Friday came way too fast. Did he want to leave straight from school or come pick me up later? I had no idea. I probably should've asked him, but to be honest, the morning after he asked me, I wasn't sure if it had been real or I'd dreamt it. He had reassured me that no, I wasn't dreaming, and yes, he was taking me out. Every day since, he'd taken to teasing me about my wild imagination.
On Friday morning, I stood in front of my closet wrapped in a towel, trying to decide what to wear. I hadn't been on a date since middle school, and I wasn't sure what I'd been on could even be called a date.
If life were a book or movie, this would be the part where my more fashionable friends came to the rescue, but they'd already left for their various practices or extracurriculars.
He always said he didn't care what I wore when we texted, but I couldn't help feeling nervous and nothing in my closet looked good enough.
I finally decided on two separate outfits, one that would be appropriate for school and one that I could have waiting in case he was picking me up later. I pulled on the black sweater and green skirt combo, quickly combed through my hair, put in a headband, and pulled on my tights and boots. It was chilly, so I grabbed Gajeel's jacket- that he kept "forgetting" to ask for- and wrapped myself in the huge leather garment.
Grabbing my bag, phone, and key to my dorm, I bounced downstairs to wait for my knight in shining piercings riding up in his black Jeep.
When I heard the familiar rumbling of his tires on the gravel driveway, my stomach flipped. I took a deep breath telling myself today was just like any other day, with the added bonus of dinner with my already-kind-of-boyfriend.
He idled in front of the dorm's glass front door and I took another deep breath, hiked my bag up on my shoulder, and put on a brave face.
"It's just another day, Levy," I muttered to myself as I pushed the door open and braced against the crisp October air.
He grinned his signature grin as I climbed into the passenger seat.
"Just a few more hours, Shrimp," he teased.
My cheeks betrayed me and burned bright red.
"Don't be nervous. It's just a regular, boring day at school," he said, pulling forward around the circular drive. "It's after school that ya gotta be nervous about."
The final bell rang and I bolted from gym. Gajeel was taking me out straight after school and I couldn't wait to meet him. I desperately wanted to know what this "place he knew" was.
I was too fast, though, I realized as I made it to the school's main door and he wasn't there. I took a moment to catch my breath, then peered at my reflection in the glass. My hair had flattened as the day went on and my cheeks were flushed from gym. I'd never really noticed how truly awful I looked after school each day. And I'd been letting him see me like this?
"Don't be nervous, Blue," Cana's voice said in my head.
I furrowed my brow and nodded once, smoothing my hair and retying my headband. I walked through the doors and sat on the bench just outside the building. I watched throngs of people pass by, desperate to leave school and get ready for Halloween the next day, whether they were going to Cana's party or the festival.
I heard his laugh before I saw him. He left the building with Erik, probably talking about their set for the festival. He saw me and waved, said something to Erik, and walked over to meet me.
I stood up and grinned at him. "Where are we going?"
"Some place you'll like," he promised as he took my hand and we set of toward his Jeep.
Fifteen minutes later, we were downtown, parking on the street by one of the antique shops. We left our bags and got out of the car and I looked around, trying to figure out where it was that he was taking me. He led me across the street where, nearly unnoticeable next to a hair salon, was a tiny restaurant. With one bar with three stools, three six-seater tables, and a small round table in the corner, the place was intimate, and very calm. At the door, we were handed menus and greeted by a girl who looked all too happy to help us.
One glance at the menu and I noticed they almost exclusively served crepes. All kinds, sweet and savory, breakfast and lunch. After a few moments, I ordered a crepe with strawberries and Nutella spread, and he ordered a Monte Cristo crepe. We both ordered hot chocolate. She sent our order back to the kitchen and led us to the small table in the corner. Immediately, another employee brought us each a glass of water.
"How did you find this place?" I asked him, looking around at the vintage decor and paintings from local artists.
"The owner of the coffee shop where I write my songs just bought this place. He's a good man. I like to support them," he said, not taking his eyes off me.
In my peripheral vision, I saw a flyer leaning against the wall and picked it up. It was a flyer for the local orphanage. At the bottom of the flyer, in bold letters, read "This month's proceeds will be given to the Cait Shelter Home For Lost Children."
"Each month, they choose a charity," he explained as I read over the flyer.
In one picture, there was a small girl with dark blue hair holding an angry-looking white cat. Though the girl was smiling, there was a certain sadness in her eyes.
"Her name is Wendy," he said. "The band sponsors her. Sometimes she stays with one of us so she can get out of the orphanage."
I looked up at him. "I had no idea," I whispered.
He grinned. "Don't be sad, shorty. She's had a rough life, but she's on the road to a better life. She's in middle school now, but I think she wants to come to Fairy Tail when she hits high school. I'm gonna make sure that happens. The second I turn eighteen I'm gonna start working toward fostering her permanently."
This was a side of Gajeel that nobody had ever seen. He was wonderful.
"'Course with her, I also get Carla," he pointed to the cat in the picture. "Not sure how Panther Lily will feel about a friend."
I was so caught up in his stories about the things he'd done with Wendy that I didn't notice when I short, greying, mustached man brought us our food.
"Eat up kids! Gajeel, you need your strength for the show tomorrow. We'll be watching!" he crowed.
"Gi-hee," Gajeel chuckled. "Thanks, Mr. Yagima. I won't let you down."
We didn't talk much as we ate, but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence. When we finished, we thanked Mr. Yagima, left some money in the donation jar, and walked outside where the daylight was starting to fade away.
"Anywhere else ya'd like to go, Shrimp?" he asked as we got into the Jeep, but I didn't answer.
I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I want to meet Wendy. She's an important part of your life and I'd like to be a part of both of your lives."
He looked shocked, but smiled as he started the engine. "Tomorrow, Levy."
