Archive of Our Own ^beta

Gajeel Redfox wasn't one to engage in a conversation. Most people wouldn't have the guts to stand three feet near him. So aside from his close friends and cousins, Gajeel was a silent one. But once that guy opens his mouth, a stream of insults, nicknames, and quick-witted words comes out. Gajeel Redfox wasn't one to dot into anyone's business…..

So why was he so curious about one girl's well-being?

It all started last Wednesday in the cafeteria when he and his cousin Natsu were engaged in a brawl. The pink-haired brat had made fun of Gajeel's piercings and told him he looked like an ugly fish attached to a hook. So one thing led to another, they both ended up in a brawl. Their friends tried to separate them, keyword: tried. The other party knew it was useless without a certain scarlet haired girl named Erza around to keep them around. They involuntarily flinched at what Erza might do to them once she got a hold of this. But being student council president kept her busy, which gave Gajeel and Natsu plenty of opportunities to beat themselves to a pulp. Add in a naked Gray Fullbuster and you got yourself a WWE match.

"What did you say about my piercings again, Salamander?!" Gajeel barked at his cousin.

"You looked like a dead fish on a hook, iron-breath!" Natsu taunted.

"Oh yeah?! I ain't the one with the pink hair, pinky!"

"Shut your face up! Your hair's a horse's mane!"

"Say that again, you punk!"

Gajeel punched Natsu square on the jaw and Natsu kicked him square on the chest in return, which made Gajeel stumble a bit, causing him to bump into someone and fall upon them.

"ow!" the small mass under Gajeel exclaimed.
Gajeel was still catching his breath when someone pushed him off which made him land on his jaw. Groaning while cradling his jaw, Gajeel turned around to see Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu's best friend, helping someone stand up who he assumed to be the unlucky person who had been crushed by him. She had blue hair and seemed to be shorter than most people.

"Levy-chan, are you okay?" Lucy asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

"Ah…" Levy rubbed her nose, "I don't know, my nose took a big hit…" Suddenly, Levy's eyes were wide open in shock as she clutched her nose, "my glasses!"

Both girls looked at the floor to see Levy's glasses crushed. The lens was broken and it was broken in half. A piece of Levy's glasses was under Gajeel's boot, which he quickly kicked away. He looked like a kid whose hand was caught in a cookie jar.

"My… My glasses!" Levy picked up pieces of her glasses, "You ruined them! They were the new gale force ones!"

Gajeel scratched his neck, "Sorry?"

"Sorry? Sorry?" Levy gawked at him, "How am I supposed to read about the Da Vinci Code tonight?!"

"Ah- Ah, I'll help you read it, Levy!" Lucy replied.

"But Lu! Didn't you say you have a date tonight?"

"Shshhhh not so loud, Levy! Come on, we need to go to the nurse's office to check about your nose." Lucy ushered Levy out of the cafeteria when a crowd started to form around them. Gajeel barked out to them to scram, which they gradually did so.

A cackle erupted from the crowd, " Your face was so hilarious!"

It took a moment for Gajeel to process that Natsu was laughing at him. "Shut your face, punk!"

And thus, another brawl began.

The sliding door opened to reveal the same person who owned the now broken glasses. She looked a lot better than she did earlier. Levy took a glance at Gajeel and gave a small, sharp "hmph!" directed at him. Gajeel's usual scowl deepened.

I did say I was sorry, he thought.

"Ah Levy, you're back. Is your nose okay now?" their teacher, Mr. Gildrats Clive, asked in concern as he accepted Levy's excuse note.

"Yeah, it's okay," Levy answered.

Gajeel took notice of the fact that besides Lucy, Levy was one of the shortest girls in the batch.

Gihi, Shrimp, Gajeel grinned at his thought.

"Don't you dare think of skipping this class, Gajeel!" Gildarts chided, "Just because I have my back turn doesn't mean I don't have eyes at the back."

