V: constellations

Characters: Levy, Gajeel, and a cameo by Lucy XD

AN: Sorry I've been MIA, guys! School has been taking over my life little by little and we had a hugely busy summer. I've really been uninspired to write anything, and I didn't want to get a whole chapter written out only for it to flop, you know what I mean? I hate when that happens. But, surprisingly, I must have been bitten by the writing bug because I have been scribbling away like crazy with soooo many ideas. Anyways, hope you enjoy and you're doing well. Reviews appreciated & constructive criticism welcome =)

"MR. REDFOX? Is there a certain reason you're throwing spitballs at the back of Ms. McGarden's head?"

The aforementioned teenage boy froze in his movement, slowly retracting his hand from the air. "Sorry, miss. It's just that her hair is so unruly, and I was curious to test the Physics of it."

"Well, you'd best be satisfied, because if you aren't, I'm sure Principal Makarov could be of assistance."

He inclined his head. "Gotcha. Won't catch me doing it again, miss."

The teacher sighed and resumed speaking.

The two of them - Levy McGarden & Gajeel Redfox - had grown up together. Lived in the same suburb, had swimming lessons together...they were practically attached at the hip. Or rather, had been, until she skipped sixth grade and went straight to seventh. She then made new friends and joined clubs, not to mention she started taking dance classes. The thing was, for most of their childhood, Levy had just been another one of Gajeel's guy buddies. She wore t - shirts & jeans and wrestled like a pro. But the second she started wearing shorter skirts and makeup, guys (Gajeel included) began to notice - especially when her figure started blossoming.

On the last day of her seventh grade year, his friends pushed him to go and confess his feelings to her.

"Shorty." His nickname for her.

"Ah! Kitsune." Her nickname for him.

He fell into step with her, which wasn't hard for him to do - after all, he was 6'2, and compared to her 5'0, well...you get the picture.

"Can't believe you're graduating already," he said gruffly, running a large hand over his chin. She laughed, the sound spritely and overall beautiful. "Yeah, seems like just yesterday you were pinning me down in the tall grass behind our houses." He choked. "Uh. Yeah." A red - hot blush fanned across his skin. She quickly realized the connotation he had taken with her words. "Ah! No, no! That wasn't - I mean - ugh. I'm so stupid." She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it as they walked down the hallway in silence.

"If anything, yer headstrong, not stupid," he offered weakly.

She smiled. "Tell me about it."

"Don't need to. Known yer little stubborn short self fer over twelve years."

"Hey!"

They plodded on, making silly chatter until they reached her classroom.

"Let me just grab my backpack, and then we can - Gajeel?" He had grabbed her sleeve. "What is it?" she asked uncertainly.

"Before...before you do that, can I talk to you?"

"I mean, sure." She shrugged. He guided her a little ways from the classroom, his heart in his throat.

"What's up?" she questioned. Her rich brown orbs were alight with concern at his sudden urgency.

"I need to tell you somethin'. About me."

She was quiet, watching him.

"And...about you."

oh god oh god it was like his heart was trying to climb out his chest

"I. Um. I was thinking you'd like to go out?"

oh what have I done

She blinked innocently at him. "You mean, like a date?"

He swallowed nervously. "Uh, yeah. The thing is, I really like you. Yeh've always been pretty, but you're smart too, and well - "

"Levy?" A female voice cut his passionate confession short. "Is that Gajeel Redfox with you?"

Her countenance immediately displayed an uncomfortable expression. "Yeah, so?"

At her words, multiple female sniggers erupted from within the group behind Other Teenage Girl #1.

"And I bet he's confessing his feelings for you, right? Is he telling you what he wants to do to you?"

"I'm surprised he hasn't tried to cop a feel yet," muttered another girl. Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "Stop it, you guys," hissed Levy. "He's just a friend, okay?"

"Is he, though? He's all you ever talk about, honestly."

At this Gajeel's brows raised a bit.

"He's just a friend! That's all he's ever been and all he ever will be!"

Stunned by her sudden outburst, her friends eased into silence, waiting for Gajeel's response.

His eyes had hardened to cold red jewels. "Really. Good to know." His jaw twitched. "Just friends," she repeated, her gaze not once wavering from his face.

He spun on his heel and walked away, his chest throbbing painfully.

And that was the end of it. Everything they'd ever had, all of their friendship, his feelings - gone.

But of course it was just his luck that they ended up in the same elective class his tenth grade year. She sat right in front of him, her hair swinging with every little movement. It drove him crazy. So what did he do? He threw spitballs at her. She usually ignored him (she had gotten pretty good at it ever since that day), but one day she grew tired of it and whipped around in her seat to tell him off.

