell of her ear.
"Maybe that's the idea" she moaned, reaching an arm back to hook around his neck as she ground against him to the rhythm of the storm.
The night air was cool against her front, her back pressed against the heat of Gajeel's body, as lightning danced across the sky above them, and the rain kept falling. It was all too much, and somehow not enough, Levy thought to herself as Gajeel started trailing rough kisses up and down the column of her neck. Gasping, she took one of his large hands in hers, and placed it on her chest, practically begging to be touched. She sighed blissfully when he got the message, calloused fingers finding a nipple and pinching it, rolling it gently before tugging on the metal bar.
"Tell me what ya want" he growled, voice low and breath hot against her skin.
"Touch me" she whispered back, guiding his other hand down between her legs, gasping as the heat radiating from his fingers warmed her chilled flesh. The lace panties she was wearing were great at being irresistible - as evidenced by the fact she had to keep buying new ones - but they didn't serve as much protection from the rain and the cold. Thankfully, she didn't need to tell him twice, and no sooner were the words out of her mouth than Gajeel had snaked his fingers under the elastic and began rubbing softly against the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs.
"More."
His fingers upped the pace, moving faster, but Gajeel wasn't going to give her what he knew she needed - not until she asked for it explicitly. Pulling his hand away from her chest, he snaked it up until his large hand was resting on her throat. He took pride in the way her breath caught, the slight quiver of her thighs, but he was determined, and increased the pressure on her neck slightly.
"Tell me."
"H-harder, 'Jeel".
Smirking, he bit down on her shoulder as he applied more pressure between her legs, but the keening noise she made somewhere in the back of her throat had him struggling to keep himself under control. Not until she begs for it, he reminded himself. He could feel her muscles tensed, trembling, and knew she was close to climax, but Gajeel knew her body - almost better than he knew his own - and he knew she wouldn't come, not like this. The moan she let loose was proof of that.
"Please". Levy knew she was begging, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She was so close, she could almost taste it, but she needed something, anything, more. The smug bastard behind her knew it too, and she knew he wasn't going to give it to her, not unless she asked. She knew this mood he got in sometimes, and while it made for toe-curling, mind-melting, amazing sex every time, in the heat of the moment she couldn't help but be aggravated by his behaviour.
"Please what, Kitten?"
"Fuck me in the rain." She smirked at she felt him stutter in his ministrations, still not used to her being so forward, but her victory was short lived as she felt herself be picked up, spun around, and then gently dropped onto the metalwork table in the middle of the yard. Levy's head was spinning as she saw her underwear go flying and she felt hot breath against her thighs.
"Not yet" came the cocky reply, red eyes full of mirth. She was so focused on his eyes, the feeling of his studded tongue against her clit caught Levy completely unawares, and she dropped her head back onto the table with a thud. Her hands twisted into his wet hair, nails scratching against his scalp in a way she knew he liked. As the fire in her belly ratcheted up to inferno status, she held his head in place as she chased her release, the metal in his mouth catching and dragging against her own intimate piercing. Levy was so close to her bliss, she'd forgotten about the storm, forgotten about the cold and about the dull ache in the back of her head, but as Gajeel withdrew from her, all of it came rushing back in a flood of sensation and she squirmed, trying to reconcile everything she was feeling.
"I said not yet, Kitten."
Meekly, Levy nodded, her brain short circuiting from all the sensations, jumping as thunder cracked loudly overhead. She sat still, allowing Gajeel to remove her saturated shirt, shivering as the rain died into steady drizzle, the feeling of the constant raindrops setting her skin ablaze. Silently, she slid off the table, allowing Gajeel to turn her around and bend her over it, her face pressed into the metal top as he stretched her arms wide.
"Don't hold back, Lev."
And with that, he sheathed himself deeply inside her welcoming heat. Giving her no time to adjust, Gajeel set about fucking her senseless, his hips slamming against the cushion of her divine rear, the sight of it bouncing from the impact was making his mouth water, and driving his desire sky high. The lightning crashed overhead, like the sky itself was roiling with the headiness of their desire, and Gajeel was fighting to stay in control, the feel of Levy's body quivering around and beneath him threatening to pull him into oblivion.
Levy was spiralling out of control, the cold steel of the table against her overheated flesh the only thing keeping her grounded. The sound of the storm, the lightning flashing above, the feeling of the rain on her skin, and the studs down Gajeel's length dragging against her entrance all sent her soaring, her entire body on fire and her brain completely shut down. She wasn't even aware she was screaming in time with the thunder, too consumed with the waves of absolute euphoria she was riding.
