A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter. I decided to have flashbacks of their week together throughout the story. I also decided that the story won't be day by day or linear. Like the time gap between chapters can be from a day or weeks, depending on the subject of the chapter. That way it'll be easier to just write the story without the need to fill in the gaps with pointless filler and updates will come out more efficiently. Anyways, I'll let you read the new chapter. Tell me what you think! And be sure to favorite and follow for updates.
Note: I decided to base Magnolia in Chicago, Illinois. Billy Goat Tavern is a city staple. You'll read actual references to places throughout Chicago (and around my neighborhood).
-
Chapter Two: The Date
A week ago in Akane.
"Hey, Cutie!" A man took a seat next to the preoccupied Levy reading attentively to herself. "Where are you from?" Levy showed him an awkward smile and dug her nose deeper into her dictionary size book. "Is that a good book?" The man with alarming spiked chocolate brown hair leaned in to read the bind of the book. "Did they make a movie off that book?"
"I'm sorry," Levy peeled her eyes from the pages. "I didn't catch your name?"
"Chad." He puffed his bare chest. His eyes were covered by thick framed sunglasses and his dull smile was plagued by horrendous shades of coffee stains. "And what's your name, Cutie?"
"Levy," She sighed. "I appreciate—erm—the compliment." She smiled. "And I don't want to appear rude, but I'd like to continue reading my book, thank you." She averted her eyes down at the open book in front of her, hoping that would end things with Chad, but he continued to sit there.
"That's what makes you cute, Cutie." Chad laughed. "A beach flower like you looking all cute with your large book. It's like a shield! But, you don't need it to hide your cutieness." Levy was so glad she was wearing sunglasses as she rolled her light brown eyes. You mean cuteness not cutieness. Levy pondered.
"Yes, it is a shield." Levy hissed unintentionally. "I want to read in peace." From the side, Levy could see the guy fume with his lips pressed hard into a tight line. She hoped that would make him leave for good, however Chad appeared to be more vocal than most of the men that would bother her.
"Damn, I take that back." Chad snorted. "Bitch is more like it." Although Levy wanted to raise her voice at him, someone decided to step in on her behalf.
"That book ain't a shield." A tall muscular man with long black hair approached them. "She uses that to beat fuckers like you for bothering her." She gawked at him behind her shades and internally groans at another muscle head trying to get her attention. She could have stayed in the hotel or not agree to go on this vacation with Lucy as a fifth wheel and spent her spring break reading at the comforts of her home.
"And who are you?" Chad stood up and crossed his arms defensively.
"The guy that's gonna beat you up if you don't scram!" He spat and turned to Levy. "Lucy told me she went to the rental hut to get jet skis." That caught her attention and closed her book.
"Oh, thanks." Levy smiled, gave a quick glance to Chad and then rested her gaze at her savior. "It's about time you showed up."
"Yeah, I got caught up. Sorry." He sneered at Chad. The coffee stained jock swore one last time before he turn to look elsewhere for some beach ass.
"You know Lucy?" Levy asked him. "How do you know Lucy?"
"Not really," The stranger scratched the back of his neck. "I'm friends with Juvia and she told me you know Lucy and Gray."
"Yeah," Levy offered the empty lounge chair next to her. "I'm Levy."
"Gajeel." He sat down, long muscular bronze legs stretched out into the sand.
"Gajeel?" Levy peeked over the top of her sunglasses to take a good look at him. She didn't notice the painful scars on his right arm. Beige in color, the shape of the scars are intricate slashes like he was attacked by a fearsome animal with claws. She quickly turned her eyes to the remarkable sleeve tattoo he had on his left arm; starting from about the hollow of his elbow to his wrist where the design gradually fades into his natural bronze skin.
"I'm not here to bother you, 'kay Shrimp?" Gajeel sighed and leaned back into the chair, having it creak from his stretching. "Continue reading and I'll keep the dumbasses away." Was he watching me?
"Okay…" Levy's eyebrows pinched confusingly and she continued to gawk at him behind dark shades. "And what's up with the shrimp?"
"'Cause you are one." Gajeel stifled a yawn. "If Juvia is lookin' for me, tell her I'm nappin'" He yawned again and crossed his arms. A smile appeared on her sun kissed face as she reopened her book and slid back to her comfortable position.
She muttered, "Thanks, Gajeel," before she fell silent and lost herself into words.
Was her savior on the beach the same man that sang to a sick little girl?
Levy pondered at what transpired in the hospital and when she first met Gajeel on the beach a week ago. If she didn't know he was a friend of Juvia's, Levy would have brushed him off like the rest of them. His appearance, at the time, didn't appeal to her as Gajeel appeared to be a long haired brute who wanted what the other men bothering her wanted. He barely said a word to her the entire time she read beside him, and his presence helped ward off the unwanted attention she was attracting. Which was odd, because not many would often take a second look at Levy? She was less endowed then her best friend, though she wasn't blind of the fact she was beautiful in her own way. Often times the word 'cute' and 'adorable' are used to describe her.
Oddly enough she didn't see this part of her day coming. Levy's initial plan was to give back his shirt using Juvia as a messenger, and to forget and move on with her life. She wasn't expecting to run into him nor did she plan on getting an early dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern.
