a/n: school starts the day after tomorrow and I'm already counting down the days till next summer. Anyways, enjoy this chapter. I'll try to make it longer than the last one as it was so short.
Gajeel couldn't sleep. It's not that he didn't want to, he just couldn't. His mind was filled with images of Levy. He saw her dancing, sleeping, reading - all the things he saw her do on a daily basis. With a groan quiet enough not to wake up Lily, who was curled up next to him, he rolled off the bed and walked into the kitchen.
Grabbing the nearest chunk of iron, he sat down at the table and began munching through the metal. It was nearly dawn; the sun would rise in an hour, he predicted.
Trying to keep himself busy until he could leave for the guild at a decent time was one of the hardest things Gajeel had ever tried to do. He was filled with anxiety but was yet impatient. He aimlessly began moulding iron into shapeless forms without actually paying any heed to what he was doing. After seven mere minutes of occupying his thoughts, he suddenly stood up and headed out the door, grabbing his cloak and travelling bag on the way.
I'm going to bore myself senseless if I stay around much longer, he thought as his feet guided him through the streets.
Gajeel thought that taking a walk until he could arrive at the guild would clear his mind of the images of Levy that it had conjured up that made even him blush. He hadn't realised until his feet came to a stop to where he was headed for the entire time.
Fairy Hills.
He stood at the gate, unaware that he was walking in the direction of his partner's home from the start. Well, since I'm here, I might as well walk her to the guild.
As if on cue, he heard the gates rattle slightly as a petite figure shrouded in a dark cloak slipped out, a seemingly heavy bag in tow.
Levy backed out gently, careful of not letting her bag get caught on the iron spikes that jutted out of the gate, courtesy of Erza's innovative idea of discouraging any likely stalkers. She knew she looked rather comical as she dragged her bag across the floor, but it couldn't be helped. She had packed all the necessities and that hadn't taken up much space, but last minute she realised that she better bring several books in different languages with her so that she could solve the runes.
"Oi, Shrimp! You look like yer about to pass out from lugging that thing around," Gajeel called out, smirking. Levy dropped her bag and jumped backwards, clearly shocked to see Gajeel standing there ready for the journey.
"Ga-Gajeel! What are you doing here?" Levy asked once her heartbeat went back to normal and she had gathered her composure.
"Eh, couldn't sleep so I went outside and decided to walk you to the guild," he replied nonchalantly.
"Alright, then," she stooped down to grab the bag again before making her way, slowly, down the winding path to the streets of Magnolia.
"Do you need help there, Shrimp?" Gajeel inquired bounding forward with his long strides. "Kinda looks heavy."
"Ah, no. No, thank you. I can manage." Levy refused his help. He was already coming with her on the job, and she already had to rely on him for most of the physical fights. She didn't want to rely on him to do such a simple thing like carrying her luggage.
Levy's face showed signs of exertion. Her arms were trembling as she pulled her bag with all her might. Little beads of sweat were forming on her brow, and her face felt flushed and overheated.
Gajeel rolled his eyes and snatched the handles of the pack from her, lifting it above the ground with no effort. "You don't need to be stubborn, Shrimp. I already know yer strong. Just let me do the physical stuff, aight? I'm your partner, after all." he said to her in a quiet voice, with full sincerity.
Levy stood up straight, astounded. She felt a blooming sensation under her chest, as if what Gajeel had said had formed itself into pure light and was filling her with joy. Gajeel was not one to give compliments out so freely, and to do so meant that he genuinely cared for her. Levy couldn't have been happier to head to the guild, before dawn nonetheless, as she was then.
Gajeel saw a smile form on her pink lips after he had spoken. I'm not going to let anything hurt you again, Shrimp. Not even a bag.
"Shit, Shrimp! What've you got in here?" the Slayer began a conversation with the bookworm, hoping to make the walk to the guild as enjoyable as possible.
"Oh, uh, a few changes of clothes, matches, first-aid kit, all the basics really. And books."
"Books?" he choked out. "I thought I told you to only bring one, Shrimp!"