"Will you knock it off?!" she hissed at him.

He grinned, the effect oddly shark - like on his face.

"Make me," he whispered.

Her eyes widened. Then they lowered, their lashes brushing her suddenly pink cheeks. She turned back around in her seat rather slowly and didn't look back for the rest of the class period.

It continued like that every few days - he'd throw a spitball at her to get her attention, and she'd always turn around to curse his existence. But eventually it turned into something more, and their conversations evolved past "knock it off," "I hate you," & "Make me." They became not just words, but expressions of nostalgia for days past and the reconnecting of a broken friendship.

Consequently, the feelings that Gajeel had thought splintered & drowned from all those years ago found themselves resuscitating slowly. Every time she pivoted to face him, her voice drawing his attention with its lovely lilt and eloquence (god, he was a sap), his heart jumped from its proper cavity and embraced his throat.

And Levy? She couldn't help turning around to face him. She loved to see his eyes follow her every movement, she loved his rough voice, his piercings, his long hair...she had fallen hard. Truth be told; she had fallen hard back in eighth grade, but her friends had discouraged her feelings.

"You can do better than that," they had urged. "He's just a lowly little seventh." Levy had been uncertain about their negative responses for a while, but that day had confirmed her suspicions. They weren't her real friends. They never really had been. They just liked to boss her around.

And now, it was just her. All of them had long ago split ways. There was no one left to tell her who to love, no one but herself. And so she took advantage of this.

"Ga - eh, kitsune." He paused on his way towards the door. It was the end of their last period, the only class the two of them had together. "What's up, mizetto?" She released a silent, deep breath. "Wanna walk home?"

"Together?"

"Idiot. Of course."

He smirked.

The sky boasted a pink afternoon colour as they ambled lazily to the crosswalk that lead to their suburb. "Ever wonder what made Ms. Heartfilia want to teach Astronomy to a bunch of high schoolers?"

"Who? That old biddy that we have fifth hour?"

"She's not an old biddy, Gajeel. She's not even that much older than us."

He snickered. "Nah, she probably just likes gettin' paid to teach us bogus about the stars."

Levy nodded, lips pursed thoughtfully. "Stars fascinate me, though. It's interesting to learn more about them. Well, at least, I think so."

He blinked at her. "Really? Why?"

"Every star is different. Made up of different elements, I mean. Like, think about it. If a particular star didn't have a certain element, it wouldn't be the star that it is now. It would be better, or it could be worse, depending on what that element is."

Gajeel said nothing, simply listening.

"It's like you and me. If you hadn't stepped up that day to tell me your feelings, maybe I wouldn't have rejected you, hurt you in the way that I did. But I'm glad, in a way, that you chose to because now I can openly tell you my feelings without feeling pressured and oppressed by my 'friends' from then - and the way I see it, Gajeel, I love you," she finished quietly. "Sorry for blathering," she added quickly. "I wanted to make it - special, I guess. But it just turned into me babbling endlessly about stars and elements and - mmf!"

She had been cut off by Gajeel's mouth descending upon hers. His large palms gripped her hips forcefully as he melded his lips against her own unmoving ones. She slackened in his grip.

oh

this is a kiss

so this is a kiss

It wasn't like the weak lip presses she'd received from other boys. No, this was something wilder, more frenzied. She couldn't remember the specific moment she surrendered to him, but what she did remember was his teeth scraping against her bottom lip. She dropped her bag to the ground and wrapped her arms around his back, all the while weaving her fingers into his mane of uncontrollable dark hair. "Levy," his muffled, breathless whisper elicited a fire in her; the heat spreading from her fingertips to her toes. And then - he pulled away, leaning his forehead to hers.

Neither of them spoke.

They didn't have to - their actions have said everything necessary.

On the way home, though, Levy was a little nervous:

"So...that was a mutual agreement, right? Like, you like me too? As in, like - like, not just like?"

He just laughed; the sound echoing into the sky above.

"Mr. Redfox! Enough with the spitballs!"

Gajeel jumped in his seat.

"Eh. Sorry, miss."

At this, Gajeel shot a final glance at Levy's back to find that she was shaking uncontrollably with laughter.

He grinned.

This was going to be quite a year.

AN: Well..? How was it? I really like the idea I had for this one. I felt that it was pretty original, but I could be wrong. With so many other great writers out there, you can never know. XD It's a little long; sorry about that. Planning to add a few others as a treat for those of you who have been waiting so patiently - sorry, I suck, I know. Be sure to return for the next few! c: