Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
"It was a good run through today, don't you think, Ever?" The young girl looked toward her partner as they stepped from the big top, pleased with their progress.
The older woman seemed to have other ideals, though. A familiar tilt of her head, her lips pulled into a straight line as she hummed, Wendy was never sure if it meant she was truly paying attention or didn't quite agree with something she'd said. Evergreen tugged the cord from her hair to loosen the headache straining at the nape of her neck. The relief was immediate the second her honey locks brushed her shoulders and were tousled in the breeze. Her muscles finally began to relax from the strenuous bout in the high wires. She'd make time for several cups of tea and a warm bath to put her back at her best before the next show.
She adjusted her glasses and narrowed her eyes to something in the distance; the sight was curious, Evergreen only got that look when she was picking routines apart and reevaluating faults in aesthetics. It was the sharp and unforgiving assessment of a hawk. Wendy followed her gaze to catch sight of Natsu and Lucy walking just ahead of them, clearly locked in another one of their odd back-and-forths.
Wendy wiped the sweat beading at her forehead and sucked in a great breath, ready to knock Natsu off his feet. Her voice was generally dulcet, but she could force it to a roar like nobody else's business when she wished. There was no mishearing Wendy Marvell when she howled.
Her opportunity was taken away with uncanny swiftness.
Evergreen laid her elegant hand delicately over Wendy's mouth, and the scent of wildflowers lingering on her partner's wrist hit the her nostrils, and bent down to whisper in the girl's ear, "No, watch."
Anyone would have seen it a mile away and Evergreen prided herself on sight, despite the thin spectacles that perched on her slim nose. The child beside her wasn't exempt from the knowledge that the fire breather and star girl were smitten with each other. With Natsu's off-the-handle personality and Lucy's harsh embarrassment, it was difficult to witness genuine shows of affections that weren't accompanied by heated cheeks and caterwauling.
Wendy could hear what they were saying, Natsu himself had taught her the trick when she was just a tot. Their argument was gibberish; Natsu was too rowdy, he should grow up, and Lucy was too serious, she needed to lighten up. It was their favorite record in a repertoire of nitpicking and an argument about as old as Makarov, she believed. Lucy stamped her boot, dust kicked into the air and dirtied her hem, before she threw up her hands and haughtily began to tramp away from the source of her vexation.
The young girl's eyes widened as Natsu took one step forward, quick as lightning, to circle his arm round her shoulders and press his head into her hair. The boy always had far too much bravery when he was in Lucy's company, but he seemed to have a limitless fountain of sheer dumb luck as well. Natsu murmured a few words even Wendy couldn't pick up, but whatever it was it had done the trick, because Lucy's head was tossed forward and her body shook with barely contained guffaws.
"Keep a close eye on that." Evergreen raised from kneeling next to Wendy and set her hands on her hips confidently. Mirajane was going to love this, and hopefully turn the demon's watchful eye from herself to the younger pair.
Wendy jerked her head back to her two friends just in time to see Natsu reel Lucy in with the smoothest motion she'd seen from the unpredictable man.
He pressed his mouth sweetly to her cheek.
"Now." Ever smirked and pressed her palm to Wendy's back, she stepped away to meet up with the famed Strauss siblings, who were on their way to the big top.
Wendy drew her breath and hollered, pumping her legs with all the energy she had left to close the distance between them. She tossed her little body into the air to reach Natsu's back, not missing the pink on their cheeks for one second. He hefted her up and would her legs around his waist, to make sure she was secure before he took off, as per their routine.
"Hey Wendy! We were just on our way to see Happy and Carla, wanna come?" The signature grin split his face, his white teeth flashed.
Lucy stood stuck to her spot only for a beat before she followed behind them. The run to the menagerie would be a decent cover for the blush that refused to ebb from her face.
The frigid storms swept through the audience, tugging at bowler hats and full skirts that had once been daintily adjusted comfortably for the show. The rain woman and her dearest beau raided together in their water and ice unison. Lightning shot to spark and strike amongst the poles near the seats and occasionally shattered lightbulbs in vest-pocket firework displays, carefully conducted with the brawny paws of the ringmaster's grandson.
