Here we are at the end! Thank you to all my readers and reviewers (both guest and not)!
By the time her car was done, Levy's blazing cheeks had settled down a little. She was still suspicious of Metalicana's grin, though.
He slid the finalized paperwork over for her to sign and pay, tapping his fingers idly on the desk. She took one look at it and frowned, bringing it closer to her face as her brow furrowed.
"This doesn't look right," she said.
The form was a printable version of the one she'd filled out on the computer. However, the only things listed with price were the parts. There was no labor fee. She'd seen the database—she knew what the parts cost, and the total was just that amount.
Metalicana just shrugged when she rose a brow. Looking behind her, Lily was fiddling with the coffee machine. Her nose had finally adjusted where she could smell the grounds over the ever-present oil scent. Was that a smirk on his face too?
"The brat set it up," the shop owner said. "He probably knew what he was doing."
While the tone was skeptical—and to which part, she wasn't sure—Metalicana's easy smile said he wasn't bothered by it. In the garage, her car sparked to life, and the crunching of tires told her Gajeel was driving it around.
Since Metalicana wasn't doing anything to rework the bill, Levy paid and gathered the receipt to stick in her glove box—a habit she picked up from her dad. She hovered a moment by the door, jacket slung over her arm, but nobody chased her down to say she still owed them.
Instead, Metalicana called out, "Yer welcome back any time."
Lily waved as he went into the garage, but he was laughing. So was the shop owner. Levy had a sinking feeling she was missing something.
A burst of rock music filled her ears as she opened the door, cutting off seconds later as Gajeel killed the engine. Puffing her cheeks out, she stomped outside, the bell jingling above her. So what if he was a little charming (in a strange way) or nice to look at—he couldn't just manipulate his service! She believed in fairness, and she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
Her steps started out heavy and determined on the now-dry ground, but she abruptly lost momentum when she spotted Gajeel leaning against her car hood, arms crossed casually.
It was like looking at a glossy calendar picture—only he was real. His piercings gleamed in the sun that peeked out through the clouds, and his naturally-tanned skin went complimented his dark hair perfectly. Even all the grease wasn't unattractive. It just showed off how hard he worked.
It wasn't fair to be that sexy. And the worst part was that he probably knew what she was thinking, since he was smirking.
"Like what you see, Shrimp?"
She gave herself a second to admit mentally that yes, she did. Then she crossed her arms and gave him a flat stare.
"It's Levy," she insisted. "What did you do to my bill?"
His grin got wider, if possible. "What's it look like, short stuff?" he stressed, mocking her. "A bookworm like you knows how to read."
Levy huffed and just barely managed to avoid stamping her foot, since that'd make her look about five. "Fix it," she demanded.
Gajeel shrugged a shoulder, the action almost identical to his father's. "I figure you put in yer own work," he said. Then, he brushed a finger across his nose—just like she had earlier.
Eyes widening, she reached up to wipe at her own, only to come away with a thick, black mark. She abruptly made a very undignified noise as she turned around and attempted to rub it off. Just how long had that been there?
"Gihee!" she heard behind her. His continued laughing told her that her strange makeup was there quite a while—that sort of laughter was built up.
When she was sure her cheeks outshone her dress in brightness, she heard the jingling of keys. Gajeel held them out but wasn't moving.
With a sigh, she steeled what was left of her dignity and went to take them. Just before her fingers brushed the keys, he abruptly yanked them away from her, dangling them above her head.
Levy pouted and fixed him with a glare, but he just laughed and kept her keys where they were. The rattled as he shook them. When she jumped to try and reach them, failing spectacularly, he grinned. He was too damn tall!
"What's the matter, Shorty?" he teased.
Not about to give up, she tried again. This time, she braced one hand on his shoulder for a boost.
Leaping up into the air, a finger touched the metal. She cried out in victory before Gajeel yanked them backwards.
Unfortunately, that meant he took a step back too, jarring the hand that was braced against him. In a jerky motion, she stumbled right into him.
Her nose squished into his chest, and her fingers shot out to hook into the nearest latching point, which was his coverall. Gajeel's hand shot out to steady her too, wrapping around her waist and pulling her toward him so she didn't fall face-first into the dirt.
Everything stopped for a second. She could feel warm breath reflecting back onto her face. Where he touched her waist was like fire.
For just a moment, she imagined it was real. Then she realized they were in full view of the shop window. Levy really hoped Metalicana and Lily weren't watching from inside. She didn't have the nerve to check.
With an awkward cough, Gajeel seemed to realize how they looked too. He let her go and she took a couple steps back. This time, he handed her keys over without a word. She took them but couldn't make her heart stop pounding. Her hands seemed to automatically run through her hair for something to do.
"Oh," she said when her fingers trailed over his handkerchief. "This is yours."
She was poised to undo her hair when Gajeel shook his head. "Nah, keep it. You can return it next time I see ya."
For the second time that day, he reached out to ruffle her hair. Levy's nose wrinkled and she swatted at him, but it was only halfheartedly.
Arching a brow, she said, "And if there isn't a next time?"
His cocky stance withered a little bit, but it was barely noticeable. Gajeel did scratch the back of his head, though, and his ears were red—but maybe that was from their close encounter. Still, Levy found it adorable how he could be so full of himself one moment and fumbling the next. He probably also sang in the shower and had cute cat plushies hidden in his bedroom.
A part of her wanted to find out.
Gajeel scuffed his boots against the ground and was pointedly avoiding her gaze. That was what sold her really. He didn't seem like just some egotistical jerk.
"Then again," she drew out, making him snap his head up. "You know Natsu, and I know Lucy. And they hang out all the time..."
The heat in her cheeks flared up again and she took a step forward, reaching for a tiny scrap of paper folded into her dress. "...So chances are pretty good," she finished.
Then, she gathered her courage. She had to do it now. The paper was burning a hole in her pocket.
Before she lost her nerve, she slid the note with her number into the front pocket of his coveralls.
"Call me if you think I need a tune-up!" she rushed out.
From the look on his face, it would be pretty soon.
And we're done! This fic was a little bit fluffier while I'm still getting the hang of this fandom. Any feedback on how to improve in the future is greatly appreciated!