[A/N: So in doing research for this chapter I found that I had completely forgotten that the series actually did show when Lucy and Levy first met, whoops! As such, I've rewritten a lot of chapter 6, because I don't know if you guys have realized this but I actually try super hard to never contradict canon. Alternate character interpretation, filling in blanks, or even working on the premise that something a character has said was a lie, yes, of course. But not directly changing anything. :'3 So yeah. Unsurprisingly, the canon version was more amusing than mine, and also played into stuff I wanted to do anyway, so yay. So if you've been following as opposed to reading it all through today, go give that a reread!
Disclaimer: As always, don't own any parts that are quoted. Quotes will be mostly from dubs though subs may also be referenced, and Juvia will still third-person.]
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"Oh, it's just such a gorgeous evening!" Levy was elated, prancing through the streets with arms outstretched in an 'airplane' fashion as she burned off a little of this buzzing energy. The sun was sitting perfect in the sky, coloring everything vibrant vermillion. The weather was beautiful. The air smelled like food and flowers. And Levy had just had a fantastic meal with Jet, "as friends" of course.
"I'm glad you're having a good time." He felt so content with the world right now, and things only got better.
As they cut through an alleyway to get back on a main road, Levy stopped and looked back, then attempted to tackle him. Naturally, with her being so small, he easily kept his feet, but he did stumble back just a step. Breaking out a grin, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head softly. "I love you," he whispered.
"Love you too." She rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek, then they continued out of the alley.
As they walked down the street, a familiar voice called out. "Hey, Levy!"
They turned together, and Levy's face lit up. "Lulu, hey! Fancy bumping into you~"
"I was actually on my way home and thinking of getting some dinner," Lucy said. "You guys wanna join me?"
"Ah, no thanks, we just ate," answered Levy with a smile.
Just the two of them? Lucy wondered. About that time, her eyes honed in on their hands, and Levy could suddenly feel her looking at them. She hadn't even realized they'd been walking hand-in-hand since the alley until just now.
"So.." began the blonde, shifting into a sly grin. "This wasn't a date, by any chance, was it?"
Somehow, Levy managed to keep her blush minimal. "What? No!" ...She was still holding his hand.
Although inside Jet sighed heavily and dearly wished they could just tell the truth, outwardly his smile just widened. "I just worry about Levy on these big streets. She's so tiny, you know," he teased.
"Hey," pouted Levy, though she was actually smiling, as well as very grateful.
Lucy blinked, but then smiled as well. "Aww. That's actually really sweet~ It's great how you guys are all so close. It's like you've got two big brothers looking out for you~"
Wow that was a little uncomfortable to imagine. But sure, they'd go with that. "You know it~" agreed Jet.
The three enjoyed a few more minutes of pleasant conversation before parting ways, after which Levy was positively beaming. At this observation, Jet found himself equally concerned and amused.
Once they were appropriately out of anyone's earshot, he ased, "Sooo... Lucy, huh?"
"What about her?" Levy asked pleasantly.
"She's pretty cute, isn't she?"
Here Levy thought Droy was the one who'd had a bit of a thing for her! If Jet did, too, though, all the better. "Totally~" she agreed.
"You guys seem really close."
"Oh yeah, definitely~" Offering a smirk, she noted, "I could totally put in a good word for you, if you asked nicely."
To her surprise, though, Jet shook his head. "Oh, no, I'm not interested."
"Wha? ...Then why-..?" Oh no.
"Are you?" he asked with a side glance.
Levy stopped walking and averted her gaze. "Well. Ah.." Jet stopped as well and turned to her, quirking an eyebrow. "That is, um."
"Hey." Her attention snapped to the call. "You can tell me, you know."
She laughed sheepishly as her face darkened. "Well... M-maybe a little?"
"Oh?" To her relief, he just smirked as he took her hand and motioned for her to continue walking with him.
Doing so, she went on. "Like, I guess... If she came to me and asked, I could definitely see myself dating her- just! Only, if you guys were okay with it, of course." He didn't seem to have a response to that part, which she supposed was better than a bad one. "But it's not.. something I'd actively pursue or anything, you know?"
"Well why not?"
Levy's eyes widened. "Well- I uh."
"Lucy doesn't seem like the kinda girl who'd be offended by something like that," he noted. "Worst case scenario she'd probably be flattered, so you might as well get it off your chest, right?"
