2It was late into the night when Natsu heard a knock on his door. Happy flew in through a window so it couldn't be him.
He opened the door to find a buzzed Gajeel.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Can we talk?" Gajeel asked.
Natsu stepped out of his house, closing the door behind him, "About what?"
"Levy and Lucy," Gajeel took a seat on the grass.
Natsu followed suit, "What's there to talk about besides how smug you are with Levy."
This earned him a punch to the bicep from Gajeel, "Ow what the hell!"
"Don't be so fucking loud, Salamander!" Gajeel continued, "But yes, I think I like Levy. I want to get to know her better. She's just so smart and-"
Natsu held up a hand signaling his friend to stop, "I get it no need to explain."
"Do you really?" Gajeel asked, "I've never even heard you talk about a girl romantically. What about that Lucy chick huh, you like her?"
"That sort of stuff isn't my thing, but I can still understand it."
"No, you really can't," Gajeel protested, "Answer my question about Lucy."
"She's kind of an asshole," Natsu confessed.
Gajeel looked surprised, "You hardly know her!"
"Look who's talking," Natsu shot back. He was not about to argue with the guy who developed a crush after a day.
"Yeah well…" Gajeel suddenly got up, "You should give her a chance. If she has Levy as a friend, she can't be a bad person." With that, Gajeel walked away. Leaving Natsu to let that thought simmer.
Natsu found himself next to Happy sitting at the bar, extremely bored. He wasn't even eating, which was very weird.
"Something the matter?" Mira asked as she poured a drink.
Happy quickly shot up, "Yes!" He flew right into Mira's chest as an attempt to hug her, "Cheer Natsu up. He's been acting weird ever since the morning!"
Natsu cut Happy off, "I'm just bored."
Mira laughed at Happy's antics, "A bunch of new job requests came in yesterday. You should check them out." Mira soon left to serve whatever table had asked for the drink.
The duo made their way to the request board. Nab was standing there, just looking. Which was normal. "Look this job needs someone to unfreeze their lake!" Happy pointed out.
Natsu shrugged, "Eh I don't know, Happy."
Happy ripped the poster from the request board and shoved it in Natsu's face, "But it's perfect for you!"
Natsu appreciated his friend trying, but all he wanted was to be alone, "I'm gonna go for a walk. See you around." With that, Natsu made his way out the guildhall.
Natsu's walk was a success, his head was clear, and he was ready to take up a job. He was all fired up. "Time to get back to the guild!" Natsu told himself.
"Natsu!" A female voice called out.
Natsu turned around to see Levy jogging to catch up to him, "Hey Levy, what's up?"
Levy hunched over, taking deep breaths. "It's Gajeel," another deep breath, "He pushed it too far in a fight."
"Wait, let me get this straight. Did Gajeel get beat up?"
"Yes!" Levy nearly screamed.
Natsu fell into a fit of laughter. "I got to see this."
"I was not expecting your reaction," Levy confessed as they made their way back to where she was staying.
"What you expect?" Natsu asked.
"For you to care,"
Natsu's laugh was cut short by a worried-looking Levy. "Look. I do care, even if I don't show it. It's just Gajeel is tough."
Levy let out a sigh. Natsu kinda felt bad for laughing in front of Levy. It looks like she really cared about Gajeel. She probably thinks this is the first time he's been beaten up. "You like him, huh?" Natsu stated.
Levy was a mumbling mess. "Relax, your secret is safe with me," Natsu reassured her. "Now c'mon pick up the pace or we'll never make it Gajeel."
A big smile appeared on Levy's lips, "Right!"
"Guess who I brought!" Levy announced as she and Natsu stepped into the house the trio was staying at. Natsu thought it was too big of a house for three people.
"Who?" He heard Jellal yell back. Levy led Natsu into the living room.
Lucy was midway through pouring sugar into her tea. She dropped her spoon and hastily stood up, "Natsu."
The eye contact between Natsu and Lucy was intense. Silence settled over them.
Levy broke the silence by clapping, "Gajeel is upstairs."
This broke Natsu out of his unspoken starring competition with Lucy. "Right!"
Honestly, seeing Gajeel all bandaged up brightened Natsu's mood even more. "Man, you look pathetic."
Gajeel side-eyed Natsu, "You're lucky I can't kick your ass."
Natsu was about to shoot back, but there was a knock on the door. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," it was Levy.
Natsu watched Gajeel's facial expression do a full 180. From a mean-mugging thug to a happy puppy, "You aren't."
"Good. I brought you some food," she stepped out of the room and walked back in with a tray for assorted fruits.