An elemental trifecta of the harshest forces, they were gales and frostbite and charred trees once they had their way.
The patrons would shift and squirm and reel back on the benches; frozen to the spot with fascination, but warring with the instinct to flee from the electric showstopper.
As if gods and a goddess descended from Olympus, they dropped into the ring with the power of elite mayhem. They resembled those legendary and fearsome Olmpyians the moment their hands raised and their elements thrashed close to their bodies, but no fear shone in their deep irises. They did not bow, they remained immobile as statues, chiseled and unyielding, and the awe they struck into the hearts of the audience members caused a shiver to wash across the hushed room. They silently disappeared as they came, fading into heavy smoke screens and their gazes never leaving the fascinated faces of the audience.
Lightning quieted and receded in time for the rain to beat against pinked cheeks. These gentle drops settled in delicate eyelashes as prefect snowflakes. Children laughed and held up pudgy hands or stuck out their tongues in hopes of catching the fluffy flakes that drifted from the darkness of the rafters. Adults would touch their cheeks and rub at their eyes, genuinely confused by the snow that had been born in such stuffy conditions.
A howl of wind dried the audience in seconds as the very last flash of lightning struck the sole remaining light near the center ring, and lit it on fire.
Gajeel and Lily made their way back for dinner from the last technical run-through. After Natsu's blaze of glory that brought down the house and repairs had to be made over the course of a whole day and a half, it was protocol to make sure everything was safe and sound. The real test had been if the work would weather Juvia, Wendy, Gray, and Laxus' less than benevolent treatment of the place. For all the hard work, their hands were littered in irritated cuts from the splinters. The unrefined beams left one Laki Olietta blushing right down to the tips of her lavender hair as they pulled the splits of wood from their palms. The girl looked like she was going to give up and cry over it all, this was her pride of the cirque. Nobody dangling up in the rafters that afternoon blamed her, the imperfections were caused because of Natsu's lack of control and humility.
"Remind me next time to grab my gloves." Gajeel grumbled as he rubbed at the sore spots. He could handle pain, but he always felt a little obsessive when it came to shielding his hands from trauma.
Lily laughed, shoving his friend's shoulder, "Oh, don't be such a big baby, Gajeel. What's a little splinter to the injuries you've caused yourself with those kniv-"
"Mister Lily!" Wendy stumbled behind them, shooting out her hands to catch Lily's arm to stop her clumsy fall. She mumbled a sorry and straightened her posture, she looked the part of a proper young lady, but her chest rising and falling deeply ruined the primness of her look.
"Ah, what is it, jeune?" Lily enclosed his hand around her much tinier one and squatted to her eye level.
"I think Carla might be sick. I-If you're not busy, or too tired, could you look her over, sir?" She fidgeted shyly, it was difficult to not feel like she was putting them out of their way after knowing they worked on the big top all morning. The rafters were unforgiving in their lack of air circulation, especially when the high sun beat down against the dark material of the tent.
"There's no need for formality, Wendy, we've gone as far back to when you were but knee high to a duck. Besides, 'sir' is for old men. Do I look old to you?"
The girl puffed her cheeks and vigorously shook her head, "No!"
Lily winked at her, "We'll take a look at that lioness."
The older man rose from his haunches and released her hand to stand. One foot already poised in the air to lead their little group to the menagerie, it was Gajeel's voice that stopped him. It was never easy to tell what would come out of his old charge's mouth, especially considering he was particularly picky about his warmer sentiments and the off-the-wall bond he, the young girl, and Dragneel had formed.
Gajeel stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers and glowered down at the jittery girl, "Air's sorta your thing, yeah?"
"I-uh, I gues'so?" Wendy nervously met his eye with hers and shrugged her shoulders self-consciously.
The sword thrower rolled his eyes and lazily set his hand to the crown of her head, "Then get some into those lungs of yers." Gajeel gently nudged her playfully, ruffling her thick mane of hair in the process.
"R-Right." Her shoulders slumped with the release of breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. It was weird having the lion rebuff her so cooly, Wendy had taken care of Carla since she was born. In those years, they had become inseparable, and it was Carla that acted more like her guardian rather than the other way around. It was nice to have the sword thrower's weird show of comfort, it settled her mind a bit.
