A/N
Alright so I'm sorry this took a while. I couldn't get everything just how I wanted it. It's still not perfect and I rewrote the ending scene like 4 times but I hope you like it. I'll be putting myself on a schedule to hopefully get these up faster in the future.
Thank you so much to everyone who followed, reviewed, and favorited! It really does make it all worth it.
I am still yet to own Fairy Tail.
Lucy had opened her front door to find Levy bouncing eagerly on her welcome mat. The smaller girl had decided to walk over to Lucy's so that they could walk to the field together. It wasn't a long way from Lucy's apartment and the walk took them less time than they thought it would. As such, they were the first ones there.
The field was the nicest in town, a turf set-up located next to the local high school. Bleachers lined both sides and a tall chain link fence surrounded the whole thing. Lucy and Levy leaned against the fence, next to the gate. Both of them felt weird going in by themselves, so they watched the parking lot, waiting for someone else to arrive.
Lucy tugged anxiously at her shirt. She hoped what she was wearing was okay. She'd spent an hour this morning digging through her closet for her old things. Luckily, she'd managed to find a pair of running shorts that still fit her. She thanked the universe that she hadn't gotten taller since middle school or the short shorts would have been indecently short. Unfortunately, her chest had gotten bigger and none of her tank tops or t-shirts from the old days had fit her. She'd finally settled on a loose white crop top that she didn't mind getting dirty or sweaty.
Next to her, Levy looked like she normally did in a cotton tank and everyday shorts. She had explained that she didn't intend to play today, just watch. She was neither the athletic nor the competitive type. Also, she had continued, she didn't own athletic clothes anyway. However, just in case she did decide to play, she had exchanged her normal sandals for a pair of sneakers.
Lucy looked up, squinting into the sun. The day was just on the verge of being too hot. On the field, the air wavered as the turf gave off excess heat. If Lucy had been planning this, she may have cancelled and waited for a nicer day. But the one who had planned it was not concerned about such a thing. Of course she was sort of insane. And speak of the devil, here she was now.
Erza jogged up to them excitedly. "Good morning girls!" she called out as she approached. Lucy suddenly felt underdressed. Erza's whole ensemble looked straight out of an athletic catalogue. Blue shorts and a matching blue jersey, accented with blue sweatbands on her wrists and forehead. A massive (coordinating) sports bag was thrown casual over her shoulder. Lucy wanted to smack her head into her hand but managed a wave instead. Only Erza could pull something this outrageous off. Her flaming hair, pulled into a ponytail, somehow made the whole thing seem elegant and natural.
Lucy saw Levy picking at her own clothes and knew the other girl was thinking along the same lines as her. Still, Levy also managed a polite greeting. When Erza reached them she didn't stop before throwing the gates open like she owned the place. She beckoned the girls to follow as she jogged onto the field. Apparently Erza didn't walk anywhere when running would get her there faster. Lucy and Levy followed slower. Erza dumped her stuff onto one of the benches on the side of the field before beginning an intricate stretching and warm up regimen that the girls couldn't hope to follow.
A call made them turn around. Lisanna and Mira were coming through the gate. Lucy was relieved to see Lisanna dressed similarly to herself. Mira, however, was wearing another sundress. This one was a light blue that brought out her stunning eyes. "Mira, you don't intend to play?" Levy asked. Mira just laughed. "No, this isn't really my kind of thing. I'm the designated scorekeeper." "Do you mind if I join you? I don't really want to play either." "It would be lovely to have the company."
Behind the white haired girls was their brother. Even having seen him before, Lucy was still taken aback by how huge he was. He was carrying two water jugs that were each easily the size of Levy. He had one over each shoulder. When he got to them, he carefully deposited the jugs on the bench. He smiled at the girls already gathered. He had a huge smile that made Lucy relax a bit. She knew what Lisanna said about her brother was true. He was just a huge teddy bear at heart. "Morning ladies!" he boomed and Lucy greeted him back. Erza was too busy preparing to notice any of the arrivals.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy noticed Levy subtly approach the jugs on the bench. Obviously trying not to be noticed, she wrapped her arms around the cylinder, her arms not even touching around the back, and tried to lift it. Though her arms strained and her face got red, she couldn't even separate it from the bench. Scowling, she whacked the top of it. Lucy tried to hide her snicker behind her hand, but Levy noticed it anyway, turning her scowl on her best friend.
