Levy scowled at the page in front of her, wondering whatever possessed her to try to study rune theory. Now that she had the book back, she remembered just how difficult it was to get through, and the indecipherable figures printed on the pages seemed to mock her ignorance. Knowing that Gajeel was sitting only a few tables away wasn't helping her concentration much either.
After leaving Makarov's office, Levy had walked into the guildhall which she was stunned to see was filled with almost all of her fellow mages. It was then that she remembered the Master had said he had a special announcement to make that night, which accounted for everyone being in attendance. Looking for a place to sit, her stomach twisted when she saw that the only free seats were either with Gajeel and Pantherlily, or at a lone table close by them. Had it been a few days earlier, she would have simply sat with her crush and his exceed; but now it was no longer an option.
She sighed and fought the urge to go back to her room at Fairy Hills. She reminded herself that she had to learn to be at the guild while Gajeel was there, and besides, she also wanted to hear the Master's announcement. Clutching her books tighter to her chest, she made her way to the empty table.
As she squirmed between two chairs, Pantherlily flew up to her and gave a small bow – if one could bow mid-air. "Hello, Levy! As you can see it's tight quarters today! However, there is a free seat at the table with Gajeel and myself. Shall I carry your books there for you?"
Levy's eyes flew to Gajeel, who was leaning back in his chair with arms crossed behind his head. He glanced briefly at her before looking away just as quickly. It was obvious Pantherlily made the offer on his own, while Gajeel couldn't care less. In the past she would've thought the iron mage wouldn't have minded her presence. Now she knew better.
"Thank you, Pantherlily, but I really need my own space to study," she said. "I'll be fine at this table over here."
Pantherlily's brows furrowed. "Are you sure? We have enough room for you and all your books."
"I'm sure you do, but I do need to concentrate and I wouldn't want to impose," she said, pushing past several more chairs filled with mages before reaching the empty table. "But I appreciate your offer."
"Impose?!" Pantherlily landed on the table as Levy set her books down. "Levy," he said, crossing his arms. "Has Gajeel been ungentlemanly to you recently?"
Levy gave him a wry look.
"I mean, more than usual, that is."
She shook her head. "No, no, he hasn't done anything wrong. I just need to study is all." She plopped down into a chair and opened her rune theory book. "Thanks again for the offer, though."
"As you wish," Pantherlily bowed again. "But if you change your mind, let me know."
"I will," she said.
Of course, she had changed her mind. A thousand and one times she had changed her mind. There was nothing more she wanted to do than sit with Gajeel, rune theory be damned. She loved books, but they didn't hold a candle to smoldering crimson eyes and wild hair the color of midnight. But pride pricked her and kept her from calling Pantherlily back no matter how much she wanted to.
She rested her cheek in her palm and stared at her book until the image doubled in her eyes. She yawned. She must have read the page at least twenty times, but the information was just not sinking in. She wondered if Freed Justine had the same problem when he first started studying runes.
Why don't you ask him? The thought popped into her head and she sat up. Ask Freed? Her eyes traveled to where the green-haired mage sat calmly sipping a cup of tea while his fellow Thunder God Tribe members, Bickslow and Evergreen, bickered. Considered to be not only the top rune mage in Fairy Tail, but possibly in all of Fiore, Freed cast a written magic very similar to her own. She had often wanted to talk to him about his enchantments, but was too intimidated by his aloof, cool demeanor. But compared to a certain iron mage who had an even more aloof, cool demeanor, Freed now almost seemed like a chatterbox.
Levy slammed her book shut. She would go over and ask him. After all, what did she have to lose?
"Heya shortcake, what are you doing here? You and your boyfriend having a fight?" Bickslow greeted Levy while slinging his arm around Evergreen's shoulders, squeezing his teammate to his chest with a vise-like grip. "Cuz Ever here can give you some tips on how to keep your man in check. She's got Elfman strung around her little finger!"
Evergreen wrestled out of Bickslow's grasp. "I AM NOT DATING ELFMAN!" She scowled at him from behind her glasses while poking his shoulder. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT!"
"And I'm not dating anyone either," interjected Levy, holding her book tighter to her chest, "So I have no idea who you are talking about."
Bickslow smirked. "You are totally dating that kurogane!"
Levy's cheeks blazed. "I am not!"
"Oh, really? Then why does he look like he wants to punch me in the face?" he challenged.
Levy's heart thrilled in her chest and she turned her head to Gajeel and Pantherlily's table. To her shock, the dragon slayer WAS glaring at Bickslow! Could he really be jealous?
"Of course he looks like he wants to punch you in the face! EVERYONE wants to punch you in the face!" mocked Evergreen, still smarting from his jibe about her relationship with Elfman. "Including me!"
Bickslow shrugged and turned his head back to Levy. "You are so dating, just admit it."
