"I Love You"

"Can't we just ask her what she wants?"

"Oh quit it!" Droy grunted at her. "This is Levy's birthday!"

And because of that it was a serious business. Droy somehow managed to live down the fact that Levy wasn't interested in him in a way he wished for, even if it was painful and difficult as heck. Then he had to live with the fact that the petite girl was interested in that gruff who was currently walking next to him. That was even more difficult. Doable, though.

Droy still cared deeply for Levy and still wanted to shower her with affection and hand over the world to her. Which was the thing that lead him to this shopping trip with Gajeel Redfox. Who was neither interested or awed by the perspective of buying things.

"Yea," Gajeel just shrugged. "I think she should have a say in what she wants to get."

"This is not what presents are about!" Droy protested. "The intention! The intention is what really counts!"

"Asking her what she thinks about it wouldn't?" Gajeel tilted his head.

"It would, it's like respecting her decisions and choices, but... but..." Droy threw his hands up with frustration. "This is the wrong situation!"

"...I don't see anything wrong with it."

"With a birthday present you're like... supposed to show that you care and that you were thinking about what you are giving. And stuff."

"Stuff."

"Yeah. Like," Droy carefully eyed Gajeel. "Your intentions towards that person. You can show these through your gift."

The hint was far, far from subtle, but it was hot, and the streets of Magnolia shopping district were all bathed in sun. Even the stone surface of sidewalks was warm enough to fry an egg on it. Or it seemed like it.

"Uh-huh. Can't I just get her a book?"

"Everybody jumps at this idea," Droy grunted. "So no, you can't. Besides, how can you be sure that you're not getting her a double? You planning on breaking in into her room, or something? Do you have even the slightest idea how many books she already have?"

"Do you?"

"Yes!"

Gajeel furrowed his brow. "...Did you broke into her room?"

"What?" Droy blinked. "No!"

"Then how do you know? You're a guy, you can't just walk into the Fairy Hills."

"Apparently pre-pubescent boys were allowed," Droy said with a shrug. Well, they were allowed, because back then Erza Scarlet was just another brat, so she wasn't able to hold everything in that iron grip of hers.

"Oh," Gajeel blinked. "That makes sense."

"So, what are you getting her? Maybe a flower?"

"Why flower?"

"She's a girl. Girls like flowers." Droy explained slowly.

"What she's gonna do with a flower? Unless it's edible."

Priorities. This guy had them right in the worst way possible. Or was just cracking a joke. Sometimes it was difficult to tell with that lack of facial expression going on. Sometimes Gajeel was doing it on purpose, because confusing people pleased him greatly. Or so Pantherlily said.

"...just get her a red rose?" Droy proposed. "These are pretty classic."

"Meh."

"Tulips then? They are elegant and stuff."

"We both know that I never ever stood next to elegant. It ran away from me. Pissed its pants on the way out."

Droy groaned. This was like the worst time to be self-conscious.

"Melantthus then? Or a Myrtle?"

"She don't have a garden."

"Acacia? You can plant it under her window..."

"I'm not dragging a goddamn tree through the whole town," Gajeel stated.

Droy sighed. Well, at least now he knew: only Natsu was crazy enough to actually do that sort of thing.

"Violets? They look cute on the windows and you can keep them in the apartments..."

"No."

"Why not?"

"They are ugly. And pointless."

"Oooh! So you actually are putting your head to it!" Droy clapped his hands together. Was it progress? Finally something was going on in that thick scull of Dragon Slayer, so they could do the actual shopping and then get the hell away from all that sun?

"Shut up," Gajeel grunted. "I just don't want to give some dumb dust collector."

Progress it was indeed. The Dragon Slayer was getting grumpy, which was a clear sign that he was starting to care.

"Maybe a necklace them? Those are pretty and popular and you can find then in all sorts of cute shapes. A heart, maybe?"

"That's dumb. And those don't even look like..."

"You know what? Don't even finish that sentence. If not a heart, then maybe a dolphin?"

"No."

"A dove?"

"I don't get what's up with the doves," Gajeel scratched the side of his head. "All they do is flying around and shitting on things."

"Sweet heavens, have mercy upon me! A swan then?"

"No birds. That's a rule."

"I'm starting to think you're just trying to piss me off now."

"Whatever."

He was.

"So... if not a jewelry, they maybe just make a dinner just for her? You know, fancy sea-food think. I know you have that in you."

"Dunno," Gajeel furrowed his eyebrows. "I mean, Magnolia is crossed by river and we're not that far from the shore, but I still would be careful about that shit. Food transport can be weird."

Droy wanted to cry. And scream and get drunk and toss Erza's cheesecake through the window. Or to do something as suicidal as denying terrifying Titania her sweets.

xxx

"...you're drinking," Jet pointed out, looking at his friend a little bit weirdly and slightly worried. "Not eating and drinking, just drinking."

Droy was indeed sitting by one of the tables in the Guild, currently occupied by emptying a jug of beer. There were already three empty ones spread on the wooden surface, like the man pushed them away after finishing his drink. Wet marks, still visible and leading towards the glasses were a proof that Droy was drinking quite fast too.

"Yep."

The answer was definitely too short and Droy's voice sounded somewhat like he was dead on the inside, so Jet started to worry. People who were not Cana were not supposed to drink Alberona style.

"Why?"

"I was trying to help Gajeel pick a present for Levy," this time Droy explained. He even put the jug of beer away, through that was because he needed to breathe and it was hard to do, while swallowing fluids.

"Okay," Jet said slowly. "How's that bad?"

"Because I was trying everything!" he whined. "Everything! I went through the flower language, then jumped into jewelry with animal symbolism and even tried to talk him into cooking the right sort of food!"

"...okay. Okay. Why is that so important?"

"I was trying to give Levy the ultimate present!"

Jet blinked. "Say what?"

Droy just rolled his eyes. "We both know that there is a think between them, but they won't admit it."

"Uh-huh," it was sometimes painful to watch, if Jet had to be sincere. They were just staring at each other – but only when the other one wasn't looking – and making all sorts of dumb excuses to be near each other, but they never ever made that one step needed for the whole thing to finally progress.

"And Gajeel is definitely not going to initiate anything, because he's well, Gajeel." Socially awkward Dragon Slayer definitely had trouble with admitting anything. Feeling were even worse.

"So I thought that if he gave her the right gift, then they would be set," Droy explained. "You know Levy, she smart, she would work the meaning out in like second and then she would be all jumpy and happy because he made the first move. And then she would probably jump in and kiss him, so she would be actually making the first move..."

Jet pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know what? Keep drinking."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Droy admitted with a sigh. "A rag dipped in chloroform and three meters of rope are starting to look like a good idea."

"In what world?"

"The one where I add a bow on top."

"Fucking stop drinking right now," Jet said and took away the half filled jug from under his friends nose. Droy wasn't protesting.

A/N: I have no idea how in the hell Droy decided that becoming a crazy gajevy shipper is a good idea, but that's my world now. The headcanon too strong, it's not going to go away. I'm probably going to explore the idea further... somewhere.