Before Lucy could apologize for laughing at her friend's attempts, something crashed into her. Suddenly she was horizontal, all the breath knocked out of her. She took deep breaths to try and restore some oxygen to her brain. When she opened her eyes, she was met with dark eyes just inches away from her own. She shrieked and tried to scurry backwards but was stopped by the weigh on top of her. She quickly realized that the weight and the eyes belonged to the excited boy from the other day.
Natsu was lying on top of her, having greeted her in the same way he had greeted Lisanna at the pool party. His wide smile only increased at her unamused look. He jumped up, hauling her to her feet by her shoulders and then bounding off before she could say anything. It didn't matter, she was speechless anyway. She was never going to get used to that boy.
"Looks like someone's fond of you," a lilting voice teased from behind her. She turned to see Lisanna standing there, having watched the whole thing. Lucy ignored her, wiping turf pellets off her shirt briskly. Lisanna smirked but dropped her good natured ribbing. When Lucy finally looked back up, she saw that two boys had arrived with Natsu.
One was Gray, who she knew would be here. He gave her a small nod of greeting before jumping to stop Natsu who was about to greet Erza. Gray knew from experience that Erza was not to be disturbed while she warmed up. The other guy was Elfman's rude friend from the other day. Lucy's lip curled slightly. Why was he here? Hearing a grumpy snort from next to her, she saw Levy's eyes were trained in the same place Lucy's had been. Obviously she felt similarly about the rude guy.
Mira had seated herself on the bleachers, a scoreboard siting next to her so she could flip the numbers. Erza finally finished her routine and headed over to the little group gathered around the bench. "Is everyone here?" Gray asked, "We should start picking teams." Lucy was not excited to see where she fell in that pecking order. Never mind. She knew where she was. Dead last. And looking from Erza to the incredibly buff boys, she couldn't really be angry about it. If she was picking, she'd pick her last.
"Make sure not to include me," Levy put in, "I'm just here to watch the show." Erza looked scandalized. "You don't want to play?" she asked, completely confused as to why someone wouldn't want to compete in something this fun. Gray also had a small frown, "Now are teams are uneven." "That's okay!" Natsu bragged, "I can take you all on solo." They all rolled their eyes, not doubting that the energetic boy would be happy to try.
"Don't worry Gray. Juvia should be coming too. That'll even the teams out." Lisanna said. The color drained out of Gray's face. "Oh, Juvia's coming. That's… great." he said unconvincingly. Just on cue, their last person arrived.
Juvia rushed onto the field, blushing both from exertion and embarrassment. She threw herself into a deep bow as she reached the group. "Juvia is so embarrassed. Please forgive her tardiness," she rushed out. She wore leggings and a loose shirt, a backpack thrown over her shoulder. Her blue hair hung in a curtain, covering her face as she bowed.
"Don't worry," Lisanna reassured, "we haven't even picked teams yet." Juvia relaxed a bit, straightening and dropping her bag on the edge of the field. Erza looked around the circle at the players. "Eight people. Why don't we play guys versus girls?" The guys looked around the circle and agreed. "That seems fair," Gray agreed. Lucy was horrified. That did not seem fair to her. These guys were monsters. She had seen them in action. They would destroy her. She would be lucky if her limbs were still attached at the end of the game.
There was some grumbling, mostly from Natsu (I can take on everyone by myself) and Juvia (Juvia wanted to be on Gray-sama's team). The only person who looked how Lucy felt was Gajeel. He was looking at everyone like this was a very elaborate joke and he didn't understand the punchline. "What are you talking about, fair?! Am I looking at the same people as you guys?" he demanded.
Lucy was offended, but couldn't help but agree. Yeah's she'd been pretty good once but that was a long time ago and these guys were monsters. Elfman was so big that she was pretty sure if he stood in the goal, there wouldn't be space to score around him. Gray interrupted her thoughts.
"Yeah, it's fair. We have us, and they have Erza," he pointed out like it was obvious. Oh right. Lucy had forgotten that of all the monsters currently standing on the field, Erza was queen. Some of the stories that Erza had told her at the sleepover had given her chills and she had vowed to never, ever get on Erza's bad side. At Gray's comment, Erza had merely inclined her head, too polite to agree out loud and too honest to disagree.
"Then it is decided," Elfman announced, "come Men!" He turned, leading his team to one side. Lucy could hear the capital letter in the way he said 'men'. Erza immediately turned the other way, pulling a soccer ball out of the black hole of her bag. No one argued her right to start with the ball. Levy skipped over to where Mira was sitting, plopping down next to her.
