Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Levy leaned out the window and with Lucy's help, carefully rolled the hunk of metal down the wooden ramp. There was a book fair taking place near their camp and Makarov had delightedly given one Levy McGarden permission to borrow his automobile for a few hours.
"You're sure you don't just wanna come along to window shop?"
"I'm short on money this month. Replacing an entire outfit kind of takes a hit to your purse." Lucy sighed and hung her shoulders in exasperation.
Levy stopped the car at Lucy's side and winked at her friend, "At least the man had the decency to do it in private, huh, Luce?"
"Levy! That's not funny!" The blonde girl's face heated to a dangerous shade and frantically waved her arms in the air, and despite Lucy's obvious distress at the comment, Levy threw her head back and laughed. "Next time, he's on a wild romp, I'm sending him to you. We'll see how funny it is when he fries your show rags right off your body."
The bull rider sniffed and cleared her throat, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. You're sure you don't want me to pick you up something?"
"Yeah, don't sweat it. I've got at least 30 books stacked around that need to be read. It's all starting to add up on Erza's nerves, she keeps giving me lectures on pack ratting."
"All right. I should be back before four."
"One minute late and I'll think you'd run off to join the circus- oh, wait." They giggled at the poor joke and bid farewell to each other once more before Levy turned the automobile around and drove off.
It hadn't been the first time she'd taken the car out for errand runs, as Makarov often lent the contraption out to anyone that needed supplies or groceries. As they all grew older, he made sure either himself, Wakaba, or Macao had given each of his children driving lessons should an emergency arise. The rules were basic, nothing extreme; obey the speed limits, keep an eye out for pedestrians, don't let Natsu behind the wheel, and, without question, Erza, Gray, and Natsu are not allowed to be in the car at the same time. Levy usually went with Lucy, a few times by herself, so those rules never applied to her.
She playfully honked the horn as she passed the menageries, and Wendy and Natsu waved from their seats on the edge of the lion cage. Aurora merely graced her with one eye peeped open; the old girl had been too busy with a cat nap to bid her owner a proper farewell. Levy zipped past the rest of the stands, enjoying the air that flew in from the open windows and tousled the hair that stuck out from under the brim her hat. Lily and Gajeel appeared from around a tent, the two gave her a comical double take as she stopped to greet them.
"You guys need anything from town?"
"Ah, no, moineau, but thank you for the offer. Going out for the afternoon?" Lily smiled widely, no doubt amused by the sight of her flying through the circus in Makarov's prized contraption.
Levy cocked her head and smirked, "There's a book fair set up in town and I'm not about to miss it."
"I'm sure you'll have a grand time, you'll have to tell me about your finds when you get back."
"Sure thing, Lil'." Pantherlily walked away with his pail. It was feeding time and the animals didn't count social pleasantries as a valid reason for a late feeding.
"Need anything, Gajeel?" She flinched; it sounded forced even to her. After their disagreement, they had turned scarce around the other. Neither of them knew how to handle the situation, even after his apology. It probably stemmed from the fact that they were both too bullheaded for their own good and that Gajeel didn't hold the strongest social skills, or so Pantherlily had told her.
"No." He quirked an eyebrow at her and motioned down the road with a nod of his head, "Are you goin' by yerself?""
"Yep, Lucy couldn't go. Since Natsu torched the last of her show clothes, she had to buy more and it kinda drained her for awhile."
Gajeel scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Think after the last time she'd know better." He pulled his brows low over his eyes and puckered his mouth in something close to discomfort.
"What is it?" Levy straightened her back and tilted her head in interest.
He blinked, then moved his gaze off to something beyond her field of vision. "Nothin'."
"No, really, what's up?"
Those brooding eyes slid back to her and she had to fight the shiver from the action. "Just don't think you should barrel into town alone is all."
"I can take care of myself, you know." Levy decided to test the waters, raising her eyebrow and quirking a corner of her mouth, "But…If you're really that concerned, do something about it."
His red eyes narrowed at her and he stepped up to the pristine automobile. "Scoot."
Gajeel opened the car door and sat down as she slid to the opposite side. He was going to pretend with every fiber of his being that he didn't see the smug, all-knowing smile plastered to her delicate face. He played nice and refrained from commenting about women drivers, but if he was going to do this, he wasn't about to be toted around town like her accessory. Lily would have disagreed, saying it was just years of repressed gentlemanly consideration breaking through or something along those lines.
