Chapter 11

As they arrived at the guild and headed to the bar Gajeel immediately grabbed his cat, who was sitting with a kiwi juice, saying that they needed to talk in private. He gave the small woman a reassuring smile as they left for the second floor.

Levy could only assume that they were going to talk about her staying with them. Grabbing her full bag from where Gajeel had placed it she planned to put it in her locker before heading back to his place later. The sight of the woman she drank with the night before stopped her in her tracks.

Ivy dragged her large boots down the hall with her head hung low. Her hair, that was no longer in braids, was massive; she obviously had yet to brush it either. The woman made her way to the bar; dropping into a stool while placing her head in her arms and then stopped moving.

Levy tried to suppress a laugh, but a snort was able to slip through. Deciding to help her new disheveled friend she quickly took her bag to the locker room then headed to the infirmary. When she arrived back at the bar Kinana had placed a large glass on water in front of the immobile woman.

"Hey," Levy climbed onto the stool next to Ivy only to be ignored. "Hey Ivy, I've got something you might want." A light nudge in to the larger woman's ribs earned a grunted response. "A nice hangover cure, drink half with that water and you'll be good as new."

Ivy's hand whipped out from under her head, grabbing the potion bottle Levy had been waving next to her. Quickly she drank half and then her water letting out a long sigh as it started to take effect.

Levy almost toppled out of her stool with the sudden movement of the other woman. Her hand had moved like a striking snake to grab the bottle only lifting her head after it was in her possession. Levy's eyes grew wide watching the tall woman, barely able to comprehend how she could move with such speed being as tall and broad as she was. The only people she could think of comparing it to, who could match the movement without magic, where Gajeel, Laxus, and Bickslow; and the three men had spent years mastering their body movements.

"Do I really look that bad?" The potion had taken full affect and Ivy was now looking at the opened mouth shock Levy now carried.

Levy shook her head deciding to wonder about the power this woman must have later. "No, but I think you have crazier hair than me or Gajeel." Letting out a laugh she couldn't help and once again staring at the large poofy mess that was Ivy's curls.

"Uhg, every time." Ivy groaned as she tried to flatten the mass, before pulling it over her left shoulder and twisting it into a soft side braid. "You could have washed that off."

Levy looked to the arm Ivy had nodded at, remembering the dragon living there. She hadn't noticed the night before or this morning but if she looked closely she could see that Ivy had even added red eyes to the creature. Levy gently placed her fingers over the piece almost stroking it. "I like it and it's too beautiful to only last one night. Were the eyes intentional?"

"Yup, it may not be my favorite topic, but even I know love when I see it."

Levy felt her face burn. She knew the woman was right. She loved the iron dragon slayer, but it wasn't something she had admitted to anyone yet. They where words she wanted him to hear first, as soon as she was completely positive he felt as deeply as she did.

"If you like it that much I could design it as a tattoo. I've always wanted to do that for myself, but I have no idea what I would want."

"What! No, nope, not happening" Levy's small hands frantically waved in front of her face as if trying to disperse the very idea. "It's amazing but I think that would be way to forward."

Ivy held up her hands in a defensive manner, "I'm not pushing it was just an idea. Oh, and thanks for the potion would it be okay if I kept the other half?"

Already noticing that the bottle had disappeared into the tall woman's pocket Levy nodded her head. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone about it. Wendy keeps them hidden. If she didn't her stock would be empty every Saturday morning." The women's laughter quickly dropped away as Levy grabbed onto Ivy's arm.

"Last night you told me about a theory involving Solid Script! What were the details again?" She had just remembered part of a conversation from the night before. It had been awe inspiring and could help her on jobs, but the details were fuzzy.

"Right, okay common knowledge with Solid Script is that it's easier to use in your native tongue, because it's the language you know best. The theory is because it takes magic to produce every letter, what if you wrote a smaller word? You said last night you are a polyglot, I missed how many languages you actually know, but if you're completely fluent and there are equivalent words to spells you know with shorter lettering…"

"I could use less magic writing the word and more boosting the effect it has." How had she never thought of this before! Her spells could be more powerful even if she used the same amount of energy she was currently, the percentages of where that energy went would merely be exchanged. "I would have to practice. It could take a bit to tweak it the way I want and several languages would have to be experimented with…."

Ivy watched as Levy continued to sink into her mind muttering slightly under breath. Smiling at the bluenette she couldn't help but like her. Turning back toward the bar and drinking the fresh water the bar maid gave her, I should ask her name, Ivy wondered if there was any chance she could stay. Watching the other mages she didn't feel like the odd one left out. They all had their quirks, and they all seemed so open. A slight heat flowed to her face as she bit the scar on her lip thinking about the night before.

