Her tent. She'd forgotten her tent.
After several hours of traveling through the sand, Clyde had announced that he was too tired to go any further that day and that they'd be camping right in that spot. At the top of a sand dune. Of course, Levy and Gajeel didn't have any complaints with that, seeing as the heat of the sun had leeched most of their energy during the day. Plus, their feet were hurting like hell, considering all the walking they'd done.
Luckily for the two Fairy Tail mages, Clyde's magic was not as potent or capable as it used to be, allowing the magical vehicles to go no faster than the speed of a fast walk. What they feared would be a long week of playing catch-up was much more manageable now. At least they wouldn't have to spend the entire journey trying to catch up with him, using up all of their energy and stamina on running.
Predictably, Clyde had largely ignored the two mages for most of their travels, barking at them to pick up objects that fell off the outside of the caravan, or to 'hurry the hell up, we haven't got all day.' After about the third time of this, Gajeel was mumbling dark things under his breath, most of which Levy didn't catch. Nor did she want to, if the resentful glare directed at the vehicles was anything to go by.
They hadn't run into any of the war parties that Clyde and Mira had alluded to, though they certainly saw evidence of previous passersby. The ruined remains of magical vehicles and abandoned campsites occasionally could be spotted in various places of the desert. Poles with colored banners marked the road, no doubt to direct travelers as they traversed the desert. Everything looked the same and it was easy to get lost walking in circles without realizing it.
Once they'd stopped after several hours of travel, he still hadn't given them any rest, rather unkindly demanding that they scout the area to be sure it was safe, since he couldn't be bothered to do so himself. In a matter of minutes, Levy and Gajeel had made sure there wasn't any threats around them, with Levy even going so far as to set up a rune trap that would alert them to anything passing through the barrier.
"Sir, will you be-" Levy tried knocking on the caravan door, wanting to know if he'd be serving them dinner or allow them to sleep inside one of the cars, but a sharp reply made her stop.
"Leave me alone and don't bother me until it's morning!" She'd take that as a no on both counts.
It seemed their gracious host wouldn't be weathering the outdoors as Levy and Gajeel would have to. Which had prompted Levy to go searching for her camping equipment, while the dragon slayer made them dinner.
"Normally, a client would ensure that we were fed and had proper shelter while on a job…" Levy muttered, more to herself than anything, but Gajeel caught it with his superior sense of hearing. He gave a sigh, pulling out a few cans of food for them to eat and setting his bag back down a few feet away.
With a groan, he stretched out across the sand, hands behind his head. "Nothing about this guy seems normal though." He mentioned. "He's a fucking prick."
She agreed with a rueful shake of her head. It was just their luck to get a rude and insufferable man as their client. But she wasn't wrong. It was customary that clients would take care of the basic necessities of the mages working for them. While most of the time mages secured their own living arrangements while on jobs, in the event none could be made, the client would shelter them or help find a place.
Her thoughts shifted from her negative opinion about Mr. Gordon to her task at hand, which was setting up her tent to sleep in. She frowned, frustrated that she hadn't found her things yet. And then the worry set in, as still, she couldn't find it.
"Um…Gajeel? You brought your tent, right?" Levy called behind her, digging through her bag for her own things. That sinking feeling in her stomach steadily grew as each second stretched without finding her equipment. Shoving clothing and other items aside, she sighed heavily. It wasn't there. In fact, the more she looked, the less she realized was in her bag. No tent. No pillow. No blanket, either.
"Eh? Yeah, why?" He asked, glancing towards the bluenette curiously. She returned his gaze with a defeated expression, and a hint of guilt.
"It looks like I, uh, sort of forgot mine. Which is strange. I swear I packed it." She bit her lip, looking away. Heat radiated off of her cheeks, and she looked away so he wouldn't see it.
"Gihee, there's a first. The shrimp is the one unprepared this time." Gajeel chuckled, unbothered by the fact that he'd probably be sleeping out in the sand for the night. Well, it wasn't an appealing thought, but he didn't mind giving up his tent for Levy's sake. "We'll figure something out after we eat."