Lucy followed Erza along with Juvia and Lisanna. She was beginning to feel regret flooding her veins as she looked over to see who they were up against. Why had she ever agreed to this? "Lucy, you will be our forward. Juvia, you and I will be midfield. Lisanna, defense." Erza laid down the law, no room for argument. Oh right, that's why she agreed. Because when Erza spoke, you complied. She moved up to be a forward.
Levy was sitting next to Mira, watching the game eagerly. She had had to hold herself back from laughing when Lu-chan had walked onto the field. She had looked like she was walking to the gallows. Levy couldn't really blame her though. She had seen those guys fight and there was no way she would want to play against even one of them, god forbid all of them.
Elfman was their defender, standing like a brick wall with his arms loosely crossed. Gajeel, looking like the devil himself and radiating ill intent, was on the right. Gray was cooly detached on the left, kicking at the turf while he waited for the game to start. And Natsu was the forward, eyes brimming with a competitive fire. He stood just across the midline from Lucy.
Knowing Lucy as well as she did, Levy could practically read her mind. Right now, she was trying to figure out if she could back away any more from Natsu without Erza killing her. She chose Natsu as the lesser of two evils, and held her ground.
Mira was humming happily as Erza yelled out the start of the game. It took off instantly. Levy stared, hooked. It was fast paced and exciting. If sports on tv were this interesting, she might even put down her book to watch some occasionally.
Levy could barely keep up. Erza had the ball, then Natsu, then Erza again, now to Lucy, who somehow dodged past Gray. Lucy really was good, Levy thought. She was falling back into the rhythm of her old playing days easily.
A clinking sound distracted her. She looked down next to her on the bleachers. A small pile of quarters had appeared next to her. What the heck? There was another pile next to Mira. Mira didn't look at her though, eyes still following the game. She gave no sign of acknowledgement.
Levy decided to ignore it. She looked back up. Somehow Natsu had the ball, and was racing towards the girl's goal. "One quarter, Natsu scores," said a sweet voice next to Levy. She could barely hear it over the raucous game that was being played out before her. She didn't respond, still confused. Erza knocked Natsu aside, and Lisanna swiped the ball away, passing it up to Juvia.
"Ah well," Mira sighed. Without looking, she took one quarter off her pile and added it to Levy's. Levy's eyebrows shot up. It was gambling! Mira wasn't nearly as sweet as she looked. Just then, Mira turned and met her eyes, smiling sweetly. "I've watched a lot of these games, Levy. Have to keep it interesting somehow. Normally my friend Cana sits with me, she's a big gambler." Mira turned back to the game.
Levy's surprise morphed into thoughtfulness. It seemed a little unethical to bet on her friends like this. Then again, it would make the game more interesting. And then the small competitive part of her that she liked to pretend didn't exist made itself known. This could be fun. Just because she wasn't playing soccer didn't mean she couldn't win something today.
"One quarter, Lucy loses the ball to Gajeel" Levy murmured so the people on the field couldn't hear her. It happened as she called it, Lucy shrinking back from Gajeel and losing the ball in the process. Without looking, as Mira had done, she took one of Mira's coins and added it to her pile. "Not a word to the others," Mira whispered, the only acknowledgment of Levy's participation in her slightly twisted game. "Agreed," Levy confirmed, smiling.
And so the game passed: teams trading possession and the score staying just about even as it rose. And the whole time, Mira and Levy traded bets out of the corner of their mouths. Some general and some oddly specific.