"Gajeel." There was no use holding onto this tension, they were adults and should act accordingly. Besides, she wouldn't hold any of her other friends at such arm's length; he shouldn't have to be held to a different standard because she couldn't get a grip on her runaway train thoughts. The real question Levy wasn't so sure she wanted answered, was why she did so.
The sword thrower cranked the window closed and suspiciously leveled her with a halfhearted scowl. "What?"
"Thanks."
Wisps of hair whipped cheerily by her jaw as they got on their way and the smile she offered was too sincere for someone like him, the thought souring his stomach.
The feeling didn't subside when they reached the fair when he learned that Levy's hat did too well a job of hiding her hair from his line of sight, especially with the square being absolutely packed to the gills. The girl was a hummingbird on a mission, and he was awkwardly trying not to scare the crowd or run them them over. It was going to be a long day for him.
Gajeel hung back, leaning against store fronts and waiting for her to find him rather than the other way around. It worked out better, as this system allowed him to keep watch over the general area she'd darted into and Levy didn't feel rushed with him floundering like a dying fish at her heels. She hadn't missed his obvious loss at what to do, because crowd's were a completely different thing when they weren't seated and outside the ring of personal space. It drained even her at times, fighting the people that missed her because of her height and stepped on her toes. It was the thrill of having something new to read that kept her coming back time and time again.
Her companion had been deep in thought, hands shoved into his pockets and squeamishly eyeing all the people that tread too close for his comfort. She caught him off guard as she popped up beside him.
"Wanna get a bite to eat? My treat for dragging you into this mess."
"Sounds good, but yer not paying for my meal."
Levy crossed her arms, the paper bag in her hand crinkling and swinging at her elbow with the motion. Gajeel decidedly ignored the pop of her hip as she huffed. "Don't tell me you're one of those Neanderthals that believes a woman can't offer the same chivalries to a man?"
"No, I'm turnin' you down because you didn't drag me anywhere, I came here on my own, so you don't owe me anything." Gajeel sniggered at her doe eyed look of embarrassment and awe; even the little bird that twittered all the time could be at a loss for words. He scoffed at the pink staining her cheeks and shook his head in feigned exasperation, "C'mon half pint, I'm starved."
Against the odds, they managed to hunt out a cafe far enough from the clamor that it wasn't overflowing with people. Levy gladly brushed off the pointed stares from the women seated at a table near them, but she did catch snippets of scandalized whispers.
A young lady should not be so frank with a young man.
A your lady should not laugh so loudly.
There's no ring on her finger, what do they think they're doing without a chaperone?
Such a sweet face too. Her mother must be at a loss.
Nothing she hadn't heard before, and if Gajeel didn't acknowledge the useless squawking, she wouldn't either. Although, the urge to none-too-subtly stick her tongue out at the old biddies was near impossible.
Their conversation stayed light and the lulls between bites was, thankfully, pleasant. Halfway through their lunch, a pair of siblings approached their table. The brother and sister bobbed their heads and politely asked for a moment, apologizing if they were interrupting.
Levy set her soup spoon down and demurely raised the napkin to her mouth, waving her other hand dismissively. "Not at all. What can we do for you?"
The boy, sandy blond and standing perfectly straight, shared a look with his younger sister before looking back to her. "Are you from the Tail?"
Levy shared a look with Gajeel and animatedly nodded her head, "We are. Are you guys planning on catching the show?"
"Sure thing, miss! We make sure to catch it any time you guys are in town. My ma says your guys run the best Sunday school show 'round." The young boy conversed with the older woman about Aurora and the other acts he enjoyed the most while his younger sister stood back, occasionally eyeing the large man beside her warily.
Gajeel couldn't take the anticipation for conversation any longer, so he turned and leaned his elbows on his knee to meet her eye level. "Can I help you?"
"You throw knives and swords." Her look was nothing short of condemning, and she probably gave her parents a regular run for their money judging by her open tone and tousled hair that had been attempted to be tamed before she had the chance to leave the eagle eyes of her mother.
"What about it?" Gajeel met her serious attitude with one of his own.
"I got whipped for tryin' it once. How do you get away with it?" The girl, five at the most, only blinked at his wavering scowl. Her eyes cut suspiciously and tiny arms crossed over her chest, and the sight had Gajeel chuckling. He vaguely noticed the table of snooty crows' faces had gone as white as sheets and enjoyed the victory, they sure had something to yack about now.