It wasn't the most vivid memory, thanks to her new found love of scotch, but the warmth of being picked up and held was there. She should have freaked out. She hadn't been lifted off the ground since she was young, she couldn't remember when her head had been injured, and the sensation was unnerving. The slight familiarity of the arms around her and smell of a thunder storm was the only thing that kept her calm. She had been placed in a bed with her boots removed, and that was where her memories ended.

When she awoke she found herself in a guest room down a side hall in the guild. Fortunately it had a bathroom that she promptly ran to and hugged the toilet. It was only after her stomach was empty that she released her hair, shaking it out as she slide on her boots and headed to the bar.

She couldn't keep the large blond out of her mind. Laxus… with a start she realized she didn't even know his last name. This brought her back to reality. I can't stay, so I can't build this infatuation anymore. Two more days and I'll leave. The crushing loneliness at the thought of being on her own again weighed down her shoulders I'm so tired of being alone. Before Ivy could sink she was once again pulled from her thoughts, almost literally.

"I need someone to help me with this, let's go to the practice field." Levy started dragging the woman off her stool and toward the doors. The bluenette could be unexpectedly strong and had a tight grip.

Ivy let a smile creep back to her face as she was pulled along. I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.


Laxus stretched his back as he walked out of his office. He had to come in early, unable to get any of his paper work done the day before. In a drawer in his desk he kept a small supply of hangover cures; saved to be used on days like today. He didn't want to deal with the after math of not sending documents into the magic council because he wasn't able to function.

He couldn't say he regretted the night before, it had been fun. He realized that he got along well with Gajeel and Levy could be entertaining when alcohol was involved. Then there was Ivy. When he thought of her he had to stop his feet from attempting to head down the back stairs to see if she was up. This helped him to remember that he was in for a world of annoyance.

Mira had seen him carry the tall woman to the guest rooms used for new mages, and the look the demon barmaid had given almost made him drop Ivy back into her seat. It was only the face that pushed into his chest as she whispered about the smell of rain that allowed him to ignore Mira and keep walking. He could only hope that Gramps didn't find out, or he would never hear the end of it.

Staying away from the hammer girl until all this was over was probably his only option. The hollow feeling that filled his gut at the idea of not spending time with Ivy unnerved the man. This was not happening. Yes he had wanted someone, but he still wasn't sure about the whole committed forever thing or even how to start if he wanted to. Fortunately he saw Gajeel talking with Lily as he rounded the corner to the second floor balcony.

Catching the end of the conversation before the Exceed flew off to find Laki, he gave Gajeel a surprised look as he sat down across from the other dragon slayer.

"You will keep this to yourself." Gajeel pointed a finger at the other man with a glare.

"Only if you do the same with what I'm about to ask you." Laxus shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Gajeel leaned back in his seat, he really hated this shit.

Gajeel could see how stressed Laxus was and no matter how much he wanted to move this conversation along, he wouldn't. Talking to the tall blond the night before let him see that underneath the gruff, hard, wall like attitude was a guy who wasn't sure anymore. Having almost lost the people he cared about and almost dying himself at Tartaros, his confidence had taken a hit. Pushing him would have the same effect as pushing the hammer girl, a barrier and avoidance.

Laxus finally seemed to figure out his inner struggle and leaned forward. "How did you know?" He looked to where Ivy was talking to the little bluenette at the bar hoping to get the message across.

Gajeel felt his eyes widen as he followed the blonds gaze, this is not what he expected. "Uh, just to be clear this conversation never happened." Having the gray / orange eyes lock back on him Gajeel took a deep breath before continuing. "The Harvest Festival, when you tried to fry her and I took the hit was when it started. Then it grew from there. Before I knew it she was all I could think about. The only reason I didn't do anything sooner was because I thought she wouldn't want me, considering how we first met."

Gajeel glanced down at the bar as Levy started to drag the other woman out of the hall; the sight of her bouncing with excitement as she walked had him starting to grin. Pulling himself together and morphing his mouth into its usual smirk he turned back to Laxus who he saw was also watching the two women. The expression on the blonds face was one he recognized well, but he couldn't stop himself from poking at the larger man. "You better hope Gramps or Mira don't see you looking at hammer girl like that. Gihihi"

"The Demon already knows." A sigh followed that hollow statement as Laxus thudded his head onto the table which was a surprise. Gajeel had been ready for a punch and a command to shut up.

"Oh, you have it bad. Gihihi, why don't you act like a normal guy and ask her on a date?"

"I get the feeling you didn't do that with Levy." Laxus' muffled reply hit the iron dragon slayer in the gut. The blond was right, what had he done with Levy; hung around the guild and messed around. Sure they had spent time together when they had been on the council, but romantic stuff had yet to be introduced to their relationship.

