Ah, guys, I'm so overwhelmed with the great response to this AU! There have been a few more amazing art pieces, I'll link them on my profile if I don't forget! :D
A certain blue-haired someone will make her appearance today, hehe. And yes - that means another one of my OTP's will be written in. It's fairly obvious which one it's gonna be, eh?
secret weapon
"So he actually hired someone? I can't believe it!"
"Me neither." Lucy grinned over at her friend as they made their way along Strawberry street, both equipped with two steaming cups of coffee.
"And he's… nice, huh."
"Shut up, Levy! I told you, just because he's cute that doesn't mean I'm gonna fall for him or anything. No way! We get along, is all."
Levy flashed her a teasing grin. Of course she knew better. She had been Lucy's best friend for years.
"If you say so."
"I do. Not like you don't have your eyes set on a certain someone."
"W-what are you talking about!"
"Oh you know exactly what I'm talking about, fufufu. Which is why I brought you along today. Because you're my secret weapon."
"Secret weapon?!"
"He likes you, too. I've told you many times."
"It's not true though. He's always so… grumpy."
"That's just who he is, and you know it. And you don't know how much more grumpy he is when you're not there."
Lucy wiggled her eyebrows and grinned down at her best friend. Now, with spring still in its baby shoes, Levy was wearing tight leggins that showed no inch of her skin. But beneath, the blonde knew, there was not much skin that was not covered in ink. Just like beneath the olive t-shirt that she had tugged into her high-waisted shorts. Or like where it was visible on her arm, for that matter.
Her friend was covered in tattoos.
Levy kept insisting that she only came here because Gajeel was the best - which he was - but Lucy knew that was far from the only reason she continued to drop by. Today, too, she had only managed to convince Levy to come along to discuss her newest addition to the piece of art decorating her body.
Really, why were they both so stubborn?
Nevermind that she had tamed her blue locks into an elaborate high bun or had applied some seriously tempting red lipstick. While Levy did don a style like this more often than not, it did not slip Lucy's attention that she checked her appearance in the shopwindow's reflection before they entered.
As the door of Iron Dragon Ink swung closed behind them, three heads lifted and turned.
Gajeel was busy tattooing the right upper arm of a buff, tall man, while Natsu was sitting behind the desk, seemingly sketching on something.
"Hi guys! I hope we're not interrupting?"
"Oh no, no!" Natsu jumped up from his seat with an enthusiastic grin, and - much to Lucy's excitement - did not put on the vest that was flung over the back of the reception chair.
Her eyes immediately darted to his uncovered arms. Finally.
His right one was tattoed almost completely. The ink spread up until shortly after his elbow, covering about half his forearm too. From where she stood, she could not make out many details, except that it seemed to be mostly black and white, with some light red thrown in. Flames? But they had some kind of form. Something like claws, or feathers…
Gajeel was about to simply huff a greeting, but then his eyes found the petite woman behind Lucy. He paused mid-grunt.
"Yo."
"Hello to you too, Gajeel." Lucy mocked, but his eyes were not fixed on her. And so she was quick to turn her attention towards the young man who was striding over to her.
"It's been a few days, Lucy."
"The shop was busy," she smiled.
"Same. Thanks for the coffee! Just what I need right now, oh man. You're the best!"
She chuckled as he grabbed the left cup.
"It's the wrong one again."
"Dammit."
Meanwhile, Levy put the cup that was intended for Gajeel on the free table to his left.
"I'll just put it here, for when you're done."
"Uh, thanks."
"Welcome."
Their eyes locked for a moment, but then Gajeel turned his face back towards his customer so abruptly that his ponytail whooshed through the air. Levy rolled her eyes at his back, unaware of the faint tint to his cheeks.
So, while she waited for him to finish his piece, she plopped down on an empty chair and started twirling her necklace between her fingers. As she pulled it upwards and tried to stick it to her chin, she tried to casually spy on her best friend - there was nothing better to do anyways, right?
The blonde stood bent over the counter, staring down at what she guessed had to be the new guys's sketch. He looked nice enough, alright. So far, Levy approved. And he seemed to make Lucy inexplicably happy.
As her best friend's eyes lit up and she rounded the corner to get a closer look, Natsu's eyes proudly flickered between her and his sketch as he continued to explain something about it to her.
"It's so good!" she called, and Levy chuckled.
What else was there to be expected? Gajeel would not employ just anyone.
Her gaze diverted back to her favourite tattoo artist, focusing on the tattoo that was taking form on the white haired guy's bicep. Looked like it was almost done.
Lucy finally managed to tear her gaze off the sketch, beaming up at Natsu. He mirrored her expression.
"So you like it, eh?"
"Oh, yes, I do! I really, really do."
For a moment, she pondered her next words, chewing on her lower lip nervously. No, she was not ready yet. She wouldn't ask. But his art… it was amazing. Clear, strong lines, yet somehow still intricate, delicate even, and full of character. Just like she had pictured her-
"Whatcha lookin' so silly for? Is there something wrong with it?"
"Nothing." She shook her head with a smile. "Hey, was Gajeel angry about last time, by the way? When you came back late?"
"Ah, let's just say I survived. Lucky that we only had one appointment set during that time."
"Ah, I'm glad. Anyway, remember how I said I had a secret weapon for things like that?"
"Yeah? But I don't have the slightest what you mea-"
Lucy pointed her head towards the chair currently occupied by her best friend.
"Her."
"Eh?"
"She's my secret weapon."
"Your friend? What was her name, Leah?"
"Levy."
"Ah, yeah. I'm not so good with names." he laughed.
"Shush, keep your voice down!"
"Sorry, ma'm."
"He totally has a thing for her." Lucy chuckled wily, slipping into coupling mode right away.
"Gajeel? Seriously? He doesn't seem to be the guy to have a thing for anything or anyone. Except his job, maybe."
"Just watch."
And indeed, something weird happened when Gajeel turned around now, wiping his hands on a white cloth drenched in desinfection spray. His eyes immediately darted to the blue-haired young woman, staring intently until she seemed to notice his actions. Then, he dropped them again.
Natsu leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter beside hers as he spectated. He didn't seem to care that his body was pressing against hers. Didn't seem to notice how the touch of his arm against hers was enough to momentarily distract her from her two victims. Lucy blushed.
Levy, too. She fixed her headband nervously while Gajeel was cashing up the guy, who took his leave with a nod and a general goodbye.
He had seemed just as silent as Gajeel. She bet they got along just great.
But now, he was doing it again. Staring. At her lips? She rolled them together, and then parted them with a low pop, feeling the sticky lipstick. He flinched. Yes, he had most definitely been staring at her lips.
His eyes on them made her cheeks flush again, and she almost snapped at him.
But he seemed to sense the danger.
"So, yer back, shrimp."
She vehemently ignored his nickname, like she always did.
"Thought it has been a while since my last one."
"Any ideas?"
Levy's eyes started glowing as he rolled his chair over towards her.
"Well, there's this quote…"
They started talking in a hushed tone, and soon Gajeel looked almost half as excited as her - which, for him, was unusual to say the least. He started sketching something, only looking up at her sometimes to look for approval he was sure to get. When she nodded, everytime, without fail, he smiled.
"No fucking way."
Lucy grinned at her flabbergasted friend. His chin had gradually dropped as Levy and Gajeel's brainstorming session had went on.
"Is it always like this? Is that even Gajeel?! Hah! Didn't think he had it in him."
Lucy smiled, rather self-pleasedly indeed.
"Told ya."