a/n: I'm just going to go straight on to the story, but thank you for reading this far x
disclaimer: Fairy Tail is still not mine. Belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Gajeel let out a low whistle and cocked one of his heavily pierced brows. "An S-Class quest, huh?"
"Give that back, Gajeel!" Levy desperately asked getting back onto her feet. She knew it was a lost cause as soon as Gajeel had read the job title.
"Now why would a shrimp like you be going on a quest like this?" Gajeel looked at Levy, head tilted slightly to the right.
"It's- It's none. Of. Your. Business." Levy breathed out as she jumped up high attempting to reach for the flyer that the Dragon Slayer held so tantalisingly just out of her reach.
Gajeel ignored her efforts and began reading the details entailed in the job, smirking as he did so. Completely oblivious to what Levy was doing, he almost didn't see his Shrimp tugging on Mirajane's skirt begging her to unleash her demon soul on him. Looking down from the paper, he could see that Mira was smiling gently and trying not to laugh. There was a strange look in her eye as she looked between Gajeel and Levy. One of these days, he thought, one of these days I have to ask her why she keeps looking at us like she knows something.
"So, Gajeel. I take it that you're interested in being Levy's partner for the job right?" Mira couldn't hold it anymore. She had to give the clueless idiot that final push to get closer to Levy.
Levy looked confused. She turned her head and saw Gajeel slightly flushed. Was he blushing?
"I don't know what you're talking about." he finally got out.
"Well, since you read Levy-chan's job request, you must be interested in going with her. I mean, why else would you have read it in the first place?" she smirked.
"Not to go with her!" he nearly shouted that last remark. He couldn't help but notice a shadow of sadness flit across Levy's face. "I read it just... because..." he trailed off. Did he imagine the expression on Levy's face?
"Mmmhhmm. Okay, then." Mira's smile grew even wider. "But see, here. Levy was sworn to secrecy on her job, and since you now know what it necessitates, well let's just say you're the only logical choice as a partner."
Shit. That devil is plotting something. And I played right into her trap. He mentally face-palmed himself. However, the rational part of his mind brought up an idea that tempted him even more than fighting with the she-devil. It won't be so bad to go on a job with Levy, would it.
Jet and Droy rushed to Levy's side. "Mira-chan! Are you trying to separate Team Shadow Gear?" Droy cried as Jet patted his shoulder. They don't seem to have heard anything about what the job entailed, Levy thought in relief.
"Levy do you want this blockhead to come with you? You don't right. She doesn't want to go on her special job with that metal brain, Mira-chan!" Jet talked so fast he barely allowed Levy to answer his questions.
She sighed. They were at it again. Two-thirds of her team were pining over her trying to be the one chosen to go on the job with her. She'd had enough. She loved them dearly but as friends. If she was honest with herself, their arguments were becoming repetitive and wearisome.
"JET! DROY! STOP FIGHTING!" she finally shouted unable to hold it in anymore.
Naturally, everyone in the guild stopped what they were doing to look at the group near the request board all the while wondering what had made sweet, calm and quiet Levy snap. Noticing the guilty shocked expressions Jet and Droy sported, everyone merely went back to their own doings thinking it was about time those two were told to stop.
Levy's face was flushed with anger and hurt. She had just seen Gajeel's face contorted in what she assumed was disgust at being considered at being her partner and her heart ached that he thought she was merely something to tease and nothing more. And to add fuel to the fire, her two best friends were fighting over her again, even after she had rejected them both.
"Gajeel," she turned to face the Slayer, her voice calm and monotonous. But Gajeel swore he heard a tiny crack in her voice.
"Wha-" he was cut off before he could finish speaking.
"I wouldn't mind if you wanted to come with me on this job. But, only if you wanted to. I don't want you to come if you'd rather be somewhere else."
Silence settled over the group. How should I answer? She's putting me in the spotlight here, damn Shrimp. Gajeel's mouth opened and closed making him look like a fish in water.
"So it's settled then! Gajeel and Levy you'll be going on that job tomorrow." Mira broke the awkward tension with her usual cheerful speech.
Jet and Droy had long since sulked off after being shouted at by Levy. They annoyed her they knew, but they weren't idiots. They knew when they had crossed the line and thought it best to stay out of her way for a while.
Both Levy and Gajeel looked at Mira. "So then, both of you will meet here at dawn where I will give you any more information I can find and then you'll be off. Don't forget to bring your things with you; it's a six-hour train ride to Acalypha so you better rest up." With one more smile, she twirled around and went back behind the bar, where already Macao and Wakaba were missing her presence.
Levy stared at her feet, burning a hole in the ground after Mira went. Talking quietly, but in a volume, she knew the Slayer would hear, she whispered, "It's alright if you don't want to come. I'll go alone." She began to take a step towards the guild doors before turning around to face Gajeel. "Just please don't tell anyone about the job. It's meant to be a secret after all." She gave him a small, sad smile before turning back around and walking quickly out to prepare for the journey ahead of her.
It's alright if I don't want to come? Who said I didn't want to come? Maybe I should've said something... Gajeel's thought's trailed off as he spied Pantherlily shaking his head in the corner.
Gajeel stomped towards his cat wanting an explanation to his Shrimp's strange behaviour.
"When are you going to get a brain, you dolt?" Pantherlily said upright before Gajeel even sat down.
"Whaddya mean? She's the one acting funny!" Gajeel attempted to defend himself.
"You idiot. What was that reaction on your face when Mira asked you to be Levy's partner?"
"I didn't have nothin' on my face!" Gajeel looked confused as to what Lily was referring too. A thought struck him. Wait, maybe those conflicting thoughts were written on my face...
"Yes. Everything you were thinking showed on your face." Lily told him.
"How did you know what I was thinkin'?"
"Like I said. Everything you think, that has anything remotely to do with her shows on your face." Lily jumped onto the table in front of Gajeel. "Do you have any idea what you looked like to her?"
Gajeel opened his mouth to retort back but was interrupted by Lily. "You looked as if you couldn't bear to be in her presence. As if the very thought of going on a job alone with her disgusted you. That poor girl probably thinks you don't like her and only use her as an item to tease."
That explains the hurt I thought I saw flash before her eyes. Gajeel closed his eyes and groaned quietly.
"And why didn't you say anything to her after she said she wouldn't mind going on a job with her? Why didn't you say anything at all, numbskull? Couldn't you tell that Mira was just trying to give you a push into confessing your feeling for her?" Pantherlily had grown noticeably more frustrated. Gajeel's idiocy and complete lack of observation were preventing him from noticing that Levy felt the same way about him too.
"I didn't know what to say," Gajeel lamely said.
Lily rolled his eyes and said slowly, "Do you or do you not want to go on this job with her?"
"Course I do, but what can I do now? She thinks I hate her."
"Go after her. I hope you're not letting her go alone." Pantherlily said suddenly quiet.
"Damn right I'm not! That job is fuckin dangerous, she shouldn't even be thinking about going alone." Gajeel growled getting up from his seat.
"Lily! I'm going after her. If I don't see you for a while, I'm hopefully on that job." He smiled. "With her."
With a whirl of his cloak, he turned around and headed outside, following Levy's delicious scent back to her home.