Mira: "Lucy scores around Elfman" The shot arcs high into the corner but Elfman gets his fingertips on it and tips it over the top. (Erza's special small sided rules say that defenders are allowed to use their hands inside the penalty box like goalies) Point Levy
Levy: "Juvia gives up the ball to Gray" Juvia stops dead as Gray runs towards her, but Gray is so concerned about running into her that he stops too, giving Erza a chance to take the ball and recover the play. Point Mira
Mira: "Erza makes Juvia switch sides with her because she can't go up against Gray without dropping the ball" With much arm waving on Erza's part and much blushing on Juvia's, Juvia and Erza switch sides. Shockingly, Juvia looks perfectly calm going up against Gajeel. Point Mira
Levy: "Gajeel misses the shot" 'SHIT!' Gajeel yells as his shot swerves wide, missing the goal. Point Levy
Mira: "Natsu outplays Lisanna" Natsu fakes left to dive right but Lisanna gets a foot through his lunge and pokes the ball away. Natsu barely realizes what happened and spends a good few seconds looking confused. Point Levy
Levy: "Gajeel misses the shot again" This time the shot is perfect, slamming into the net. Gajeel pumps his arms 'Fuck yeah!' Erza mutters a derogatory comment on his dirty mouth. Point Mira
Mira: "Natsu and Gajeel get distracted fighting each other and forget about the game" Yelled comments escalate to finger pointing and then shoving. Soon enough, all all out brawl breaks out between the two as Erza dribbles past them. Gray yells at them before joining the fight himself. A time out is called until the fight is resolved. Point Mira
Levy: "Erza tries to shoulder charge Elfman but can't move him" Erza shoulder charges Elfman as predicted. Elfman is sent to the ground, plowing a trench through the turf. Levy's jaw detaches from her face as it hits the ground. Point Mira
Mira: "Juvia makes the shot" Juvia dodges under Elfman's arm to have a one on one with the open goal. Her shot is perfect. She blushes crimson as her team cheers her on. Point Mira
Levy: "Lisanna takes the ball away from Gray" Both move so quickly, it's difficult to follow the ball. Eventually, Lisanna slips the ball away and twists to spin around him on the outside, barely keeping the ball in bounds. Lisanna really was a stunning defender. Point Levy
Mira: "Gray strips"
Wait what?
Levy turned to Mira in shock, making eye contact for the first time since they'd started the game. Mira said nothing, standing by her bet. Levy followed her gaze to Gray. He was pacing along the edge of the field, looking annoyed. Levy blinked and when she opened her eyes again, his clothes were gone and he was standing in only a pair of dark blue compression shorts.
Point Mira
Levy rubbed her eyes. That was impossible. Her eyes had been closed for one second, maybe less. There was no way someone could get all of their clothes off so quickly. When she opened her eyes again, he was in the same state of undress, now stalking across the field to yell at Natsu.
The sound of coins clinking brought her back to her senses. She wanted to ask but she couldn't find the words. "How…so quickly…what?" her words were an incoherent stream. Mira laughed. "People do tend to have that reaction. Gray strips when he gets stressed, it's an old habit." "How does one develop a habit like that?" Levy asked, unable to fight her curiosity. "Hmm," Mira hummed lightly, "I've never asked." From the look on her face, Levy would guess that she had asked, many times, but never received a satisfactory answer.
On the field, she watched Lucy stare openmouthed as Gray walked across the field. She and Juvia had become frozen in place, the first to never before witness Gray's strange habit. Lucy looked horrified, Juvia was drooling.
Gray didn't even notice as he and Natsu got into a heated argument. After a minute, Lisanna decided to intervene. "Gray, your clothes!" she yelled across the field. Gray stopped in the middle of his fight and looked down at himself. "Shit!" he exclaimed, "why does this always happen to me?" He looked up to see Lisanna rolling on the ground laughing, so amused by the other two girls' reactions.
On the other side of the field, the game continued on. Erza and Elfman were fighting for the ball, completely unfazed by Gray's old habit. Elfman finally won a decent shot at the ball and bombed it across the field. The ball sailed through the air, heading straight for Juvia. Gray and Natsu noticed at the same moment but had no time to do anything about it. "Juvia, duck!" Gray managed to call, but Juvia was too distracted to notice.
The ball slammed into her temple, and she dropped instantly. Lucy and Lisanna both immediately broke out of their individual reveries to run to the girl, Natsu and Gray right on their heels. The kneeled around her, waiting anxiously for her to open her eyes. She finally did, her eyes spinning but seeming mostly unharmed.
"Juvia, are you alright?" Lucy asked quickly. "The force of Gray-sama's beauty is astounding." Juvia murmured in awe, her spinning eyes quickly morphing into hearts. Gray winced and took a quick step back, out of her line of sight. Lisanna pushed the original inquiry though. "No, Juvia you got hit in the head with the ball, how are you feeling?"
Juvia blushed, realizing suddenly that her fall had attracted quite a crowd. Natsu sat behind her, propping up her shoulders. Lucy and Lisanna were on either side, staring down at her to make sure she was alright. Gray was hovering nearby, concerned for her but also not wanting to cause another scene since he still lacked proper clothing. Erza and Elfman were jogging over, only just realizing what had happened. Only Gajeel was ignoring the commotion, looking bored.