Natsu was a lot of things, but a willing third wheel was not on the list. "I should head out."
Gajeel not even bothering to look away from Levy, "Don't let the door hit you on your way out."
Natsu found himself in the room with Lucy, Levy, and Jellal. All doing different things. Lucy was writing. Jellal was pacing. Levy was nose deep into a book.
"Who's the letter for?" Jellal asked, making his way towards where Lucy was sitting.
"The magic council." Lucy kept her answer short. Was she like that with everyone? Natsu wondered.
"Tell them I said hi," Jellal instructed.
Levy looked up from her book. She was the first one to laugh with Jellal following.
"I can't stand them," Levy said at the end of her laugh.
"Can anyone really?" Natsu asked, not expecting an actual response.
Jellal approached him, "Let's walk around the room." Natsu being a guest obliged.
"I can name one person who stands them," Jellal said.
"Who?" Natsu was genuinely curious. Not even Gramps could stand them.
Jellal had them stop in front of the desk where Lucy was writing, "You're looking right at her."
Lucy let out a sigh and put her pen down. Looking up at both men, "They are my colleagues."
"Oh Lucy," Jellal began walking again, which prompted Natsu to walk again too, "Just because you work with them doesn't mean you have to like them."
"Yeah, well, unlike some people I want to stay in good graces," Lucy turned in her chair and shot a look of smugness at Jellal. This caused Jellal to gasp, "That was a low blow."
Lucy shrugged and turned back to her letter.
"Natsu," Jellal started, "How should we shoot back at her for saying such a petty thing?"
Natsu sized Lucy up and down, locking eyes with her as he was now in front of her again. "We could just laugh at her."
Jellal snorted, "I wouldn't recommend it. Lucy here doesn't like being teased."
Natsu exaggerated his expression, mouth falling open, "No way!"
This earned him a slight giggle from Levy and a huff from Lucy.
"Too prideful, Lucy?" Natsu took a step towards her, "I've been meaning to ask since we're on the topic of pride, do you think it's a fault or a virtue?"
"I-" Lucy stammered, "That's a good question."
"Cause I think," Natsu started, "That it's a fault."
"I think it isn't pride. It's being hard to forgive someone after a breach of trust, or maybe it's dishing out what the other person serves."
Natsu wiped the smirk off his face, "Well, can't really tease you about that. Even though I'd like to."
"It's a powerful person trait," Jellal stated and went back to walking around the room.
Natsu took one last look into Lucy's eyes before going back to his seat, "Maybe."
The next morning at breakfast Levy, Lucy, and Jellal were all greeted by some more Fairy Tail members. "We're here to collect the moochers," Erza said.
"Please let's move to the living room," Levy suggested, "So you can all sit down."
The crew comprised Erza, Gray, Juvia, Elfman, Wendy, Warren, Happy, and Carla.
"We want to apologize for intruding, but it's hard to not notice the absence of Hot Head and Metal Head," Gray said as everyone settled down.
"I'll go wake them up," Lucy volunteered.
"Miss Levy," Wendy sheepishly said.
"Yes, Wendy?"
The room went quiet as everyone wanted to make sure Wendy's voice was heard, "I heard you were hosting a party, is it true?"
Juvia clapped her hands together, "You are?!"
Levy looked as if they had caught her off guard. She looked at Jellal for answers, but all he did was shrug.
"You should!" Happy chimed in.
"It'd be manly!"
"Guys!" Erza shouted, "Stop pestering her about it, it's probably just a rumor."
"Erza, thank you." Levy turned to look at the rest of the guildmates, "It is a rumor, but it sounds like fun!"
"So, you'll do it?" Juvia asked.
Levy nodded, "Expect all of Fairy Tail to be invited!"
"My darling Gray will be my date." Juvia bear-hugged Gray in excitement.
Gray was slowly peeling Juvia off of him, "Get off."
The goodbye lasted a while. It was Natsu's turn to say bye. He hugged both Levy and Jellal. He found them to be kind people. Still couldn't see how they could be friends with Lucy, but whatever.
"Natsu," Lucy extended her hand.
Natsu took it and shook it, "Lucy." He felt a shock of electricity linger on his hand. He looked back to see Lucy holding the hand he shook, looking directly at him.
"By the way, guys," Gray walked between Gajeel and Natsu, "Some members of Blue Pegasus came over yesterday."
Natsu was familiar with the members, "Oh cool who?"
"Hibiki, Jenny, and Karen," Gray informed them.
A/N: aaand we back! Any theories on what exactly happened to Gajeel? It'll be exposed in the next chapter.