Title: Complimentary
Prompt: Singing
Words: 795
Summary: Gajeel sucks with lyrics and he can't sing. That's an undeniable fact. But Levy knows his guitar skills are amazing.
Complimentary
"Boo!" Food flew at him from all directions. "Get off the stage!"
Gajeel glared at them as he stomped off stage. His guildmates were harsh, that's for sure. They didn't understand his musical gift in the slightest. Besides, who cares if his voice and lyrics aren't great? He needs something to compliment his guitar. They wouldn't appreciate his guitar without any singing!
He left the guild to go home, pissed with his guildmates' scrutiny. He played his guitar without singing, just hearing the gentle chords.
"You really are amazing at the guitar." A voice startled him.
"Geez! Shrimp! Ya popped outta nowhere!" Gajeel exclaimed. She giggled at sat next to him.
"Not really. What are you playing?" she asked. He showed her the lyrics he had written. She glanced at it and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, your lyrics aren't great." she said, slightly apologetically. He glared at her, but it was half-hearted.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm not good at lyrics." he muttered.
"Here, let me help. The first one is 'you don't know how much I love you, I don't know if you care'. That's nice. But the next one is 'but you are my shoobeedo, and you've got pretty hair'. Instead of-" she dramatized. "-that, why not, 'but if there's one thing that's true, it's that I need you here'."
Gajeel looked surprised. "That's not bad shrimp! Keep going!"
Levy and Gajeel smiled at the short, two verse song. "It's really pretty." Levy noted.
He nodded. "But I can't sing for my life." he added. "Can ya?"
She blushed. "Not r-really. I have slight stage fright."
He raised a metal-studded eyebrow. "Really? You?"
She puffed out her rosy cheeks. "Yes, me. I don't like performing. Plus I'm not good."
"Who told ya that?"
"Um, myself. I'm the only one who has heard myself sing." she said.
"Sing for me, shorty."
"What?! Why?!"
"I wanna hear your voice."
"No way." she muttered.
"C'mon, shrimp." he pleaded. "Levy."
Her eyes widened. "Did you...just call me by my actual name?"
He gave her some sort of puppy eyes. "Please? I never say please!"
Levy laughed. "Fine! Just stop making that face!" She took a deep breath and began to sing.
She closed her eyes as she sang. When she was done, she slowly opened her eyes. The first sight she saw was Gajeel's jaw hanging open. She blushed and hung her head.
"I know! This is why I don't sing!" she exclaimed, cheeks burning.
"You don't sing because ya sing better than the she-devil?!" Gajeel shouted. "Shrimp, you're amazing!"
She giggled. "I don't know if I should take your word for it." she teased. He glared at her.
"I'm serious. Ya gotta sing in front of the guild. This song!"
She shook her head wildly. "No way."
"Ya gotta! C'mon shrimp. I'll give ya puppy dog eyes if ya don't say ya will."
Levy shook her head. "Not in a million years."
He gave the puppy dog eyes. They were terrible, and Levy was cracking. "Oh, fine!" she shouted. He cheered as she groaned.
"I hate you," she murmured.
"Gajeel, why are you back on stage?!" Macao and Wakaba shouted, cringing. Guild members began to shout.
"Calm down!" he screamed into the microphone. "I'm not singin'! Just playin' the guitar!"
They quieted down with muffled protests. Gajeel began to strum the gentle melody. Surprised at the sweet sound, the mages turned to watch him.
"You don't know how much I love you
I don't know if you care
But if there's one thing that's true
It's that I need you here."
The guild members' eyes widened. Murmurs of, "Who is that?" and "Her voice is beautiful!" rippled through the crowd.
Levy peeked out, sat next to Gajeel and finished singing the remaining verse of the very short song.
"So don't leave me alone
I need you with me
Like we need air to breathe
Like I need to be able to sing
Like the beauty life brings."
Gajeel finished up the song with a guitar solo. Levy hummed the melody along with the guitar until he finished with a sweet chord.
Their guildmates clapped in surprise, cheering for the duo. They smiled at each other, Levy still blushing.
"Thanks for helping me get over my stage fright, Gajeel." Levy thanked him quietly. He grinned.
"Don't thank me yet. This means ya have ta help me write my songs now, and sing 'em for the guild." he added. She sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll see about that."
One left! I might have one or two more from other things I'll add to this occasionally, but the end of the week is near! Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
~Phantom-chan