Her face reddened. "I... I mean I guess..." A sudden realization, and she leered at him. "Hey, I know where this is going. If this is about watching me make out with other girls-"
A hand stifled Jet's laugh. "No! It's not that." His hand slipped out of hers and moved up to rest on her shoulder. "I want you to be happy, no matter what. I want.. for you to have anything, and anyone, your heart desires." Preferably while still making time for him, of course, but in the long run even that came second to Levy's happiness.
The little wizard basked in the waves of adoration radiating from her partner. "Jet..."
He cracked a wide grin then. "But I mean, you know, the hotness factor is definitely a perk."
Levy burst into laughter at the shift. "You're such a dork." Conversation drifted to more usual topics from then on, but she remained elated throughout the evening. She'd have to mention it to Droy tonight as well, of course, but... Maybe tomorrow, if she got a chance, she'd see what Lucy thought. She wasn't really expecting anything to come out of it, of course, but it would be really nice to know~
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Late that night, five esteemed wizards stepped off Magnolia's last train for the evening. Their leader had been just the slightest bit uneasy during the ride, but the moment he set foot on solid ground, he was ready to kick some ass.
...Find a girl. He meant he was ready to find a girl. ... Eh. He could do both.
"So we don't actually know where this chick lives?" Totomaru asked.
"Non non," answered Sol. "Ze request came straight from ze client to ze Maître to us. So since ze client did not know? We do not know!"
"We'll simply have to ask the people in town," Juvia reasoned.
"But it's so late," groaned Totomaru.
"Sleep embraces the weary travelers," sighed Aria.
Gajeel rolled his eyes heavily. "Let's just get ta work."
They asked around for at least an hour before the Dragon Slayer's nerves began wearing thin; they had no way of knowing she'd left town not long before they arrived. "Screw this," he growled. ..Man, some screws sounded good right now. ...Both kinds, in fact. Maybe when they were done here. "I say we ditch this subtlety crap and make the flies come to us."
Totomaru resisted a comment about how ditching crap sounded like the opposite of how to attract flies.
"What did you have in mind, Monsieur Redfox?"
A wicked grin spread. "We give 'em a little calling card. Teach the little insects not to threaten Phantom Lord's reputation if they know what's good for 'em."
The guys seemed indifferent to this idea, but Juvia was more skeptic. "Exactly what do you mean by calling card?"
"Iunno." ... Juvia should have expected as much. Glancing around, he spotted a large building not much farther off which he suspected might be their headquarters. "I guess we could always rough up the guild itself."
Juvia frowned, and the rain picked up almost imperceptively. "That sounds rather aggressive, Gajeel."
"Wha'd'ya think I'm here for, playin baby-sitter?" he snarked back. "I'm s'posed ta teach 'em a lesson and the master didn't say nothin' about how, so I can do that any way I want."
What even went through this man's head? "And why are we teaching them a lesson?"
"Because they threatened our reputation!" Totomaru interjected.
"Then don't you think that doing something so violent it could harm our reputation is counter-productive?" Juvia stated firmly.
Gajeel just shrugged her off, the picture of nonchalance as he turned away. "Nah. Press loves that sorta shit."
Sol shrugged in turn. "Any publicity is good publicity, as zey say."
Juvia glared fiercely at the lot of them. "Gajeel is being reckless, and Juvia will not take part in this plan," she declared.
"Suit yourself." Gajeel was already beginning to head that direction, which only served to infuriate the rain woman further. "You losers keep lookin' fer the girl then. Not like I care."
But he did care. Inside, Gajeel was seething. How dare she call him out like that. Deny him like that! She, who always supported him, whom he always supported. Not until he put some good distance between himself and the others, though, did he finally let out an angry roar.
When he did arrive at the hall, he found it empty. What a fucking waste. He might've been content to just rough up a few wizards for information and leave a couple scars on the walls as a reminder, but no. He couldn't even have that.
As his rage finally boiled to a peak, he unleashed an Iron Fist that put a hole clean through the wall. Observing his handiwork, he decided he needed much, much more. And empty holes simply wouldn't do. They needed to know exactly who they were dealing with. So determined was he that he didn't even care how draining it was to create sustainable iron; he formed pillar after pillar and skewered the building until it resembled a porcupine.
Smash, crush, snap! Every wall that gave way was incredibly therapeutic. When at last he finished, the iron dragon was exhausted, but he grinned at his work. No one was going to miss that. Not the flies, not the city folk who worshipped them, and not a certain pretentious little rain woman who thought she was too good to get her hands dirty.
Now it was time for sleep. But Phantom Lord had come calling, and in the morning he would see the Fairies's answer.
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[A/N: So I guess they didn't technically meet after all but ssh. Events have begun, that counts.]