Dating was in neither of the men's list of experiences, and they both felt very uncomfortable with the concept.

"Listen, you're right. I've never taken Levy out, but I'm going to ask her today and go somewhere tonight. You should probably do the same. I don't think hammer girl is just going to fall into bed with you like every other one that's ended up there."

Laxus lifted his head to pierce the other dragon slayer with a glare. "I don't think I want her to." He then pushed himself from the table and headed back to his office.


An hour after Levy had dragged her from the bar to the practice field out behind the guild; Ivy lay in the grass on her back demanding a break. Levy had easily proven how quickly her mind worked. She converted several of her spells to Lao, Bosnian a dialect of Boscan, or ancient Belarusian. The results were far beyond what they had anticipated.

At first the small woman had used her original spells so Ivy would have a comparison point. After that it was a free for all. Ivy dodged, rolled, and jumped around giving Levy a moving target. Even though she had told Levy to practice her Thunder spell on a tree, there wasn't a point to aim it at her and she didn't need the extra energy, she eventually had to pull her hammer to deflect several other spells as her movements began to slow with exertion.

When the hammer came into play Levy demanded that Ivy attack her so she could practice her Guard. After three close calls, causing the small girl to roll away almost being hit by the neon blue electricity, she figured out how to use Guard in Lao. The new form only cracked under the hammer after four hits.

Levy lay next to the other woman, she was tired but her mind was still spinning with the possibilities that this new knowledge brought. Looking over at Ivy she could no longer contain her curiosity. "How did you know about Solid Script? You obviously don't use it." She watched as the woman, who even when exhausted tapped her fingers and jiggled her feet, froze at the question. Levy debated withdrawing before she saw Ivy draw in a large breath.

"My dad was a Solid Script mage. He wasn't as adept with his magic as you are, and his career choice was a professor at a University teaching History. He started trying to experiment with his magic when his friend in the linguistics department mentioned the possibility. " Ivy refused to meet Levy's questioning gaze.

Even though Levy knew she wasn't supposed to push she couldn't stop herself. "Did he ever succeed like we did today?"

"No, he had started to learn Boscan but he stopped using magic all together after my mom died." Ivy pushed herself into a sitting position clearly done with the conversation. The heavy silence that fell over the two women was only broken when Levy's stomach released a loud growl.

"I got so excited I forgot I haven't eaten anything." Levy jumped to her feet giving the other woman a sheepish smile as her stomach made more noise. "I don't think you've had anything either." Extending her hand to the still seated woman, Levy could only pray that her questions hadn't pushed Ivy away. Relief flooded her as her small hand was grabbed by a larger heavily calloused one.

The two women covered with grass stains, dust, and some light bruising joined Gajeel back at his table for lunch. As they finished and Ivy was planning on cleaning up Natsu burst through the doors, and rushed to their table.

"Hey hammer girl! I didn't get to fight you last night so let's do it!" Natsu's fist became covered in flames as he moved to stand over Ivy, catching the attention of everyone in the hall.

"No, I'll pass." Ivy started to lean back hoping the dragon slayer would go away.

"Come on! I want to get you back for that sneak attack yesterday!" Natsu continued to invade her space.

"He won't stop unless you knock him out or he gets you, considering how much energy you've already used." Levy muttered to the confused woman.

After sitting for a couple seconds with a scowl on her face Ivy pushed herself from the table. "Fine, but there's no way I'm letting you win easy just because I'm tired." Ivy didn't want to deal with getting hounded by Natsu all day, but she also hated losing. Moving herself in a way that made sure her shoulder hit him as she walked past, Ivy decided the guild wasn't the best place to start. "Let's take this outside; I don't want to damage anything."

"Yes!" Natsu jumped in the air before starting toward the doors, only to stop when Ivy didn't follow him. "What are you doing?"

The small lunch crowd watched in confusion as Ivy walked towards a sidewall; swinging her head back on forth looking for something. Laxus, who had heard Natsu from his office, was the only one to spot the wall socket that she found.

"I told you, you're not winning because I used up most of my energy with Levy. I need to recharge." Sending Natsu a smirk over her shoulder she turned back to the wall, extended her hammer, and quickly shoved the curved point of the claw into the socket near the floor.

Almost everyone stood in shock waiting for the woman to get blown backwards. Levy was the only one to rush forward thinking her friend was attempting a weird public suicide. Before she could make it to the wall a large hand pulled her to a stop.

"She's fine, but you'll get shocked if you touch her." Gajeel tried to calm the panicking Levy when the lights dimmed, they soon returned to normal as Ivy removed her hammer. "See she's fine…."