"Juvia is fine," she cried out, jumping to her feet. She brushed herself off and smiled to everyone to reassure them. However, when she tried to take a step she stumbled and would've face planted into the ground if not for Gray's excellent reflexes. He caught her across the shoulders and gently lowered her back to the ground.
"I think she has a concussion," he stated, addressing his concern to Erza who had stepped forward and was feeling gently around the spot where the ball had hit. "You might be right," Erza conceded slowly, "either way, she should sit out the rest of the game." Juvia, conscious again, pouted sadly. "Juvia does not want to sit out the game," she complained miserably, "Juvia was having fun."
Erza's eyes narrowed, ready to give the stubborn girl a piece of her mind and a lecture on personal safety, but Lisanna intervened. Ever the mediator, she laid a hand on Erza's arm telling her to back down and turned to reason with Juvia. "Juvia," she said seriously, "you could be quite injured. You don't have to leave but you can't keep playing." Juvia was prepared to argue but Lisanna continued, a manipulative grin sliding across her face. "How about this? You agree to sit on the side lines and Gray will be the one to carry you over to the bleachers," Lisanna suggested, "then you can cheer him on from the sidelines for the rest of the game."
Juvia breathing had completely stopped and she looked up at Gray with shining eyes. "You would carry Juvia while she is incapacitated?" she asked gleefully. Gray shot Lisanna a glare that said he would not forget about this any time soon. When he met Juvia's heartfelt gaze, a light blush dusted his cheeks and he cleared his throat. "Uh yeah, sure. I guess I can carry you," he mumbled awkwardly. Juvia ignored his tone and beamed at him.
He solidified his grip on her shoulders and wove his other arm under her knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest, though whether from dizziness or simply a desire to be close to him, no one could tell.
When Levy and Mira saw Gray and Juvia headed towards them across the field, they rushed out to meet them. They hadn't been able to tell what had happened from their distance. Gray just jerked his head towards the big group still standing around when Levy and Mira peppered him with questions. They hurried over to where everyone was standing.
"Lu-chan, what happened?" Levy gasped out. "Juvia got hit in the head with the ball because she was… distracted. She's going to be fine." Lucy reassured. Now that they knew the pretty bluenette would be okay, Levy and Lisanna were having similar reactions. Both girls had hands over their mouths trying to hide their giggles to maintain the serious atmosphere.
"Guess Gray's really is a knockout," Lisanna whispered under her breath to Levy. Levy murmured back gravely, "Love can be such a headache." Both girls lost their fight against their amusement and started holding their sides as they cracked up. Erza looked disapproving and was about to reprimand them when Gajeel interrupted.
He'd finally sauntered over to the group. "Yeah yeah so she's gonna be fine, great. We've got a bigger problem," he grumbled. Everyone turned to him. "The teams are uneven now." he stated seriously.
Once everyone was over their initial annoyance at Gajeel's skewed priorities, Erza spoke up. "Not to worry about it, Mira can play," she said confidently, "it'll be just like old times, right Mira?" "No!" Elfman practically screeched, "There is no way I'm playing against Nee-san." Gajeel sneered, "seriously, you're scared of your own sister?" "You should be too," said Lisanna honestly. Mira just smiled sweetly. "No need to worry Elfman," she reassured, "my sports days are long behind me. I'm much happier just watching."
"That's fine Mira," Lucy said, "Levy can fill in." Levy whipped her head around to glare at Lucy already shaking her head. "No way!" she announced firmly. She was largely ignored. "Perfect," Mira said, "I'll go back and take care of Juvia." Levy looked over to see Gray trying to convince Juvia to let go of him. She suspected that the reason Mira was hurrying back so fast was simply to spy on the pair.
Everyone else had also moved on and accepted that Levy would play. She shot a glare at Lucy who shrugged apologetically. The boys ran back to their side and the game poised to resume at the center of the field. Levy was still standing in the place, not knowing what to do. "Oh Levy," Erza called, "you're on the left, covering Gajeel." Levy was left gaping as Erza ran off, leaving no room for complaint. Gajeel was standing just on his side of the center line, cracking his knuckles at no one in particular. Levy swallowed audibly.