"Well, ya gotta be careful 'bout it. First off, yer too young and with those scrawny arms, ya won't get very far. Ya gotta get bigger and stronger." Gajeel reached out and lightly poked her forehead, "'Sides, I think yer're smarter than that to throw knives."
The young girl squared her shoulders and opened her mouth to rebuke, but he stopped her. Rolling up his sleeves and showing her the faded scars along his forearms, Gajeel managed to silence the tiny spitfire. Levy and the older boy had abandoned their conversation to listen for his response.
"It's not the nicest job either. There's tons of better jobs'n throwin' sharp objects."
"Didn't seem to phase you, mister." Her little face tilted with the easy motion of crossing her arms and cocking the side of her lithe body.
Her brother hissed her name, barely intelligible, but the girl seemed used to the mangled variation of her name through clenched teeth. Levy had to remind herself not to laugh, lifting her napkin back to her face once more to hide her smile.
"That's right. But then again, I ain't the sharpest out there. You'd probably be somethin' good where you have to fight with yer mind, not yer fists."
The little girl seemed placated by that and smiled, "That's what my pa says too."
Seemingly satisfied, she nodded her head. The kids walked out with their parents and left the two to the rest of their lunch after excited goodbyes.
Levy's eyes crinkled, and her smile was nothing short of beaming. "That was very well said, Gajeel." He didn't respond, only shrugged his shoulders and dove back into his meal.
Gajeel and Levy passed the rest of the time in silence, speaking up only to ask for the salt and pepper. Levy hadn't been sure how he would handle the afternoon, as she was all too aware of the fact he wasn't much of a reader from all the times he teased her, but he played along well and patiently waited for her. She also knew that he had watched the crowd around her like a hawk after a few careless locals had trampled on her poor toes or nearly bumped her to the dirt. He'd been the only one to hear her yelp, two shakes away from parting the careless crowd like the Red Sea.
With full bellies and Levy's paper sack chock full of books, they made their way back to the car. She stopped in front of a fabric store and gave Gajeel a bashful look before she shot in for a few things. He'd been impressed when she made it back out five minutes later with white tissue paper cradled at the top of her sack of books. She let her eyes linger over the nearly deserted fair stalls, but only a handful of people remained to linger and peruse the books. As if reading her mind, Gajeel spoke up.
"I know it's killin' ya, just go."
Her resulting smile had been bashful and revealed the tiniest dimple in one of her cheeks that he hadn't noticed before. He picked a wall and leaned against it, keeping her purchases close to his feet as she meandered back to the picked-through shelves.
Levy ran her index finger over the dusty spines, glancing over titles and author names at lightning speed. She plucked a black book with gold lettering off the shelves, she noting dreamily that the edges of paper were also embossed with the shining color. The hardback was in great condition for an outside fair set-up, but lacked its sleeve so she couldn't read over the summary. She figured a few extra moments spent to examine the first few pages wouldn't be a big deal, because Gajeel knew what it would entail by letting her come back over. Levy pulled her glasses from her coat pocket and perched them on the edge of her nose.
She delightedly brought her bottom lip between her teeth at the promising prologue. Clearly, her taste wasn't going to be hindered by a missing sleeve as the adventure novel unfolded quickly.
"Heya doll." A shadow crept over the page she was reading, blocking her light from the lowering sun.
She didn't bother glancing up, as this wasn't the first time some dandy approached her with a line. It happened relentlessly when she was with Lucy, but obviously this cat hadn't seen the imposing shadow that no doubt kept the rest of his kind away from her like a ten foot pole. "My name's not doll, I'm not buyin' what you're sellin', and, if you please, you're in my light."
"Aw, come on doll face, don't be such a wet blanket. I was just sayin' 'hi' is all."
She leaned away from him, resting her weight against the shelf and taking a step away from him. Levy was glad Mirajane Strauss, Erza Scarlet, and Cana Alberona had made it their business, under Porlyusica's instruction, to debrief all the girls from Tail on the tricks of getting unwelcome attention to get lost. "Strangers calling me 'doll' rarely just want to say 'hi'. Kindly move along, I'm reading."
"Now you ain't gotta be like that, doll. That frown doesn't belong on a face's pretty as yours." His voice was smooth, fresh and lilting in just the right ways to make dames go weak-kneed. It only served to make her skin crawl.
"That's a lovely sentiment and I'm inclined to agree, but seeing as the only way to get rid of it is for you to hit the road…." She did raise her eyes to him this time, burning his white smile with barely veiled, condescending venom.
