Chapter 2: Expectations

Gajeel got home from his small apartment in the outskirt of Magnolia and grabbed a bottle of beer in his fridge. He slumped down on his couch with his feet on an iron coffee table he made himself and relaxed happily as he drank his beer.

"You're suddenly in a good mood." Lily commented as he flew and landed besides the couch.

"Which side do you think is my best side?" Gajeel asked.

"Thinking about Levy drawing you huh?"

"Just my answer my question, cat."

"Neither side." Lily teased, "You'll make bad practice for Levy and will taint her talents."

Lily flew away laughing at the enraged dragon slayer as he tried to grab him to make him take back those words.

"Dammit cat!" he growled, "I'm serious about this!"

"Well I think you're equally proportionate on both sides." Lily replied, "Why don't you ask Levy instead of me?"

"I can't ask the shrimp that!" Gajeel argued, "she'll start to think I'm being too self-conscious and no way in hell will I let her think that!"

"Well which side do you think is your best side?"

"Hmm" Gajeel pondered to himself as he checked himself out in the mirror, "I look pretty damn good on my left"

Lily rolled his eyes, "Well, turn to your left then. I don't see what got you so worked up about it anyways."

Gajeel gave a low growl in his throat, "If she's going to draw me, it better be the best damn thing she ever drew!"

"You make it sound like she's only allowed to draw only you."

"Gihi," he laughed, "If that's what the shrimp wants, then I wouldn't mind it at all."

" 'If' " Lily emphasized, "I rest my case, you'll definitely taint her talents."

Lily let out a playful chortle as he flew away once more for hurting the dragon slayer's pride who was chasing him around his apartment.

Morning came and the girls headed on their way to the art studio as part of their new daily routine. Levy and Lucy sat next to each other as they waited for the studio to be filled with the rest of the members.

"All right class!" Professor Jay announced, "Today we have a special guest that will be modeling for us! Since you all did wonderful with Erza modeling last session, I think we can try to move on to drawing the opposite gender. So please, make him feel welcome!"

"Him?" Levy gulped.

Lucy nudged her with her elbow followed by a wink. Levy turned red and did her best to hide behind the canvas stand where her sketch pad laid.

"Please welcome, Mr. Gray Fullbuster!" the professor announced.

Gray walked into the studio with a robe on as he made his way in front of the class.

"Gray?" Mira called, "How did you end up here?"

"Juvia asked me if I could volunteer," Gray replied, "Soon as she told me what it was about, it seemed like something of my expertise."

"Gray-sama!" Juvia fawned.

"Sounds about right…" Lucy stated.

"Love Rival!" Juvia growled scaring Lucy into a corner along with Levy.

Levy felt relieved that it wasn't going to be Gajeel so soon and smiled at her friend.

"Well, thank you for taking your time for us." Erza complimented.

Gray nodded as the professor walked in front him. "Now Gray," the professor called, "It's the first time these girls have drawn a male model. Please, strip slowly and allow them to adjust if you don't mind."

Gray gave a smirk and stripped off his robe faster than the speed of sound.

"Too fast!" the professor gasped.

"Eh? This is actually slower than my usual pace at stripping my clothes off." he added.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia sang.

"Big deal!" Evergreen huffed, "It's not like it's anything new we've seen before. He always strips naked in the guild."

All the girls hummed in agreement and started to draw him surprising the professor how fast they went to work. Juvia somehow has moved her stand closer in front class where Gray was as she tried to draw every single detail of him.

"Very good Juvia!" the professor complimented, "If you need to see a closer view, please, do not shy away. Take a look at Juvia for example. She shows dedication to art!"

No one dared to come closer to Juvia when it comes to Gray. All except for Erza and Mira who were secretly competing with each other on who can draw better. After they were all done drawing, they and the professor walked around each other's stand, examining the other member's drawing of Gray. Levy and Lucy gasped at Erza's stick figure and blob drawing of Gray.

"This is Erza's?!" Lucy yelped.

"Ah I see you're enthusiastic about my drawing, I am pleased to hear that." Erza complimented.

Lucy laughed nervously, "he..he..ha..it's a spitting image of him…"

"It certainly…looks interesting…strange style but to each to his or her own I suppose." The professor stated.

Mira's however wasn't far off from Erza's with the only difference is that Gray was in a cat suit.

After class was over, they headed back to guild with except for Levy who planned to go back home in Fairy Hills to read a book for the rest of the day. Juvia went with her as she held on tight to her naked drawing of Gray and planned to put in on frame later on.

Levy however caught sight of Gajeel waiting in front of Fairy Hills as he walked over to her and Juvia.

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia called.

Gajeel grunted in response, "been waiting for you all morning, shrimp! Are we gonna start this or not?"

"But...we just got out of the art studio-." Levy stopped herself knowing she made a mistake telling him where they go in the morning.

"Juvia is in her class" Juvia replied, "Juvia asked Gray to model for us!"

"The stripper?"

Juvia nodded her head and excused herself to go ahead into her apartment.

"What was up with her?" Gajeel asked.

Levy shrugged, "So…want to go elsewhere?"

"Aye," he agreed, "Let's go to my training spot, it's private and no one will bother us."

"Let's grabbed something to eat first"

They walked to Gajeel's training ground after they ate lunch. Levy sat on a small boulder as she prepared her sketch pad.

"How do we do this?" He asked.

"Well, you pose for me and I draw you." She explained.

"What kind of pose?"

"I prefer we start out something that's comfortable, or whatever feels natural to you."

Gajeel stood still and crossed his arms and scowled in the distance as he slightly turned to his left.

"That's good!" Levy smiled, "now stay like that till I'm done drawing you."

Levy blushed slightly as he started to draw him. She noticed he was staring at her and it was like catching him back at the corner of the guild and often would make her blush when she does notice. He couldn't help but smirk at her as her blush became more noticeable.

Calm down, it's just a drawing. This is good practice for getting comfortable when...I have to draw him in the nude soon…she cursed herself in her thought for thinking that becoming a little more red in the face. Eventually she was caught up with her drawing that it almost felt natural to her. She didn't kept track of time but Gajeel didn't mind standing still seeing her like that. It was like watching her read a book except this time she was reading him. He smirked even wider at the thought and went back to his usual scowl by the time Levy looked up to capture every detail.

"Okay I'm done for now!" Levy said.

Gajeel stretched from his position and walked over to see her drawing. Levy showed him and he felt thrilled to see how detailed it was and what feature he had that she emphasized on.

"I like it." He complimented.

"Thank you for helping me" She said.

"Whatever."

"I think I kept you here long enough, see you at the guild tomorrow?"

Gajeel grunted and escorted Levy back home to Fairy Hills. Tomorrow he planned on going to the art studio early in the morning to surprise her. If Gray can do it, then so can he. He kept his smug smile as he headed back home to his own apartment and hit the bed early planning for tomorrow in his head. Little does he know what is in store him.

N/A- let the torture begin next chapter.