She jogged over to her side, trying to go unnoticed by Gajeel. Unfortunately, in a four on four game, it was hard to be inconspicuous. He met her eyes for moment before clicking his tongue and rolling his eyes. She was both annoyed by his dismissal of her and thankful that there had been no confrontation or, god forbid, that terrifying grin of his.
Gray had finally extracted himself from Juvia, and taken his place back on the field. Erza started calling out a countdown until the game would resume. Levy took a deep breath, trying to steel herself. She vowed to try her best and not be intimidated by her opponent. She wasn't sure it would work, but she vowed to try.
Natsu was having a blast. The game was wild and intense and his blood was racing. Lucy was shockingly good. Natsu couldn't imagine why she didn't love sports. She was obviously talented and games were so fun! After Juvia and Levy had switched, the girls had lagged for a little bit, adjusting to the new player.
Juvia played a graceful game, all endless endurance and long runs up the side. Levy wasn't quite as fast but she played a smarter game. She didn't run with every play but she was in position when they needed her. Strategically, the left was a good spot for her.
The game continued, time slipping away as the two teams traded the ball back and forth. Eventually, Erza called a water break. Natsu wasn't really tired but he didn't mind taking a quick break. He was kinda thirsty.
He jogged to the side of the field with the others. He grabbed his water and threw himself down on the bench next to Lucy. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Juvia swaying in her seat. Her eyes were rolling in her head and she looked sick. He jumped up, shocked no one else had noticed that something was wrong.
"Luce!" he alerted his friend, "Something's wrong with Juvia!" Lucy swung around, concerned. But when she saw Juvia, she relaxed. Her eyes flickered between Juvia and the stripper, who was pouring some water on his head. She huffed and rolled her eyes, sitting back down. "Yeah, something's wrong with her alright," she muttered lightly.
She was such a weirdo. Natsu didn't understand at all, but if Lucy wasn't worried then there was no reason for him to be. He sat back down. For a minute, neither of them spoke, and he watched Erza talk strategy with Lisanna. He wondered if he could listen in if he made up an excuse to get closer. He probably shouldn't, Erza would kill him if she realized what he was doing. He was distracted from his thoughts by Lucy.
"So, what was that thing about Mira playing with us? She doesn't seem like the type." Lucy asked curiously. Natsu grinned, reminded that Lucy had only known the Strauss siblings for a year.
"Back when she was in high school, Mira used to play sports. She and Erza had this huge rivalry. Mira was captain of the soccer team and Erza was captain of the field hockey team. They were really intense, used to get into fights all the time. Watching them play was insane. Mira even had a nickname. They called her the demon," Natsu explained.
Lucy's mouth hung open. "B-but, but…this Mira?" she stuttered out. Natsu nodded. Lucy looked back and forth between Erza and Mira, close friends and as different as night and day. Deciding that she was just going to hurt her head trying to figure out their pasts, she shook head and sighed.
Erza clapped her hands loudly. "Alright guys! Let's start getting back out there!" she called out before beginning a stretching regiment as she walked onto the field. Lisanna approached Gray with a change of clothes, "Gray, you want to put something back on?" Natsu heard a small whimper from Juvia and he wondered if Lucy was right that her head was okay. Gray waved off Lisanna, "nah, it's freaking hot out here. I would've taken my shirt off anyway."
Natsu had to concede the point, as much as he hated agreeing with that guy. It was even hotter on the field than it was everywhere else and after playing for so long, his shirt was starting to stick to his back. "I hate to agree with the stripper but for once he's right," Natsu said. He tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the bench.
Lucy was staring at him weirdly and he wondered if something was stuck to him. "Do I have something on me?" he asked her. He looked down but couldn't find any fuzz or anything. When he looked back up she was red but looking away firmly. He shrugged and turned back to the group.
Elfman and Gajeel had agreed with him and they both took their shirts off as well, casually throwing them aside. "You boys have the right idea," Lisanna agreed. She peeled off her shirt, leaving her standing in just her sports bra and shorts. She followed behind Elfman and Gajeel as they got back in position on the field. Natsu turned to tell Lucy to hurry up, (he knew from experience that Erza was not to be kept waiting), but she was frozen to the spot. He tried to place the expression on her face. Her eyes followed Lisanna across the field. She must be jealous because Lisanna got to cool off a bit, Natsu thought.
