Chapter #3: Recovery and Refreshments
Please keep in mind that this is a slightly AU version of the games and things that I have written may have occurred out of order or differently in the manga/anime. Please don't shame me for it...but do enjoy the story! :)
She hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath most of the day. It was only when Lucy was taken to recover after her battle and the other teams were escorted off the field that Levy realized she was a bit light headed. Seeing one of her best friends caught in a situation like that had not been easy, but Levy had been one of Lucy's biggest fans out in the stands and she had stood by Lucy every step of the way.
But….today had been a rude awakening for their guild as a whole – the other teams were here to play, but not necessarily by the rules that had been set forth previously. Rumors swam around them – the Raven Tail guild was doing their best to destroy all chances Fairy Tail had at winning the games, it seemed. Early on, it was decided that Raven Tail was more of a foe than a friend – Master Ivan was a Fairy Tail outcast, choosing the path of darkness over that of light. It really surprised Levy that Laxus was his son; although the surly demeanor was a slight giveaway. In addition to these foes, a new, strong guild threatened to wipe the floor with Fairy Tail as they triumphed. Sabertooth, with two dragon slayers that threatened to steal the thunder that the Fairytail dragon slayers held for so long, was a guild that contained various types of magic users that certainly stunned and surprised the members in Fairy Tail. It made Levy nervous, especially after she caught the two dragon slayers eyeing two of those she held near and dear to her heart.
Friends made appearances. Juvia's attention was torn between two men. Leon Vastia, a member of the Lamina Scale guild, had worked with Fairy Tail previously to the games and was also a known rival to Fairy Tail's Gray. The two had trained for many years as Ice Make Wizards, but it seemed that Leon had taken a liking to Miss Juvia and was quite vocal about it, much to Gray's chagrin. Juvia wasn't sure what to think, but she knew that Gray was the one who had stolen her heart. Part of her wished that he would just tell her if he felt the same so that she could move on with her life, but that was between Levy and Juvia - she'd never admit it to anyone else, except for maybe…..Gajeel.
Gajeel hadn't participated in today's events. Levy was disappointed and pleased at the same time. She didn't have to watch as he was hurt, but she had always admired his strength and power. Gajeel always put on a good show when it came to his battles, and the fact that he could change his limbs into forces of iron was quite impressive to the script mage. She'd always wondered what it was like to have abilities like that. Instead, she was stuck with her books and her script magic, always doomed to the life of a weakling. But that was another story and her thoughts were quickly swept from her mind as she raced from her seat in the stands to assist Lucy.
"Lu?" Levy's voice was soft as she called out into the makeshift locker rooms in the stadium. "Lu? Are you still here?" The sound of soft cries caught her ears and Levy did her best to keep herself calm as she turned the corner to see her friend. Lucy was huddled in the corner, grabbing her clothes and throwing them into a bag. Levy could tell that she was doing her best to keep herself together, but falling apart was the only real option for the celestial mage at this point in time. Lucy felt guilty – Levy could see it all over her face. Levy rushed to her friend, grasping her in the tightest hug she could and felt the sobs wrack through Lucy.
"I'm such a disgrace." Lucy cried and Levy hushed her while brushing her hair from her face.
"No you're not. You fought hard, Lucy. What happened to you wasn't fair!" Raven Tail had played dirty and Levy was almost positive that they had cheated. One of their members had countered Lucy's attack and had the attack actually struck her opponent, Lucy would have been a definite winner. "Please don't cry, Lu. We love you – nothing will ever change that. You were amazing out there today, honest!"
"Oh, Levy. You're always so positive. Thank you for being here for me, but I just need some time to get myself together."
"Understandable. Here – let me help you. Let's get you into a hot shower and some comfy clothes. It'll help with your sore muscles and then we'll see if we can get you patched up good enough to come say hello to everyone this evening. How does that sound?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Levy. You're the best."
"No, you're the best, Lucy. Now, cheer up buttercup. After all – tomorrow is another day!"
It hadn't taken her long to get Lucy into a comfortable bath. The poor girl couldn't slow down her sobs when they were behind closed doors, but Levy was so impressed with Lucy's resilience in public. Not a single tear fell from her face as they made their way back to the hotel, not even due to the pain that she was obviously suffering from with all of her injuries. They were cat called and verbally harassed by the audience of the games as they walked the streets of Croccus, but Levy hushed them with narrowed eyes and threatened to turn them into toads if they so much as took two steps toward the injured girl.
"They don't know what kind of magic I use, Lu. I'm sure we'll look back on this and laugh later, but – GODDAMIT, I'm warning you! One more step and you won't know what hit ya!" Feisty Levy was feisty. She needed to ensure her friend's safety and she did a damned good job of it.
"Now, Lu, take your time. Don't feel like you have to do anything you don't want to. Here – Cana gave me this to give to you. It's a calling card. Just let me know if you need help."
She left Lucy then, heading down to her own room to change out of the clothes she wore. They were covered in the blood, sweat, tears, and dirt that had also covered Lucy. Levy didn't mind though – it was a small sacrifice to make for her friend.
Upon entering her room, she stripped off her signature orange dress, letting it pile up in a pool of cloth right in front of her door. Her other garments were discarded in similar fashion and her hair was let loose from the band that had held it out of her face. A shower was much needed for the script mage and the warm water helped relax her tense muscles. She smiled to herself as she massaged her upper arms, imaging what it would feel like to have someone help her with this menial task. And by someone, she meant Gajeel, with his rough hands and piercings. Levy had always been curious about that part of him – the piercings. She didn't have any herself – she was much too afraid of the pain she might experience from a piercing. All of her friends had told her horror stories, although Lucy's earrings were adorable and Levy was envious of them. Perhaps one day…..