"Mmm yeah, and I did. I only brought one novel. The rest are just books on languages that I'm not quite yet fluent at. I thought it'd help having my own resources rather than relying on the town's library after all."
Why did I even doubt her for a second? She's smart and determined. I don't think anything will distract her from the job. Gajeel thought to himself, looking ahead at the town. Except for me. Unintentionally, he let out a "Gihi," causing Levy to look at him confused.
"Why did you laugh, Gajeel?"
"Huh? Oh, no reason, Shrimp."
Levy soon forgot about the sudden chuckle as she remembered something that she had meant to ask Gajeel before but always forgot.
"Gajeel?"
"Hmm, Shrimp?"
"Why do you call me Shrimp?"
"What? Oh, I don't really know," Gajeel pondered the question. Of all things to ask him, she had asked about the nickname he had unknowingly given her one day without thinking about it. He gave everyone nicknames; it wasn't something he particularly thought about. "I guess it's because you're small," he smiled at the pout she gave him at that, "and you wear orange."
"But that's just strange. I don't go around calling you Squid or Ink-" she was cut off suddenly by Gajeels laugh.
"Squid? Ink?" he wheezed out in between fits of laughter. He hadn't had a laugh like this in months, years even. Before he joined Fairy Tail, he hadn't even smiled a genuine smile of joy. That had changed after he met her, though.
"Well, yeah. Squid because you called me Shrimp and that was the first seafood I could think of, and Ink because you're always wearing black. Like ink. And it does correlate with Squid a bit don't you think?" Levy said in complete sincerity.
"Shrimp, you're one of the funniest people I've ever met," he let out his last chuckle before ruffling up her hair, fondly.
Funny, Levy thought. What does that mean? Is it a good thing, to be funny. Or does that just lump me in with Lily, as just another 'funny' friend? Levy shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She was overthinking it. He just meant that she was funny after all. And he had laughed too.
"It's still not fair that I have a nickname like that and you don't," she said.
"Heh? You know, if you don't like being called Shrimp, you could've just said so."
"What? No, that's not what I meant. I don't mind it, much. And besides, it's not like you would've stopped calling me that; you love teasing me too much," she replied. "Have you ever had a nickname like that, before?"
"Me, Shrimp? Nah, I never used to get close enough to anyone for them to give me a nickname." Both Gajeel and Levy noticed that he had used the past tense. He never used to get close to anyone. But he does now, and that made Levy rejoice.
They continued walking in silence, nearing the guild. As they turned the final corner, Levy's eyes lit up. She came to a sudden stop.
"I have one!" she exclaimed in a loud voice.
Gajeel stopped too. "One what, Shrimp?"
"A nickname! For you!"
"Huh?"
"I thought of a nickname for you," she repeated feeling excited.
"I heard ye the first time," Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Alright then, what is it?"
Levy looked up at him, silent, letting the suspense build.
"Chipmunk," she finally revealed.
They were both silent for a while, no reaction from either of them. Gajeel burst into peals of laughter more intense than before. His stomach was aching and he gripping his sides as he resisted the urge to roll on the floor. "Chi-Chipmunk?"
Levy was confused. She didn't expect this kind of reaction. "Well, yeah, because when you eat or get angry or you're thinking your cheeks kind of puff up. You also hoard a lot of scrap metal, like chipmunks hoard nuts. Stop laughing, Gajeel!" she slapped his arm, pouting. They're cute when they sleep too, thought, but there was no way I'm telling Gajeel that.
"I can't," he barely managed those two words before laughing again. A few minutes later he had sobered up and could feel his cheeks and sides ache. He looked directly at Levy, who was beginning to look a little flustered and annoyed and said in all seriousness, "That has to be the most ridiculous nickname I've ever heard."
Levy opened her mouth to retort back before Gajeel interrupted saying, "I love it, gihi."
Levy was obviously surprised; she didn't expect to hear that Gajeel liked it, especially not loved it. In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn't think that she'd ever heard him use that word before. Love. She blushed.
"There you are!" A third voice sounded in front of them.
Both Levy and Gajeel had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't realised they had arrived at the guild.
"Was that you I heard laughing Gajeel?" Mira inquired, a rather devious look in her eye.