"Why don't you take your shirt off, Luce?" he suggested. She leapt like she'd been electrified. "Pervert!" she shouted at him, looking scandalized. Lucy was such a weirdo, Natsu thought, shaking his head confusedly. He'd already seen her in her bikini, she couldn't possibly be wearing less than that. Shrugging it off, he jogged onto the field and after a second, she followed.
Lisanna had been just slow enough getting onto the field that she had caught the exchange between Natsu and Lucy. She was laughing so hard it was hard to stay upright. She didn't know how she could go about explaining to Lucy that this guy's mind was very straightforward and he didn't understand when he said things he shouldn't.
Today was just one amusement after another. Levy and Gajeel were on her left, trying to play the most no-contact game of soccer she had ever seen. She bit back a snicker as the two had another awkward encounter. They both went for the ball but when their elbows touched, Levy jumped back like she'd been shot. Gajeel growled something at her under his breath and Levy's embarrassment turned into a deep scowl. Lisanna wondered what he'd said.
Lucy was still looking at her in horror. Lisanna felt like one of the girls in the 20s with bobbed hair and a short skirt being judged by the old fashioned women before her. She'd known these guys forever and her sports bra covered more than her bathing suit anyway. She waved at Lucy who realized she was staring and whipped her gaze away.
The game took off again. They played for another half hour before Erza called an ending. The game was so close that eventually they'd decided to play next goal wins. The girls had somehow pulled it off and Lisanna was replaying it over and over in her head, promising to rub it in Natsu's face forever. It was a beautiful goal.
Levy had somehow snatched the ball away from Gajeel and tapped it over to Erza who bombed it up the field. Lucy had received it and out done Elfman and Gray for a shot on goal. Landing it squarely in the corner, a huge cheer had gone up. Erza had scooped up Lucy onto her shoulder and was parading around the field.
Natsu was yelling furiously, trying to call foul and offsides and a million other things that wouldn't stick. Gray and Elfman were graceful in defeat, shaking hands and congratulating Lucy on her goal. Gajeel was standing on the side, confused and still trying to figure out how someone so small and so afraid of him had managed to steal the ball away. Lisanna watched as he dragged a hand over his face. Obviously, his reasoning had finally made it to the part where he was never going to be able to live this down.
Levy, for her part, looked very pleased, if a little stunned, at her own actions. Mira and Juvia clapped and cheered. Though Juvia looked very conflicted about whether to cheer for the team she had been on or her beloved Gray. She settled for just clapping and smiling at everyone.
They stood around and chatted for a little longer, reminiscing about some of the best plays. But it was getting kinda late and they all had to get home. Not to mention how tired everyone was. Lisanna waved goodbye to her friends and followed Mira and Elfman to their car.
She was glad everyone had had such a good time.
Levy took a deep breath of fresh air and held it, appreciating the stillness of the day. Erza had offered her a ride home but she had politely declined. On days like this, she liked to walk everywhere. The soccer game had been fun but she was happy for the quiet that never seemed to exist with that group. She hummed lightly as she walked. Reaching the edge of the road she took a quick look around and started to cross. Her mind was distracted, running through the events of the day while her eyes followed the progress of a lazy cloud across the sky.
And so she had no warning when a car whipped around the blind corner. Time froze as she turned. The man behind the wheel saw her the same moment she saw him, both helpless to change the course of events. The car's breaks would be ineffective at such high speed and short distance and Levy, for her part, was frozen. Even if she hadn't been, there was no time. She would never make it clear.
She closed her eyes tightly, bracing her body for the imminent collision. But before the metal could rip into her, something heavy crashed into her side. Instinctively, she tucked herself into a tiny ball, lessening the exposed skin that the pavement could tear through. She crashed to the ground, all the breath being violently forced out of her lungs by the impact. But there was very little pain. She had landed on something solid, but whatever it was was much softer than the ground and though she slid slightly, nothing tore at her skin.
The whole thing was over in a moment. Her oxygen was gone and her head spun. The first thought to enter Levy's head was that she wasn't nearly as dead as she expected to be. But as her lungs started to ache, it was quickly followed by the thought of how ironic it would be if she was saved from a fatal car crash just to die from asphyxiation because she forgot how to breathe. The thought was human enough to wake up the rest of her body. She gasped, air filling her desperate lungs. Slowly, her senses woke up and she tried to make sense of her near death experience. It was fuzzy and confusing.