"Whether Levy is dating him or not is immaterial," sighed Freed, carefully placing his teacup onto its saucer. "Really, you are such a gossip."
The seith mage stuck his tongue out with a huge grin. "Hey, I just call it like I see it!"
"Well, stop seeing things that aren't there!" Evergreen sniffed, tossing her butterscotch-hued hair over her shoulders. "You oughtta raise that helmet shield sometime, it might help your vision!"
"Says the girl with glasses," retorted Bickslow. "Look who's talking!"
Freed shook his head. "Honestly, you two!" He gave Levy a weary expression. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Ignoring Bickslow's chuckling, Levy showed Freed her book. "Actually, there is! I've started studying rune theory, but am having a tough time. Would you be willing to tutor me?"
Freed raised an eyebrow. "Rune theory?" He took the worn, dog-eared book from Levy's hands and thumbed through it. "Ah yes, I remember this book, it is a tough one. How far have you gotten?"
"I'm only about five chapters in," she admitted, although she felt relieved to know that even Freed considered it a "tough" book. "I just can't seem to get the naskah sequence quite right."
He nodded. "One of the more troublesome areas. When did you start reading it?"
"Two weeks ago."
Freed rubbed his chin. "Impressive. It took me about four months to get that far when I first read it."
Levy puffed up with pride.
"Then again, I was only fourteen at the time."
The seventeen-year-old bluenette deflated just as quickly.
"But still," said Freed, placing the book down on the table and opening it to the beginning of the chapter on naskah sequence, "that's no small feat. And for that reason, I will definitely give you some pointers." He turned around in his chair to face Cana Alberona, who was halfway through her third barrel of wine at the crowded table behind him.
"Cana, are you using that barrel?" He pointed to the wine barrel that rested horizontally under the card mage's shapely legs.
"Nah," she hiccupped. "I finished that ages ago!" Raising her legs, she kicked the barrel towards him. "It's all yours, buttercup!"
Freed pursed his lips tightly at the "endearment" but managed to give her a curt "thank you" in reply. Righting the empty barrel, he placed it between Bickslow and himself. "You can sit here," he motioned to Levy.
Levy couldn't believe her luck! Before Freed could change his mind, she squeezed past Evergreen and Bickslow to perch next to him on the barrel. Peeking over his shoulder, she saw him point on the open page to four different boxes in the naskah "alphabet" one by one.
"The trick to learning naskah is in the 'rule of four.' See here…" he began.
"Wow, you sure are brave, shortcake," interrupted Bickslow.
Levy scrunched her face at him. "Why?"
"I don't think the kurogane is gonna like you sitting on Cana's boyfriend's lap," he joked.
Evergreen groaned. Levy, however, couldn't help but giggle at the comical thought of Gajeel declaring the barrel his "rival" and obliterating it to smithereens.
"AHEM," Freed frowned at his teammate. "As I was saying, the 'rule of four'…"
Despite his seemingly standoffish manner, Freed turned out to be a very patient and affable teacher, much to Levy's surprise. Their shared interest in the subject dissolved any lingering barriers between them, and they soon were talking like old friends. She also found Bickslow and Evergreen's bickering to be rather amusing, as well as their gossip about the love lives of their fellow guildmates – especially since their attention had drifted from her and Gajeel to Natsu and Lucy.
"Just look at how pinkie hangs all over the cosplayer," said Bickslow to Evergreen, who smirked at him from behind her ruffled fan. Levy looked up from the page where Freed was writing down notes to see Natsu chatting happily away to Lisanna Strauss with his arm over Lucy's shoulders. She smiled to herself at how cute they looked when she felt Bickslow nudge her with his elbow. "He oughtta give the ice boy some pointers, don't you think?" he asked, cocking his head towards Gray, who glowered darkly while Juvia offered him a drink.
She chuckled, but before she could reply a hush fell over the crowd. The Master was walking onto the guildhall stage, flanked on either side by Mirajane and Erza Scarlet. Levy sat up straight. If the two S-Class mages were with him, it had to be a very important announcement!
"Hello, everyone, hello!" Makarov waved to all his "brats." "As you all know, Fairy Tail has gone through a rather rough patch these past seven years."
Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd. The guild had fallen on hard times, and no one knew it more than those who had been left behind when Levy and the others had disappeared on Tenrou Island.
"So, I thought we should have a party to raise our spirits!" grinned Makarov.
Levy's heart lifted as loud cheers echoed through the guildhall. A party, of course! The Master always seemed to know exactly what everyone needed!
"But, this is no ordinary party," said Mirajane with a smile as devilish as her Satan Soul takeover.
"Yes," agreed Erza with an equally mischievous grin. "We are bringing back an age-old Fairy Tail tradition!" She pulled out a sword and pointed it high into the air. "The Turnabout!"
A gasp ran through the audience. Levy gulped.