Gajeel laughed at the matter, "You're thinkin' wrong, old man. Besides if you do have eyes behind your back, doesn't that classify you as an alien now?"

The sound of muffled laughter echoed through the room, "Good one Gajeel. Don't forget detention later."

The latter's jaw dropped, "For what?!"

"Your brawl with Natsu earlier didn't go unnoticed by the office. And for callin' me an old man too."

"You are an old man-ow!"

An eraser managed to hit Gajeel on the forehead, and another batch of muffled laughter erupted.

"Gajeel, watch that tongue of yours."

"yeah, yeah," Gajeel grumbled as he rubbed his forehead.

As Gildarts started the class, Gajeel noticed that Levy took the seat beside him, which surprised him. Most people would sit a seat away from him, or behind him. But Levy straight up took the seat right beside him.

Gajeel started to take down notes when heard the girl beside him grunting. He glanced at her to see her squinting her eyes at the board. He ignored her and continued to copy the lecture. After a few minutes, he heard a sigh of frustration. Glancing again, Gajeel saw her shaking her hair making it more wilder than it seemed.

Levy looked at her desk to see another notebook above hers, "here." The voice grumbled.

Gajeel looked at her, handing her his notebook.

"Your grunts are annoying."

Levy took the notebook and smiled at him, "Thanks."

"What? About complimenting your grunts?"

Annoyance flashed on Levy's face, "No you jerk. About the notebook."

"Whatever. Your grunts are still annoying."

Maybe, Levy thought, This guy has a soft side. As she opens the notebook, she sees his writing and a mixture of shock and horror comes to mind. His writing is a complete chicken scratch!

Gajeel noticed her expression and asked, "Oi, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" I can barely comprehend anything in this notebook.

But instead of giving it back, Levy started to copy Gajeel's lecture, no matter how illegible his writing was. As she nears the end, she sees a small scribble she could understand at the corner of the notebook.

Sorry for breaking your glasses.

Yup, Levy mused, a total softie.

"Hey Juvia, how much are those Gale Force glasses?"

Juvia turned around to see her friend Gajeel grinding the coffee beans as she poured milk into the cup, "It costs a lot Gajeel. Juvia asks why?"

"Asking for a friend," he replies.

"Oh!" Juvia says in surprise "Is this friend Gajeel's girlfriend? Did Gajeel break her glasses?"

"Oi Shut up, Rain woman!" Gajeel barked his face with a tint of red. "She ain't no one to me. I just broke her glasses."

"Oh, so Gajeel's friend is a she!"

"Shut yer- whatever. How much are those glasses anyway?"

"The glasses cost about 13,500 jewels." At the mention of the price, Gajeel felt his life force deplete.

"For some damn glasses?!"

Juvia shrugged, "They are a bit pricy, but considering the quality, they are worth it. Lucy bought them for Levy as a gift one time."

Oh no, Gajeel felt his life deplete another few more years, Bunny girl's gonna murder me.

"Speaking of Levy... Did Gajeel break hers?" Juvia broke the mystery as Gajeel groaned.

"Not a word to anyone, Juvia. Not a word."

"Oi, Bunny girl, I thought you had a date." Gajeel grinned at the embarrassment that was evident on Lucy's face.

"What do you mean, Gajeel? She is! With me!" Natsu commented as he stuffed his face with food. Gajeel was at the Dragneel residence, Natsu's mom insisted on him visiting since it she hasn't seen him in a while and wanted to give some goodies to Metallicana as well.

Gajeel barked out a laugh, "With this imbecile? I can't believe it!" ge continued to laugh then let out a yelp of pain as he felt someone's foot kick his, "ow!"

Lucy huffed in pain, "You feel pain? Your foot's as strong as steel."

"Says the one with a kick that has 20 horsepower. Ouch!"

"And that was for Levy's glasses! That cost me a fortune!"

