The first date they had gone on wasn't something that she could rightly call a "date". It was more of a celebration than an actual planned event, but she wasn't going to nit pick on details. Especially when it came to Gajeel, the guy who pretty much did things on the fly. He wasn't as spontaneous as Natsu, that was for sure, but he rolled with whatever he felt was right. And Levy pretty much followed him along, happy just to be with him, even when she wasn't quite sure what they were. Or what he thought of her.
It was strange, she mused. Ever since they had joined the council, Gajeel seemed even more quiet around her, though he seemed to return to normal around Lily and others who would talk to them. But when she and the dragon slayer were alone, she couldn't help but notice the long looks he would give her, or that he seemed to be mulling over something. He'd blush and pull his eyes away if she caught him staring at her, muttering something under his breath. What baffled her was the small blush on his cheeks, and suddenly she could feel heat in her own cheeks as she swiftly turned back her own work, her mind racing over what had just happened.
What threw her off even more was how often he'd open up to her, talking to her about things she hadn't expected him to. She'd feel self conscious when they sat down in a meeting privately; she could feel the way his eyes would bore into her, making her stutter over her words when she tried to formulate a coherent conversation. He was an absolute rascal then, teasing her with his low voice that tickled the fiber of her being. There was no hiding the brilliant blush then, and she was doomed the moment his fingers would tuck a lock of hair behind her ear instead of ruffling the unruly locks. Of course, he'd never touch her like this in the presence of others, a habit that carried over from when they were at the guild. He'd still tease her, but was more reserved once people made note of it. That felt familiar, something that she could deal with, even if he was still staring at her with eyes that seemed to lighten up when he saw her.
Then came the day when his promotion to Captain was announced, and Levy couldn't hold back the cheer of glee and threw herself at the stunned man. She was so proud of him, she couldn't help it! She would've danced around him if he hadn't suddenly thrown his arms around her and whirled her around, laughing over her surprised squeaking.
"Oi, let's celebrate in style!" He said, grinning cheekily as he set her down. Dizzy, and not a little embarrassed, she could only nod mutely as he whooped, and turned to give the news to Lily. She couldn't resist the pleased giggle then, hugging her arms around her shoulders and whirling about happily. She was still whirling on tip toe when his arms wrapped around her again, startling her for a second time and stilling the laughter with another squeak.
"Ah, d-didn't find him?" She asked, suddenly aware that he probably hadn't even left the room. Oooh goodness, he had probably seen her little dance! But why on earth was he hugging her?
"Erm, I'll find him later," he said, glancing at her before flitting his eyes away. She couldn't help but stare at him, marveling at how red his face had gotten. It was the brightest she had seen from him, and his lips turned into a pout that she found oddly attractive. He turned back to her, a mischievous glint in his eyes that complimented the grin that was back on his face.
"Actually," he began, tightening his arms around her ever so slightly. "I wanna celebrate with you first, privately."
She almost couldn't stop her jaw from dropping in shock, and was grateful that he was holding her, cause she was sure that the sudden racing of her heart would lead her to swoon. Celebrate privately? Was he asking her out on a date? Or...
"Ah, of course!" She nearly yelped, nervous all of a sudden. This wasn't something she had expected from him at all, though she had entertained the idea of them going out. She just figured that he wasn't that kind of guy, but he seemed intent on surprising her any chance he got. Even if he had no clue of what he was doing to her heart.
"Yer treat, by the way," he chuckled, and she sighed, rolling her eyes as the fluttering in her stomach died off. At least something was still the same. And it was a celebration, no doubt he'd be milking the others for attention and beer and praise. But she was getting something that the others wouldn't; the first party with the new Captain, and that she wasn't going to pass up, date or not.