Gajeel's words dried in his mouth as the hammer girl turned around. Getting a recharge was an understatement.

The neon blue electricity that usually just ran through her hammer pulsed over the rest of her body. Her eyes were filmed over with the swirling light, and sparks popped and crackled out her nose with each breath. Loose strands of hair floated around her head as she made her way to Natsu, swinging the hammer over her shoulder.

"You leave me alone for a week when I win." Even her voice crackled with energy as more sparks flew from the corners of her mouth.

Natsu immediately recovered from his shock as she challenged him. "Sure, but only if you win!"

The two walked out the doors leaving their audience in a stunned silence. That only lasted about five seconds before Cana started calling bets and everyone rushed for the exit.

Levy, being small, was used to getting knocked flying when people got excited, and she tensed herself for the impact of the rushing crowd. It never hit, she instead found herself being lifted and pressed into a hard chest as people moved around them. Soon they were the only two in the hall.

"This is probably bad timing but I've been meaning to ask what you're doing tonight?" Gajeel refused to look down at the small woman in his arms as she lifted her face at his question.

"I don't have any plans."

"Alright, can you be ready by eight?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Levy watched in amusement as Gajeels neck began to turn pink. "If you are, then it's about damn time." She tried to sound menacing but knew she had failed miserably when he started to laugh.

"Nice try, now let's go watch that fight." Swinging her over his shoulder ignoring her squeak of protest he started to walk toward the door.

When Levy and Gajeel got to the practice fields the match was already underway. Neither opponent had landed a blow, but everyone knew the fight would be over once they did.

Gajeel put Levy down and could only watch with new respect for Ivy. Natsu couldn't touch her and in frustration he continued to build his fire, which was simply cut away with the hammer. Ivy on the other hand looked like she was having the time of her life, every few seconds sending an arc of lightning at the fire dragon slayer.

"She's insane." Lucy whispered to Levy after joining them. "I think she's just playing with him."

"No, she's burning energy." The three mages slightly jumped as they noticed Laxus standing near them watching the fight. "The amount of energy she pulled from the guild would have killed Natsu if she hit him with it when they started. She's using it up until she can knock him out without causing permanent damage."

Laxus had been surprised when Ivy went for the wall socket. It was a great way to get a quick energy boost, but the consequences of pulling filtered energy instead of pure lighting had always been a pain to him and not worth it. As soon as she used it up she would need to sleep. Laxus had done it once when he first got his lacrima. He couldn't help but smirk as he remembered his grandfather panicking when he shoved a fork into a socket.

The fight was coming to an end. Laxus could feel the energy was almost were she wanted it, and then he watched her control Natsu's movements like a puppet master. Sending a bolt to the left and a little behind Natsu, she caused him to jump forward and right into a swing of her hammer.

The crowd winced as Natsu crumpled to the ground. Lucy and Wendy, who had been watching on her toes ready to rush in, ran over to check on him. After a quick assessment they announced that he was uninjured besides a concussion, which was common for Natsu.

Ivy only stayed long enough to hear his condition before stumbling off the practice field; she had discharged the last of her energy into the ground while Natsu had been checked over. She didn't even bother making the hammer smaller, instead simply dragging it behind her as she wove her way through the crowd that was trying to get her attention.

The only thing Ivy could think about was the bed she had woke up in, and how nice curling into it would be. She continued on this train of thought until she ran into a wall of muscle just before reaching her room. Walking with her head down she hadn't noticed Laxus follow her then move into her path. Too tired to really care about anything she leaned into him while lifting her chin to resting against his shoulder. "If you don't move I'm going to just sleep here."

"As interesting as that would be, I don't feel like standing here all day." Laxus was a little lost in what to do next and had to put effort into stringing together what he wanted to ask. Having her close made his mind short circuit; even with the dirt and sweat she smelled good, like lightning and citrus. A combination that to anyone who didn't eat lightning on a regular basis would consider weird, but to him it was mouth watering. "After your nap I'm going to pick you up here at six."

"Why?" Ivy could hardly understand what the large blond was saying. She was too comfortable and instead of focusing on his words she snuggled her face more into his shoulder.

"Because I'm taking you out; now go to bed." Laxus made sure she didn't face plant as he moved away, causing the woman to release a whine of irritation at losing her pillow before she shuffled through the bedroom door. Once he saw her fall onto the bed and watched the hammer shorten to be replaced on her thigh Laxus shut the door.

Heading back to the guild hall he decided to find Evergreen, if anyone knew about dates it was her. He would need all the help he could get.


UUUGG I've spent hours reworking this chapter, but it just doesn't flow right. I decided to just say F it and post it up any way.

I hope you can forgive me for this it's just not my week.

-P.P.V