"The double for you." Gajeel set the burger down in front of her. "And a homerun for me." He sat across the picnic table and set his burger and two bags of potato chips. Fries sounded much better with her burger, though the signs screaming, 'NO FRIES, CHEEPS!' and 'NO LETTUCE! NO TOMATOES! THE GOAT ATE THEM ALL!' at her. She lived in Magnolia all her life, but never ever visited the legendary food staple, Billy Goat Tavern. Gajeel didn't hesitate into digging into his food. It would seem he hadn't eaten all day the way he was stuffing his mouth and washing it all down with soda.
"Is something wrong?" Gajeel caught her stare and swallowed his food. "You don't like your burger?"
"No, nothing is wrong." Levy grinned. "It's just that why didn't you tell me you're a nurse?" She paused to wait for an answer, but Gajeel just blinked silently as he continued to chew his food. "I can't make out your story after what I saw. I don't know if you were telling the truth." There it was again. Lucy always warned her about her habit of analyzing people. It was how her mind works when meeting new people. A story. Everyone had a story and Levy always want to know more of that story. Sometimes her questions or prying would drive someone away. Particularly a date.
"My story?" Gajeel munched on a chip. "And I didn't tell you, because it ain't important."
"It is important. You're a nurse, but you told me last week you're in the military." Levy conveyed the story again. "Sergeant Gajeel Redfox. Your age, plus serving the military, your ranking, and a charge nurse…it doesn't add up."
"Oh really?" He chuckled.
"Um…yeah?" Levy shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just trying to figure this out."
"Not everything has to add up."
"Well, it does for me."
"Why can't it subtract or divide or multiply?" Gajeel laughed and licked his lips. His red eyes gleamed at her amusingly which was rare when Levy tried to analyze someone. "Life sometimes isn't about adding to what you already have, Shrimp. Sometimes they take away."
"Oh," Levy swallowed, studying the Kaiser bun housing her double cheeseburger. "If you don't mind telling me—"
"I don't, but it's a pain in the ass." Gajeel snorted. "You askin' a lot, y'know?"
"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "Last week was different. I did what Lucy ask me not to do when I—uh—hung out with you."
"What? Being nosy?" Gajeel added. "Tryin' to read me like one of yer books?" Levy wanted to detest to that, but the truth was all over her red face. "Now I'm curious. After what you saw today, what do you think my story is?" Levy's face burned redder. "I'm not gonna be offended at whatever you say."
"You sure about that?" Levy slumped. She remembered a date that unfolded like this; he was curious too, but her assessment ended with him calling her one sided bitch.
"I ain't afraid of ya." Gajeel picked up his burger and continued eating. "Lay it on me, Shrimp." Levy sat up straight, eyes narrowing on the untouched burger in front of her, and she laid out all the information that she gathered. A musician. A military man. A nurse. Twenty-eight years old and single with only Juvia as his notable friend. All his bandmates were cousins; people he knew the longest. Then, Levy's eyes lifted and stared back at Gajeel, whose eyes startled her as they were pondering back at her. His long wild hair. The strange piercings on his face, the brutal scars he wasn't afraid to show, and the intricate mix of color and ink morphed into his other arm.
"You joined the military after high school." Levy started her analysis, keeping her eyes on his exposed tattoo. "Military life came naturally to you, and you grew from that experience. While on tour…" She paused, hesitating a bit of what she wanted to say. "…something happened that left either yourself or your comrades injured." Brown eyes flickered to the healed torn flesh on the other arm. "There was nothing you could have done and you felt helpless." Levy's mouth suddenly went dry at her words, and she dared herself to look at Gajeel's face, but she was too afraid. "I don't know how it works in the army, but you decided to do something about it. You became a military nurse and that's when you decided to go into the medical field. You were discharged a few years later and properly received your RN license. Your experience in the military gave you the incentive to lead. Thus, here you are as a charge nurse. Even though I don't know exactly what the position is." Her eyes lifted and watched as Gajeel's face was hard and still. "You don't like going out, however, when you do…you spend it on doing something you use to love. Music." A smile flickered over Levy's thin lips. "When you're not at the hospital working, you're playing your guitar and practicing with your band."
"Is that it?" Gajeel pulled her from her thoughts. Was there anything else to add? Without making any offense, Levy took a good long look at him, staring deeply at his ruby red eyes, trying to implore if what she said were true. Unreadable. Stoic as ever.
"Hm," Levy nodded curtly, bringing her hand up to her bicep and rubbed it nervously. She wanted to speak further, but the fact she couldn't tell if Gajeel was mad at her or amused by her story of him. In a way, her heavy heart slumping to her stomach indicated the regret for her hastily tell.
"You ain't far off." Gajeel grumbled, though not in a way he was annoyed by it or offended. He sounded more surprised if anything. "Y'saved me the trouble from telling you about me."
"Oh! And I thought you love talking about yourself!" Levy broke the tension. "Indulge me by filling in the blanks."
"Oi, I ain't good at telling stories."
"That's okay," Levy grabbed her cheeseburger. "You can give me the cliffnotes."