"Doll, I don't think you really want me to leave." His smooth fingertips grazed her jawbone. They were fresh and soft from having never seen an honest day's work, her traitorous mind compared them to a tanned set that was riddled with callouses. A blush fought its way to her cheeks, both in anger and embarrassment as the phantom touch alighted on her waist. She snapped.
Levy McGarden was not a violent broad, she was words and stood to her belief of pacifism. However, she wasn't a welcome mat and nobody acted so familiar with her unless permission was given or they had to rescue her from a burning building. She would relish in the crack of her palm slapping his cheek for his insolence; she had no time for worthless peacocks like him.
He robbed her of the victory, catching her wrist deftly and yanking her forward. "I wouldn't be doin' that if I were you, doll. Now, come on. You're obviously not here with anyone and I'm lacking a nice girl on my arm."
She'd never been so relieved to see that molten gaze and wild mane of black hair in her life. Gajeel pried his fingers from her wrist and gently moved her to stand behind him.
"Scat."
His entire frame radiated strength, the waves of it hitting her and anchoring deep in her lungs. Even when he had raided Tail, she could not recall feeling this much disdain coming from him. Relief freed her stone legs and released the vice on her lungs the instant the stranger left with only muttered curses at them. Her savior stalked back to his store corner and picked up her bag without question, silently heading in the direction they had parked.
Levy was fuming, though. She angry at that man and angry that she had to be saved, angry that she was shaken and angry that the warmth from his slimy hand still lingered on her wrist and made her heart beat out of rhythm. Gajeel strode quietly behind her, something she's immensely glad for because she doesn't want to talk or stop to catch her breath or thank him for stepping in. She wanted her emotions to crash and roll and crest like waves against the shore of her mind. They reached the car and it was almost funny the way he staggered when she finally whirled on him and spoke.
"I'm driving."
He cocked his head, the thought occurring to him that maybe he should stop her since it was not exactly smart to drive in the condition she was currently writhing in. His choice was made up for him by the thin arch of her eyebrow disappearing into the brim of her hat. He tossed the keys to her without comment. Levy slunk out of the town at a snail's pace, then gunned the gas once they were away from buildings and people, the car accelerating and roaring with her racing pulse. For his part, Gajeel still said nothing; he understood pride, that having it wounded tastes like curdled milk and that anyone would do anything to wash the bile away.
She tore her hat off with one hand and tossed it to the seat between them, the newly freed strands snapping at her cheeks. It was her empty hope that the curls would beat the rage out of her system. Eyes too focused on the dirt roads ahead of them, Levy completely missed the odd look Gajeel was shooting her from across the automobile. He'd only seen her in the glasses a few times, only near dangling off the tip of her nose and hair swept back into one of her headbands. Her shaggy bangs caught in the frames set correctly on her face and rage lit her eyes in a view something else entirely. Levy had always been polite and contained irritation, but this one was on a warpath and treading down it fast.
Phantom probably messed him up more than he originally thought because the sight of her letting loose and quietly cursing at the dashboard intrigued him. No matter what, consequences be damned, Gajeel had to see this side of her again and again.
The car took a right turn, veering off the worn path for only a second and serving to snap her back to rights. Her shoulders deflated and she scrubbed a hand over her face. "You must think I'm absolutely batty."
"Nah, you just need to let off some steam." His shoulders rolled easily with the comment and Gajeel turned his head, for the first time, to watch the road.
She snorted. "That's putting it lightly."
"Personally, it's nice to see the change. All the bottled emotions in that tiny body of yers had me worried, I wanted to pound somebody for ya." He scratched at the nape of his neck with secondary bubbled energy he had soaked up from her.
Levy scoffed absurdly loud and propped her arm against the window sill, leaning her head there as she eased her weight off the gas, "Thanks…And, uh, really- thank you."
"Don't worry about it. Personally, I'd have just preferred hanging back 'til you socked him."
She blinked, once, then twice. "How did you-?
"Tsk, saw yer fist curling up." Gajeel smirked at her, with the smallest hint of pride for her gumption. He laughed when her mouth twisted awkwardly and her cheeks flamed against the bright locks of hair sweeping over her face.
-Slang
dandy: a man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance.
doll: an attractive young woman, often with connotations of unintelligence and frivolity.
-Circus vocab.
Sunday school show: a clean show. No crooked games, no dirty 'gal shows', no other illicit activity tolerated by the show owner.
A/N: I bet you did a double take. Consistency is a relative term to me, so don't rely on it around here.