Levy sighed and turned the water off, finally free of the grime that had covered her only minutes ago. She grabbed two towels – one to wrap around her body, the other to dry her hair. Levy hummed to herself as she moved throughout the bathroom, gathering her cosmetics and other miscellaneous beauty products as she worked to put herself back together again. Without much thought, she wandered out into the main room where her clothes were kept.
"Hey Gajeel."
Levy waved as she held the towel with her other hand. She continued to whistle to herself as she walked passed the dark haired man, bending over slightly as she gathered up her clothes. It didn't sink in for a few moments, but once it did, a scream erupted from her lips.
"GAJEEL!"
Levy turned on her toes, losing grip on her towel. It dipped down a bit but she frantically grasped the cloth before she exposed herself too much.
"What the hell are you doing here!?"
Her face was as red as a fire engine. Gajeel's mouth was hanging open and he had to forcibly close it before he got himself in trouble. Shrimp was in nothing but a towel – wow, it must be his lucky day or something. "Well, I guess that depends on if you're going to put on some clothes or not, Shrimp." Gajeel wiggled his eyes suggestively, causing Levy's face to turn even brighter. He wasn't sure it could be done, but it definitely happened.
At his comment, Levy quickly scooted back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Her back pressed against the wood and she replayed everything that happened in her head. Gajeel was out there, sitting on her bed. Gajeel – the guy she'd had a crush on for months now – had just seen her in nothing but a towel. Gajeel – that arrogant, asshole of a dragon slayer – had toss suggestive words her way and she hadn't fainted. Well…there was that at least.
Closing her eyes for just a moment, Levy tried her best to calm her racing heart. Had she been better clothed, things would have been different. Part of her wished that a spell would have come to mind to make him pay for his intrusion.
"How many times do I have to tell you to STOP BREAKING AND ENTERING?"
Levy was pacing in front of Gajeel this time. Her hands were going wild as she spoke and Gajeel just reclined until she was finished. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, especially with that stupid ass grin on his face.
"You're just upset because I saw you bein' a little risqué."
"If you tell anyone about this….AND I MEAN ANYONE….I will find you and I will destroy you, Gajeel Redfox."
"Aw, come on Shrimp. You're really that upset that I saw you in nothin' but a towel? Jeez, don't be such a prude. It's not like you were naked or anything." Gajeel rolled his eyes and Levy thought she was about to combust.
"That's not the point, Gajeel! And I was practically naked!" Levy stood still in front of him, her hands on her hips. She was more embarrassed than anything, which became painfully obvious as she attempted to shame Gajeel into apologizing.
It didn't work.
"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll give you a free shot. Any time you want to see me in nothin' but a towel, you got it. An eye for an eye. Deal?"
Levy's mind ran away with that one immediately. What she would give to see Gajeel in nothing but a towel. A sigh of longing escaped her lips as she crumpled down into a chair across the room from Gajeel. "Fine. I guess it's a deal. Now what do you want, Gajeel?"
"Huh? Oh. I didn't want anything. Just thought I'd come pester you since I didn't see you after the games today." He shrugged. Levy huffed.
"You really just came here to give me a hard time?"
"Is that so hard to believe, Shrimp? I mean, after we came back from the island, we haven't gotten many chances to keep trainin' together. I gotta make sure you're still growing your power. I'm a man who keeps my promises." He puffed out his chest proudly at that statement. Sure, he was a man of his word, but why did he have to come into her room while she was taking a shower?
"….Gajeel. I appreciate your dedication to the task at hand, but don't you think there are more important things to worry about right now than whether or not I've been training?"
"What do you mean, Shrimp? I don't really worry about anything."
"Um, Gajeel…you're competing in the Grand Magic Games. Lucy and Grey got their asses handed to them today and if I remember correctly, your team didn't do so hot either."
Gajeel frowned as she finished running his hand through his hair before he gave her a grin. "You really worry too much, Shorty. Now, quit your pouting and let's go have a drink."
"I'm not pouting, Gajeel."
"You are too, Shortstack. Now let's go. The whole guild is having a blast downstairs and we're up here wasting time."
Both of them moved to the door at the same time, colliding for only a second. Levy's hand rested on Gajeel's chest as she steadied herself. His hands moved to catch her before she fell. Levy could feel her breath catch at his nearness. It reminded her of all the time they had spent together after he'd joined the guild and how far their relationship had come. If she would have felt his touch some time ago, she would have shaken with fear. Now, his fingers implanted a warmth that spread over her skin and settled in the pit of her stomach. Their eyes stayed locked, but the trance was quickly broken as they separated themselves.
"A…Ah…I'm okay."
Gajeel only grunted in response, running his hand through his main once more as he walked out the door. Levy followed behind him, her face slightly heated from the moment before.
Author's Note:
Chapter #3! What do you guys think? The story is just getting started...I can't wait to see what happens at this Day 1 after party, can you?
Look forward to another pairing making an entrance next chapter...I may have provided hints already. Debating on tossing up a post from someone else's point of view. You might get two chapters for this story next time instead of one!
R&R always appreciated! Sorry for the lack of posting this week - sudden changes in employment (jumping ship to another company is always fun...especially when you're buy a house...) and studying for a massive exam have taken over my life. Hopefully another chapter to this or my other Gajevy story, Nothin' On My Mind (you should check it out if you haven't already) will be posted within the next day or so.
Tootles!