"Easy Kitten, deep breaths". Gajeel was hovering just inside view, smirking at the way her nose wrinkled as she took in the change of scenery.
"How long have we been in here?"
"Not long, baby. Ya okay?"
""m fantastic" she slurred, blinking owlishly. "Why do you ask?"
"Cause ya screamed so loud th' neighbours prob'ly heard, even with the storm, an' yer been kinda out o' it ever since".
"Oh" Levy giggled. "Sorry, I guess?" Gajeel bundled her into his arms as he guided them towards the steaming shower cubicle, thankful that the main bathroom had a seat built under the spray.
"Gods woman, don't apologize. Do ya know how fucking hot that was?" His member rubbed against her hip, still completely erect from earlier.
"No, but I'm getting the idea." She smiled, lazily wrapping her and around him and stroking his length unhurriedly.
"Ya don't have ta..." Gajeel trailed off with a groan as her soft fingers danced along the studs. "Ya sure yer up ta it?"
Levy just smiling, leaning over and swallowing him whole, humming in happiness when his head hit the back of her throat.
"Jesus, fuck!" Gajeel was surprised by her actions, but he figured if she was up for that, she probably had enough energy for one more round, so he reluctantly pulled her mouth off him, trying not to giggle at her pout, and guided her to straddle his lap. The water was warm as it beat down on them, chasing the earlier chill away, the air thick with steam and the tang of arousal. Levy was strung out, every nerve ending in her body alive as she let Gajeel take her weight, guiding her up and down his length in languid strokes. At this point, she wasn't even sure where she ended and he began, but she knew in her very soul that she was safe to let go, so that's precisely what she did.
Releasing her hands from around his shoulders, Levy began to arch her back down, shoulders tilting backwards, and she kept going until her hands were planted on the wall behind her head, and she felt the warmth that came with a good stretch. Finally, a practical use for all that yoga, she thought to herself as Gajeel swore from somewhere above her. She was completely at his mercy like this, unable to do more than brace herself and flex her walls around him. Gajeel was certain he'd died, and this was heaven. There was no way this was currently happening. With Levy bent over like this, he could only thrust shallowly, but the angle had him dizzy almost instantly, and the view - dear God, the sight before him was enough to make a grown make weep. Long, taught stomach muscles quivering above her womanhood, exposed for his viewing pleasure. He could see the dainty metal nestled at the top of her clit, the tiny red gem almost winking at him, inviting him to come and play. Who was he to deny?
Levy was overwhelmed, so sensitive from her earlier orgasm every tiny movement Gajeel made had her entire body twitching. When he added his calloused fingers to the mix, gently twirling at her piercing, she nearly cried with the pleasure coursing through her.
"Gajeel, please!"
"Please, wha', kitten? Tell me what yer need." His voice was soft as he helped her to sit up slowly, then gave her his hand to steady her as she stood on shaking legs, turning around so her back was pressed to his front, and she sheathed him back inside of her.
"I need... I..." Levy's voice trailed off, brain unsure of what exactly her body needed.
"Okay, okay, relax kitten" Gajeel kept his voice soothing, sitting perfectly still. "Trust me, okay?" At her almost imperceptible nod, Gajeel wound his arms around her, linking their fingers as he slowly dragged his length the length of her quivering sex. Slowly he eased her back up towards her climax, with gentle kisses and easy thrusts. He could feel her squirm, her slight weight shifting just a little on his legs, and he released a hand to bring his palm up to cup her breast, fingers plucking and playing with the rosy tip. Encouraged by her moan, and the way she was grinding down on him just that little bit more, he slid their still linked hands down over her hips, guiding their fingers between her spread thighs.
"Show me, Kitten" he whispered against her hair, plastered to her neck from the thankfully still hot water.
Levy moved her fingers nimbly, running on instinct alone, as she showed Gajeel how she needed to be touched. Her hand faltering as the pleasure built within her, Gajeel was quick to take over and oh, fuck if he wasn't somehow perfect at it, his large rough hands adding the perfect amount of friction. Levy was close to tears, moaning as she ground herself hard against him, hoping he'd get the hint. Blissfully, he was always good at reading her signs and he stood, bending Levy over at the waist as he began to literally pound into her. She sobbed, her hands scrabbling against the cool tiles as the shower beat down hot on her back, and Gajeel's hand between her legs did something that caused her knees to buckle slightly.