"Costs you a fortune?! Ain't your house-" Gajeel was cut off by Natsu who took it in his life to not let anyone talk about Lucy's private life.

"Shut up! Your bickering is making me lose my appetite."

"Those glasses are making me lose my life!"

"Why are you stressing about those glasses anyway?"

Gajeel paused at Lucy's question, Why is he obsessed about Levy's glasses?

"Look, I was guilty cause the little shrimp had a hard time copying lectures." Gajeel scratched his neck, a faint pink tinting his cheeks.

"And you lend her your notes? Your handwriting is chicken scratch."

"Yeah, I know- Wait! How did you get a hold of that?" Gajeel tried to hide his shock. Lucy snickered at his expression.

"I know your handwriting from anywhere, Gajeel. I saw your notebook inside Levy's locker and it fell out. That handwriting is just as signature as your piercings. You and Natsu have the same handwriting skills." Lucy snickered.

"No, we don't!" Both Natsu and Gajeel replied. They looked at each other.

"Stop copying me!"

"No, you!"

"Oh, Lu! I don't know what's going on with me!" Levy wailed as she slapped herself.

"What's wrong Levy?" Lucy asked.

"I want to thank him for lending his notes, but I don't know how!" Levy said.

Levy is eternally grateful for Gajeel's notes. She was nearsighted but she couldn't see anything once the lecture started at the corner of the board where the sun usually reflects. And they were seven tiles away from the board, so that was an obstacle. Whilst her glasses were non-existent, she's been slaving away with Gajeel's notebooks. Her other classmates had offered their notebooks to her, but she couldn't get herself to accept them. Even though their handwriting was much better than Gajeel's, she found herself smiling at the small quirks his notes came with. The crooked shift on his letter h, the small doodles on the corners of his notebooks, not to mention the fact that he sometimes has a small drawing of a cat-like panther on his notebooks. The mention of the cute little kitty made Levy's heart swell.

"Levy! Levy!" Lucy snapped her fingers in front of the blue-haired girl's face.

"Hm?" Levy asked in a daze.

"How about cooking for him?" Lucy asked.

"I can't cook for my life, Lu!" Levy pouted.

"Buy him lunch? Take him out!" Lucy said

"Why do you make it sound like I'm taking him out on a date?"

"Uhm..." Lucy remembered talking to Mirajane who was the one who suggested the food thing. A way to a man's heart is through food! Mira said with a smile.

It isn't like they like each other, Lucy thought, then realization fell upon her, Wait a minute...

"Levy, do you like Gajeel?" Lucy asks, straight to the point.

"What?!" Levy was embarrassed. Her face was red and she felt hot.

"Lu! It's not really like that!" Levy tried to reason.

Lucy snorted, "Understatement of the century. You hang out with him almost every free period before lunch. You don't accept lectures from others aside from Gajeel, whose writing is next to Russian script. And he even has a nickname for you already!"

"It doesn't mean that I like him, Lu. And besides, he has nicknames for everyone!" Levy answered, trying to hide the oblivious reasoning that her mind was making up.

"Give me ten valid reasons why it doesn't mean anything other than you liking him." Lucy deadpanned.

"Well... he isn't my type! And Lucy! The guy has piercings everywhere on his face! He's probably a magnet to anything metal. And he broke my only pair of glasses, and those are hard to go by... and his hair is just a big no to me. And he calls me shrimp! It's an insult to my height!"

She isn't letting it down Lucy internally pouted, "If you say so..."

Lucy didn't believe it. Not one bit. Levy is no one for judging people by their appearance, she is so much more than that. So Lucy let it slide, believing that fate has plans for them. If not, Mirajane was always ready for plan B.

Unknown to the two females, the subject of their topic heard everything they said as he was about to take another step towards them. He grips the case of the glasses tightly, feeling a swirl of disappointment and anger inside him.