Lily rolled his eyes and slapped the younger man's shoulder, "Leave the little one alone, Gajeel. Come, Wendy." He stooped down to allow her onto his back, an old habit used to soothe her when she was little.
"Tch, careful old man, you're not as strong as you used to be." Gajeel smirked and smugly set his hands back in his pockets.
Lily opened his mouth to retort, but the sky girl beat him to it, her expression aghast and tone laced with menace, "Are you saying I'm heavy?"
"I, ugh, no- How could you even come up with- Wait a second." He'd brought this one on himself, he'd only meant to insult the old man. But of course it'd come back to bite him in the ass. Lily and Wendy sniggered at the other man's expense as they made their way to the cages. Gajeel deflated, "You've been spendin' too much time with Heartfilia."
Once they stepped up to the menagerie, they saw Happy set jovially at the edge of the cage, nearly pressed to the bars in his excitement for visitors. Carla laid at the farthest corner of her cage, she allowed her claws to flex once, then twice, as a growl rumbled in her throat. She was clearly displeased with her cage mate's ridiculous exuberance, the fool lion grated on her reserved nerves. That habit was nothing bizarre for the lioness, but the minimally raised hackles on her neck as they approached the locks very much were.
"Let's see what we got here."
Wendy slid from Pantherlily's back and Gajeel assisted him in opening the cage, because it was a tag team effort to keep the male lion inside. Happy had gotten loose once and scared patrons out of their wits by pouncing and rolling amongst the visitors. It was a sight no one was sure to forget anytime soon and they all constantly ribbed Natsu about his misbehaved kid. There were no visitors milling about at this hour, but Freed and Levy were currently working on new perimeters for the day and the last thing they needed was for the big cat to get fried for setting off a rune or find his way into the town's main street.
Lily edged toward the cross lioness, her head raised with unabashed dignity and an alarmingly amount of warning. She'd never hurt the caretaker, the creature was all bark and no bite, but it didn't stop her from boasting sharp fangs and lean muscle.
As expected, Carla was a heap of purrs and affectionate rooting the moment Lily's hand pressed to her head; it was all a matter of course with her. The man crouched down and slowly moved his ministrations to her neck and shoulder. She flexed her muscles to meet every pet and stretched her back. She had obviously not been strained in any recent bouts with Erza and Happy in the ring. Lily's large palm curved into her stomach to rub along the soft fur over her ribcage.
Any further plans for the check up were frozen the moment Carla's muscles went rigid and she snarled menacingly in his face. Happy sat in his corner, tail thumping against the floor, sending hay in all directions at a mile a minute. Lily scoffed at the erratic pounding coming from the other end of the shared cage.
Gajeel folded his arms and raised a brow to the lion down at his side, "Proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"What? What is it?" Wendy hoped with all her tiny might that it was something Lily could help with; she'd be beside herself if they couldn't help Carla. Or worse, something that could cause her to be taken from the cirque. From her.
Lily chuckled and slowly moved away from the lioness, "She's not sick, only irritated with Happy for the most part."
Wendy felt a rush of cool relief quiet her heart and ease the warm pulse at her brow. Having Carla this angry at Happy wasn't a complete cause for celebration, but it was a delight compared to what she had been dreading. "What's he done now?"
A choked snort made its way from Gajeel and even Lily couldn't keep a smile from his own face as he gazed down at the young girl peeping over the edge of the platform. "Carla's going to have a little one of her own."
-French
jeune: young; in this case 'young one'
-Circus vocab.
menagerie: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
A/N: There was a delay and I don't even have any Gajeel and Levy interaction to show for it. Oops. All in due time, though.
There is a very important factor in that the events happening in each chapter are not always set within the next day or week, it could be months later and, at times, not in order (the circus act sections). However, the development between Gajeel and Levy will be in chronological order.
I'm not sure how familiar the rest of the world is with the expression 'knee high to a duck', but it's a saying, prevalent here in the south at least, used as an endearment for remembering when someone was very young or little.