She felt like she was on fire, her entire body tensed and waiting for a release that was just out of reach. It was all too much, the sensations fighting against each other for attention, and Levy couldn't focus on any one of them for long enough to reach that peak. She knew she was crying from the frustration, knew he would hear it in her voice if she spoke, but she knew he was the only one who could help her - who would known what she needed, even when she didn't herself.
"Gaj, please. Help me."
Gajeel knew then it was all over for him, the sound of her begging had him clenched to stave off his release. Bending down, he whispered against her ear.
"Trust me". At the eager nod he got in response, Gajeel slid his hand away from her breast, bringing it up to rest around her neck. Clearing his throat, he moved the hand still between her legs in time with his words.
"Focus on my voice, kitten. That's it, good" his fingers stroked the column of her neck, beginning to apply pressure. "Let everythin' else fall away, it's just me an' yer." He'd never been more thankful for the hot water upgrade they'd done than he was right now, pulling his hand from between her legs to bump the temperature up to where it was almost scalding him, but he'd endure it for her, for how good he knew it was going to be.
"Kurogane" she whined beneath him, but he could see the tension gone from her shoulders.
"Good girl, Lev. Focus" his fingers drew tighter, and her breath started to catch. "Feel me against yer skin, my hand on yer hip."
Levy whimpered, her fingers curling.
"Feel me inside ya, studs rubbing against yer entrance."
Her walls clenched around him.
"Listen ta my voice, there's just us." His hand tightened further, and Levy's breathing became choked and audible. "Feel how wet yer are, how deep inside yer I am." Gajeel punctuated his words with deep thrusts that had Levy keening, walking the line between pleasure and pain. "When I let go, yer goin' ta come for me."
She choked out something that fell between a moan and a sob, and then Gajeel let go of her throat.
As Levy gasped for air, every sensation she'd been blocking out came rushing back in, swirling behind her eyes and shocking her system into the most intense orgasm she'd ever had. Her vision went completely white, then black, before a galaxy of colour exploded behind her eyes, which were blown wide open, unfocused and unseeing. Her entire body tensed, before practically convulsing, and Gajeel was glad he had held tight through his own climax, or he was certain she would have collapsed into a shaking mess on the floor. His legs were dripping from her release as he held her steady, gathering her to his chest tenderly when the strongest of her tremors subsided.
Gajeel made quick work of rinsing them both, trying his best to be gentle with her, using the softer back of his hand to rinse her sex, cringing a little as even that sent her into a new wave of spasms. Through it all, Levy seemed unaware, her eyes still unfocused, amber irises glowing brightly in the dimly lit room. As her body was wracked with the occasional tremor, that thankfully seemed to be getting less frequent, if no less violent, Gajeel bundled them up into the large fluffy towels that had been on the warming rail, and carried the near catatonic bluenette to bed.
As he slid them into bed, curling protectively around the small woman in his arms, Gajeel began to stroke her hair and sing quietly, almost to himself.
"The dawn is breaking
A light shining 're barely waking,
And I'm tangled up in you."
"Mmm, that sounds nice" came the airy response from under his chin.
"Levy! Ya alright kitten?" Gajeel pulled away to look at her, hissing at the cold air hitting his chest.
"Very much so" she stated, pulling him back against her.
"Ya had me worried, Blue. Never seen ya like tha' before."
"Sorry 'Jeel, didn't mean to scare you." Her voice was light, airy, like she wasn't quite there, not completely back yet, and she moaned as another tremor had her entire body shuddering.
"Ya been doin' that a while."
"Mhmm, just riding the aftershocks. You were incredible" she purred, nuzzling her face against his chest.
"Tch, could say th' same 'bout yer. Fuck, ya were a sight to behold." He wrapped his arms tighter around her, tiredness catching up with their overly taxed muscles.
"Love you, Gaj."
"Love ya, Lev, so much." And with a gentle kiss pressed into her hair, they drifted blissfully off into slumber.
It was open mic night at the Fairy Tail bar, and Levy and Gajeel were smiling as they entered the same door they had left from all those months before, back where their crazy love story had begun anew. The entire crew was gathered, with the notable exception of Juvia and Gray who were sequestered at home with their frankly adorable new son, ready to kick back and blow off some steam, in celebration of both a new member to their peculiar family and the fact they'd finally finished recording the album options earlier that week. Gajeel had grabbed one of the last corner booths, the only table big enough for them all the cluster around, and the rest of the gang had slowly trickled in, seeming to just gravitate towards the hulking singer. It was one of the things Levy loved about him, she thought as she smiled, the way people just seemed drawn to him despite all his efforts to look intimidating. Shaking herself free of her thoughts, she slid free of the booth and made her way to the bar where she chatted easily with Mira, before bringing a tray of drinks back to the table.