The later afternoon proved to improve the student's spirits as they made their way home. Levy looked at the sky and sighed. The weekend was coming and all she could think about was watching Fantastic Beasts with Lucy soon. Newt Scamander! Oh dear me...

Her peaceful thinking was shattered as she felt her handbag had gotten heavier. She tugged it as soon as she saw a dark hand on it.

"Hey! Let go!" Levy yelled.

The guy only laughed, "Hey Kawazu! Here's an easy one."

'Kawazu' cackled- which sounded like a chicken clucking- saying, "I don't think she can put much of a fight, Yomazu."

Kawazu and Yomazu looked at Levy's handbag again and each of them dove towards it, which Levy avoided as stealthily as possible, which was a possible feat. But, Levy knew she couldn't win this fight with her wits as the only weapon, not when the two were the size of vending machines. So in a moment of distraction- which she threw a stone towards them- she ran.

Levy could her Kawazu & Yomazu behind her, but she did not turn around to check, for fear of slowing down. She turned to a corner only to collide with something hard.

"Watch where you're going, shrimp."

Levy knew that was Gajeel's sharp voice. But before she could process what was happening, she was lifted from the ground by Yomazu's large hand. Yomazu noticed Gajeel and grinned, "Gajeel! Fancy seeing you hear."

Gajeel tsked, "Just passing by."

"You know, Ballam Academy has been pretty different since your transfer." Yomazu chimed in.

"Oh really? You guys look different to me too."

"Not that much." Replied Yomazu.

"How?" a cackle from Kawazu.

"Your nose looks different." And with that, Gajeel sent a punch towards Yomazu, and as the impact came in, it made him drop Levy.

"Oi!" Kawazu said in anger.

Yomazu, now with a bloody nose, glowered at Gajeel, "What was that for?"

"Just a fellow citizen saving another from an act of theft," Gajeel said as he threw another punch, this time toward Kawazu.

By the sidelines, Levy looked at Gajeel in a jaw-dropping face. Gajeel took on Kawazu and Yomazu on his own, which they were no match for. Gajeel was sending punch after punch, a brutal attack after another. In an opening, Kowazu sent a kick toward Gajeel's abdomen, which made the victim skid backward. Kowazu then lunged towards Levy who didn't expect it and was in a headlock with her. Levy's arms were outstretched and gripping onto Kowazu's shoulders with Kawazu in the same position only gripping tightly onto Levy's shoulders.

"Give it up girly!" Kawazu growled.

"What makes you think I'm doing that?!" Levy said in a tone of defiance, "What is it with my bag with you guys, anyways?!"

"You got gold, girly!" Kawazu answered with a grin.

"Like you guys would get your dirty paws on this!" Levy said as she pushed Kawazu with all her might, but they ended up spinning in circles. They tried to push each other, but they were gripping tightly onto each other. Suddenly, Levy felt the weight fall off her shoulders (literally) as Gajeel tossed (and really, just tossed) Kawazu over the cement wall behind him, and with Yamazu out for the count, sprawled on the concrete floor with stars around his head acting as a halo, it was easy to say that the students of Fairy Tail high won.

Gajeel and Levy made eye contact and for a while, Levy formed a correct conclusion for her thank-you gift to him. But before she could even open her mouth, Gajeel swung his bag over his shoulder and left Levy sitting on the concrete, dumbfounded. Quickly picking up her senses, she chased after Gajeel. Levy grabbed his arm and tried to stop him.

"Gajeel, Gajeel!" Levy tried to stop him, but Gajeel just dragged her along, "Gajeel! Listen to me!"

"What!?" Gajeel snapped. His jaw tightened as he glared at Levy, looking at her expression put his feelings in turmoil.

"You're injured. At least let me help you." Levy reasoned, taking Gajeel's bruised knuckles into her palms.

Gajeel steeled himself from her, "Whatever. Don't care."