Something had crashed into her. A person. Someone had thrown themselves on her to get her out of the way of the car. She could feel their arms around her waist holding her in place. She was lying on top of them, tucked into their chest. She could feel it rise and fall as the person below her tried to catch their breath. Not only had they saved her from the car, they had taken the collision with the ground too.
Finally, the arms released their grip on her and she rolled lightly to the ground. Now that she was listening, she could hear a steady stream of profanity from her rescuer. She sat up, holding her head in her hands as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. When the spots in front of her eyes dissipated, she turned to thank the person who had saved her.
Her breath stopped, again. Lying on the ground was the very last person she had ever expected to see there. And yet there he was, panting up at the sky and releasing indistinct curses with each exhale. Gravel pitted his cheek and his coarse hair splayed out over the curb. Maybe this was a dream, she thought, wondering if maybe she hadn't hit her head a bit harder than she thought. Maybe this whole thing was actually just some sort of very strange and vivid coma dream from after she'd been hit by the car.
Something on the ground caught her eye. A spot of red was catching the sun. She reached out to it, still dazed. Her fingers scraped across the ground. The road was hot and sharp and the spot was dark and wet. The sensations burned against her skin as her sense of touch woke up. The last of the fog in her head vanished, and with it, any idea that her situation was anything less than a startling reality. She started as she realized that the red on the road was blood. She searched for a pain that would explain it but came away with nothing. She had no worse injuries than her loopy brain and the general ache of being tackled. And that's when she realized it was his.
He must have made the first contact with the ground with his shoulder and the asphalt had torn through him. His shoulder was all ripped up, blood dripping and staining the street. Blood and sweat traced the curves in his biceps, sticking to his dark skin.
And all this confirmed what she had been trying to wrap her head around in the first place. The identity of her savior. For at this point there was no longer any way for her to deny it.
Gajeel Redfox lay on the ground, his breathing slowly evening out. He had saved her. He had thrown himself in front of a car for her. She watched, entranced, as he pushed himself up off the ground. When he was sitting up, he looked over at her for the first time. His eyes were completely, carefully neutral.
"You hurt?" he managed to grunt. She would never know how someone who had just barely dodged a car crash and was still dripping blood managed to sound so casual. Not trusting her voice to function correctly, she merely shook her head. He gave her a thorough once over, his careful examination the only indication of care or concern on his part. She almost blushed as his eyes traced the lines of her body and thanked her still malfunctioning brain for the fact that she was too addled to be properly embarrassed.
Finally he nodded, apparently satisfied that she really was fine. He stood up, taking a quick look at his shoulder before making a noise of light annoyance. Shrugging off the injury, he started walking away.
That's when she noticed the car. The car that had almost hit her had swerved to the side of the road and hit the curb. A small plume of smoke rose from the tires and her nose wrinkled as she recognized the sickening stench of burning rubber. The driver had just managed to push open his door. He was gingerly touching his forehead, having probably bashed it on the steering wheel in the sudden stop.
Gajeel stalked over to him. As the man moved to stand, Gajeel shoved him back down. Hard. The man looked ready to retaliate and opened his mouth to complain but then he met Gajeel's eyes.
Levy could only see Gajeel's back from where she sat but she could see the man. She watched the anger dissipate from his face, replaced with wide eyed fear. His mouth still hung open, stunned. Gajeel glared until he was satisfied. He turned, and Levy could see the ugly grimace twisting his lips.
"Be more careful, asshole." he growled at the stuttering man in the car. And then he was gone. He turned and trudged away. Just kept walking. Levy kept waiting for him to look back, but he didn't. Even after he had turned the corner, Levy just kept staring down the street, like she was waiting for something. Her brain was caught in some snare she couldn't get out of. Logically, she knew she should get up, get home, call someone. But irrationally, she just wanted to sit there and wait. She didn't even know what she was waiting for.
Some time later, Erza arrived on the scene. She checked Levy for injuries, talked to an officer who had appeared to deal with the crash, and gave the driver a lecture that had him shaking in his boots. Through all of it, Levy sat on the ground, eyes unfocused and fingers tracing the stones on the ground that were wet and warm with his blood. She knew it was macabre but it was the only thing she had to assure herself that it hadn't been a dream.
After all the bureaucracy was taken care of, (how did Erza do that so fast), Levy was loaded into the backseat of a car. Erza got in the driver seat and started to drive her home. Levy leaned her head against the cool glass and watched the trees and houses slip past. She was halfway home when her eyes snapped open and she realized something important.
She had never said thank you.