"One round of fire whiskey, as per your request Natsu" she spoke, sliding the tray of drinks into the middle of the table and climbing back onto her perch on Gajeel's lap, smiling as his arms wrapped around her waist. "Wonder what kind of entertainment we're going to get tonight?"
"As long as I don't gotta listen to Laxus sing, I don't care!" Natsu joked, waving enthusiastically at the man in question who was lurking near the bar, presumably to keep any undesirable clientele away from his girl, who was currently making her way onto the stage, the lights reflecting off her snowy hair.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to another one of our infamous open mic nights!" Mira smiled, waiting for the cheers to subside. "Now, before we begin, let me remind you all of the rules! If you want to perform, come see either Cana or myself at the bar for the sheet. You are welcome to use the house gear" she gestured to the handful of instruments behind her "or whatever you brought with you. Covers and originals both are welcome, but absolutely under no circumstances can you perform 'Wonderwall'." Mira paused, waiting for the laughter to die down. "If you need anything else, Sting and Rogue are your techs for tonight, go see them up the back. Sign ups are open, break a leg everyone!"
Even dressed as incognito as possible, their table was still garnering a fair amount of attention. Between Natsu's shockingly pink hair, and the sheer size of Gajeel, it wasn't hard for most patrons to put two and two together, and they were acutely aware of the whispering being done about them. So much so, it was almost a relief when Mira made her way over, picking through the crowded room, with a tray of drinks and a request.
"On the house" she smiled apologetically. "I know you guys are just here to relax, have a good time, but word has clearly gotten out - we haven't been this packed in, well, ever!"
"It's fine, Mira!" Natsu grinned.
"Tch, they're all behavin' at least" Gajeel grunted into his beer.
"Okay... Well, I have a proposition for you guys! I'll let you drink for free if you guys will get up and do a song or two, maybe a few introductions?" she looked around the table, eyes hopeful. The friends glanced at one another, Levy felt her smile growing when Gajeel groaned.
"Fine, ya damn she devil. But yer better keep those drinks comin'."
Mira snapped a salute before beating a hasty retreat, having more sense than to wait around for Gajeel to change his mind. After sitting through a handful of mediocre performances - and one bad enough to make Levy's ears feel like bleeding - Mira had given them the signal and the band made their way to the stage under darkened lighting.
"I know you all saw them hiding there in the corner, so get your phones out and make some noise for Magnolia's very own Dragon Slayers!"
The lights came up to reveal the four of them on stage - Wendy and Levy waving shyly, Gajeel standing with his arms crossed, and Natsu grinning and waving with his usual over the top enthusiasm. Gajeel stepped up to the microphone at the front of the stage as the rest of the band took up their positions at the instruments already on stage, as Rogue scurried around setting up additional microphones.
"What's up Fairy Tail?" Gajeel called, stepping easily into his rockstar persona as the bar roared with cheers. "We are the Dragon Slayers, an' y'all can thank that demon behind the bar for this impromptu performance. Now, we got a new record comin' out real soon, an' the powers that be aren't gonna like what we're 'bout to do." He signalled to Natsu, who began playing the opening chords to what they hoped was going to be their first single. "But fuck 'em! Put yer hands t'gether for this absolute babe, my Shrimp, who wrote this one. We call it 'Vicious Love'." and with that, the band burst into song as Levy stepped up beside her man, keeping her eyes on him through the entire song. It seemed like no time at all before the last notes rang out, and the entire bar erupted into deafening levels of applause and hollers. Without missing a beat, they swung into 'I Don't Wanna Know' before they all stepped down as Gajeel introduced the next artist.
Try as they might to relax in peace, the rest of the night was filled with people coming up to the table and the repeat conversation of "I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you, but I'm such a big fan..." followed by either more gushing or an autograph request, both of which were sent on their way with a sneer and a snide remark from Gajeel. The handful of younger kids who followed their intro with a plea for advice were received more warmly, and helped however possible in the few short moments they had. Levy was surprised to see she herself had a few fans in the crowd, and she tried her best to interact graciously with everyone who stopped by. That is, until it was her name called over the stereo system and she made her escape, avoiding the curious looks she was getting from everyone there, but none more so than Gajeel.