Levy huffed, "Stop being a jerk and let me help you. If those aren't treated, they could get infected-"

"Why should you care? I'm just some big brute who broke your glasses and has stupid piercings on his face." Gajeel sneered. Levy was taken aback by his sudden demeanor. Realization dawned upon her. He heard us.

"Gajeel, it's not like that."

"Seems like it to me, shrimp," Gajeel grumbled.

Levy rolled her eyes, "Will you stop and listen to me?! I never gave a thought about how you look, even if you end up with green hair or markers drawn over your face, you're just Gajeel to me. Nothing else. And even if I were to hate you, I would run away from you right now. But I'm not, I'm here. I just wanted to get Lu-chan off my back because... i wasn't really sure of me feelings for you.... until now."

Gajeel could not find any words. He was rendered speechless.

"Now c'mon." Levy grabbed his hand once more and dragged him in the opposite direction.

"H-hey, where are we going?" Gajeel stuttered. Did I just stuttered?

"Your wounds. They need to be treated."

Gajeel let Levy drag him to wherever, because he could care less about his wounds, the fact that he was with her, made him happy.

They ended up in a small convenience store. As Gajeel finishes his wraps on his knuckles, Levy comes in with two noodle cups. She hands one to Gajeel with the other to herself.

"Itaidakimas!" Levy said merrily, digging in.

Gajeel looked at her and found a smile digging in the corners of his mouth. He let out a gihi and dug into his cup noodles as well.

"So, you like me huh?" Gajeel teased. A red tint played on Levy's cheeks.

"Yeah, so what?" Levy deadpanned.

"That's not the reaction I wanted!" Gajeel spluttered.

"What is it then?" Levy inquired.

"Nevermind. I was just messin' with ya, shrimp." Gajeel smirked.

"My name is Levy! LE-VY! Get it right through your thick skull!"

"Sure, shrimp."

Levy let out an irritated huff, "You're insufferable."

Gajeel let out a bark of laughter. Now he remembers why he likes this shrimp. So much spunk and attitude all equip inside her. And yet, there's something...cute about it.

I'm losing it. Gajeel thought.

"Gajeel, thanks for the notes. And for having my back back there." Levy said with a smile as she handed Gajeel's notebook over the table. Gajeel forgot the fact that she had been hoarding his notes.

"I hope you still had enough to help you with yesterday's quiz. I did quite... pull a Juliet's father between you and your notes."

"What?" noodles fell out of Gajeel's mouth.

"You don't get it?"

"No, I got the Romeo and Juliet thingy, what do you mean quiz?"

"You missed it?!"

"Ah..." Now he remembered why he missed it, he was sulking about Levy and Lucy's conversation.

"Yeah... got sick that day."

"Oh...Well," Levy said with a hum, "You'll have more time to study now."

"Yeah, Yeah" Gajeel waved her off. Knowing himself, he'll probably sleep on his notes again.

Speaking of notes...

"Hey shrimp" Gajeel suddenly felt nervous, what if she doesn't like it?

"Hm?" Levy looked at him.

Gajeel looked through his bag and handed over Levy a case. Levy accepted the case graciously and as she opened it, a gasp left her lips and she was rendered speechless. Inside the case was a pair of gale force glasses in the color orange. It was different from the previous one, seeing the previous one was pink. Orange is her favorite color.

"Thank you!" Levy hugged Gajeel, as she could with a table between them.

Gajeel swallowed, "it was nothin'.

"Nothing? Gajeel, these glasses are worth a huge sum of money. How?"

Oh you know, just adding shifts onto the job and dying every time I go home, "I work hard."

"Thanks, Gajeel."

He knew those extra shifts were worth it, to see her smile like that at him, was worth it.

"So, shrimp."

"hm?"

"Was that a date?"

"What?! No way!"

"Gihi, I'm calling it that way."

"No way, Gajeel Redfox! If you were to ask me out on a date, do it properly!"

With that, Gajeel looked forward to every Friday from now on.