"For those of you who don't know, the Turnabout dance was created by our first master, Mavis Vermillion," explained Makarov. "She believed that our female mages were just as powerful as the males! And so, she created the Turnabout, where the women of our guild have the power to invite the person of their choice to the dance. It has been many years since we've had one, and Mira and Erza convinced me it was time to bring it back!"
The S-class mages grinned at the crowd with wicked sparkles in their eyes.
"The dance will be held one week from today!" sang Mirajane.
"So, in the spirit of the first Master, DO NOT FAIL IN YOUR QUEST, LADIES!" cried Erza.
Makarov raised his hand. "That is all! Oh," he added before walking off the stage, "I, of course, would be honored to accompany any one of you young ladies to the Turnabout, ahem."
For one brief moment there was silence; and then, absolute pandemonium. Natsu found himself being pulled by each arm by Lucy and Lisanna, Juvia jumped in front of Gray to guard against any other woman speaking to him, Wendy Marvell was blushing furiously in front of an equally embarrassed Romeo and the rest of the male mages were either running to Mirajane or from Erza.
The bottom of Freed's chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. "Excuse me for a moment, Levy," he said through gritted teeth as he watched Cana throw herself at a confused Laxus who had just walked through the front doors. "I have to take care of something." As he walked towards the two mages she heard him mutter under his breath, "Ladies choice, indeed!"
Levy's heart thudded. A week ago she would have known exactly who to ask to the Turnabout, but now who would she go with? Oh, why couldn't the Master have come up with this idea earlier?
"You better go ask Elfman quick, Ever," quipped Bickslow. "If not he might be snapped up by some other girl."
Evergreen lifted her chin at him. "He would be a fool to think any other woman would even compare to me!" Turning to give Elfman a withering stare, she noticed Laki Olietta smiling at him. "Excuse me for a moment," she said airily, getting up from the table to walk, then run, in their direction.
Bickslow leaned over to Levy. "You're gonna have to wait to ask the kurogane," he said, pointing to side of the stage. "The Master's talking to him."
Levy glanced in the direction where Bickslow was pointing to see a sweat-dropping Gajeel being given some sort of talking-to by the Master. Whatever he had done to deserve the scolding, she didn't know, but by the look of red-faced embarrassment on his face, it had to be pretty bad!
"I won't be asking him," she said, flipping the pages of the rune theory book to avoid looking at the seith mage. "He doesn't like to dance."
"He's an idiot, then!" Bickslow shook his head. "I'd totally go, but none of the girls here will ask me."
"Seriously?" Levy looked at him in shock. "You would go to a dance?"
"Heck, yes! My babies love music!" His magic dolls floated from around his head and towards her, chanting "Music! Music!" She smiled at the little winged tikis as they circled around her in an aerial ballet.
"Aaaand I'd get to see all the shenanigans that go on between everyone!" He rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I'd have gossip for weeks! Think about how much I could annoy Ever! But," he shrugged, "I won't get asked. Most girls find me too scary to go out with for some strange reason."
"Just like Gajeel," she thought. Suddenly, she felt a kind of sympathy for Bickslow. His oddball personality could be off-putting, but he wasn't a bad guy, really. Considering how dejected he seemed about not being asked to the dance, she almost thought about inviting him herself.
Almost. Levy studied the seith mage who sat with his arms crossed in front of him, a slight frown on lips as he watched Natsu try to appease both Lucy and Lisanna, who stood with their hands on their hips waiting for him to choose which would be his dance partner. Would taking Bickslow to the Turnabout really be so bad? At the very least he would be good for a few laughs, and he really seemed to want to go. Plus, doing something nice for a guildmate would beat staying at home and wallowing in self-pity, that was for sure.
At the thought of another night sniffling into her pillow, Levy decided to throw caution to the wind. "Well, if you really would like to go, how about being my date?" she asked.
"HUH?" Bickslow flipped open his visor and stared at her, his flashing green eyes searching her face. "Did I accidentally use my figure eyes on you to get you to invite me?"
She giggled and shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure I asked you on my own."
He threw back his head and let out a wild laugh that sent chills down Levy's spine. "You know what, shortcake? You're alright!" He gave her a hearty pat on the back that almost sent her flying off the barrel and she grabbed Freed's empty chair to keep from teetering over. "Hear that babies? We got ourselves a date to the dance!"
His dolls bobbed up and down joyfully around her. "Dance! Dance!"
Levy sweat-dropped as she clutched the back of Freed's chair for leverage. She knew Gajeel would never have accepted her invitation to the dance at all, much less with as much exuberance as the seith mage. But Bickslow's impulsive manner reminded her that he was definitely more of a wild card than the dragon slayer, and she wondered whether or not she had just made a huge mistake.
"Oh Mavis, I hope I don't regret this!"