"Hey everyone, thanks for indulging me!" She spoke brightly, settling herself down with the acoustic guitar. "I've been working on something a little different, I'd love to play it for you. Let me know what you think!" And with that, she began to pluck at the strings, closing her eyes and swaying softly as she started to sing.
"Look around
There's no one but you and me
Right here and now
The way it was meant to be
There's a smile on my face
Knowing that together everything that's in our way
We're better than alright
Walking between the raindrops
Riding the aftershock beside you
Off into the sunset
Living like there's nothing left to lose
Chasing after gold mines
Crossing the fine lines we knew
Hold on and take a breath
I'll be here every step
Walking between the raindrops with you...
There's a smile on my face
Knowing that together everything that's in our way
We're better than alright
Walking between the raindrops
Riding the aftershock beside you
Off into the sunset
Living like there's nothing left to lose
Chasing after gold mines
Crossing the fine lines we knew
Hold on and take a breath
I'll be here every step
Walking between the raindrops with you...
Between the raindrops with you".
Levy opened her eyes, blinking them against the bright lights as she heard cheers and applause - and a voice that was distinctly Lucy's screaming something about "getting some". Standing, she bowed slightly before waving at the crowd.
"Thanks for indulging me, everyone! I'm gonna take the rest of my crew home now before they drink the bar dry. Enjoy the rest of your night!" As she skipped down from the stage, she was met by her entire group of friends with smiles on their faces as they made their way free from the crowd and out into the winter night, splitting off to go their separate ways home. Shivering at the cold air, Levy wrapped herself around Gajeel's arm as they began the short walk home.
"Well, pretty sure th' whole world knows we're fuckin' after that little stunt, Shrimp."
"I'm sorry" she frowned at the harshness in his voice. "I wasn't aware it was some big secret. You literally posted something about us on the bands Instagram last week! But I can't write one song - that could be about anything, thank you very much!" she pulled away from him, anger reddening her cheeks. "You're such a hypocrite! You only want to show me off when it makes you look good! Heaven forbid I do something for myself without checking with the Mr Redfox first!" she stomped away, throat burning with the effort to not cry.
"Oi! Would ya just stop?!" Gajeel yelled at the quickly disappearing back of his girlfriend. "Yer could've at least run it by me first! Maybe I didn't want th' world ta know, maybe I wanted ta keep it b'tween us!"
"Why?" she whirled around on his, hair blowing in the winter breeze, her eyes wide and cheeks red as she screamed at him. "Are you ashamed of me? That's it, isn't it? Little Levy McGarden, too short, not busty enough, what would he ever want with her!"
"Goddamnit woman! Stop!" Gajeel roared, grabbing her arms and crushing her to his chest, lips smashing down on hers desperately. "I wanted ta keep it b'tween us, 'cause I wanted ta keep yer all to maself. I'm a selfish bastard, an' I don't wanna share yer with the rest o' the world! I see how men look at ya, an' it drives me crazy t' know yer gonna belong ta everyone, not just me!"
Levy just blinked owlishly, stunned by his confession. "I'm sorry, Gaj. I had no idea you felt like that" she hugged him close, before tangling their fingers together and pulling him softly. "Let's go home, yeah?" Humming in agreement, he let himself be pulled along, thankful for the short walk as he knew they were both likely to get caught up in overthinking.
"Hey Shrimp?" he called softly as she unlocked the front door.
"Hmm?"
"Was that our first public spat?"
"Yeah, and I think we're in trouble" Levy giggled, pointing at the black cat staring them down, a stern expression on his face.
"C'mon Lil', don't be like that!" Gajeel edged around her, bending to pick up their furry friend. "Now don't ya look a' me like that, it's not my fault she's so sexy I wanna keep her chained t' th' bed all the time".
Lily meowed loudly, apparently unhappy with the explanation he was given.
"It was my fault too" Levy sighed, scratching behind his rounded ears the way she knew he liked. "I should have spoken to you first, I'm sorry Gajeel."
"I shouldn'ta flown off at yer like I did Lev'. I'm sorry too" he leant down, kissing the top of her hair tenderly as he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, I'm beat."
Levy yawned, suddenly aware of how tired she was, and allowed herself to be guided towards the bedroom where, once under the covers, they promptly fell asleep in a tangle of limbs and one purring housecat.
Songs -
"Vicious Love" - New Found Glory (feat. Hayley Williams)
"I Don't Wanna Know" - New Found Glory
"Between the Raindrops" - Lifehouse (feat. Natasha Bedingfield)