She shivered, a sudden breeze chilling her exposed skin. The sun was going down rather quickly, the sand cooling dramatically in the evening hours. Gajeel noticed she rubbed at her arms to generate heat, and dug through his bag for the blanket he'd packed, tossing it towards her. "Here. Don't want you turning into a shrimp popsicle, gihee." He grinned, enjoying the unamused expression she gave him.
Nevertheless, she took the offered blanket gratefully, wrapping it around her small form. The fabric shielded her from the wind, and her shivering soon stopped. "Thank you." She said quietly, drawing his attention from his bag. He smiled, happy that he'd helped.
Of course, there wasn't any tree in the vicinity that they could burn for a fire, so Levy had to improvise with her magic, creating a small fire atop the sand to keep them warm and cook their food. The sun had dropped well below the dunes, the sky darkening to a deep navy blue, and soon began to border on complete blackness. Stars littered the sky, and Levy knew that Lucy would have enjoyed the view if she'd been there to see it, no doubt pointing out constellations and explaining their meanings and origins.
"Wonder if Mira knew what this guy was like before she sent us here." Gajeel muttered, stirring their dinner in the small pot above Levy's fire.
The same thought had crossed her mind several times, but her trust in her friends was strong. Perhaps Mira didn't know, or she felt that the two of them could handle Mr. Gordon's obvious anger issues.
"I don't know. She doesn't seem like the type of person to do that though." Levy admitted, glancing over at the caravan where Clyde was sleeping. A light was on inside, so he probably wasn't asleep yet, but he hadn't come out since they'd stopped for the day.
Once the food was done, Gajeel dished it out, splitting the amount in half so they both had enough. A nice hot meal did wonders for the bluenette, who was still chilled despite the blanket and the fire. The strong winds that blew across the open desert left her cold to the bone, and they never seemed to cease.
It took almost no time for the dragon slayer to set up his tent, an envious Levy realized. Usually it took her awhile to get everything situated, seeing as she was a little on the short side and couldn't quite reach the top of the tent if she stood on her tiptoes in the center. Which made tying the strings to secure it a little difficult. He must have seen her jealous gaze because he made sure to make fun of her height yet again. Sticking her tongue out, she crossed her arms and went to check on the food for him.
After finishing their meal, Levy and Gajeel sat cross-legged around the small fire. Levy still had the blanket, as he'd refused to take it back. Her sense of fairness was telling her that it was his and she shouldn't be hogging it, especially when she could see the goosebumps along his arms at the chilly air. But she knew how stubborn Gajeel could be.
A blush marked her cheeks at the thought that flashed across her mind. Thankfully, it was too dark for Gajeel to see, and he was staring into the fire anyways, arms crossed.
Come on, Levy. It's not that bad…right? You're just being a good friend. He probably won't even see it that way. Just do it, don't think about it. Besides, you know you really want to…
Would he get mad at her? Maybe yell at her for invading his personal space? The last thing she wanted to do was make him angry or cause things to be awkward.
You never know until you try…
Taking a silent breath to calm her beating heart, she stood and approached Gajeel, who looked up as she moved.
"I said you could keep the blanket, shrimp." He started, raising a brow, but she shook her head, unwrapping herself from the blanket and throwing it around his own shoulders. Arms falling away, he leaned back, unsure of what she was doing. He looked at her with confusion and curiosity. "What are you-"
"We can share." She interrupted, blushing furiously, and planted herself in front of him, her back to his chest as she enclosed herself in the blanket as well. Gajeel said nothing. In fact, he didn't even seem to move. The rise and fall of his chest was absent as well. He'd stopped breathing temporarily. But he wasn't pushing her away or voicing disapproval, so she stayed where she was, reveling in the warmth beneath the blanket.
Gajeel's skin was still cold, but with the material around him now, as well as Levy's own heated skin, he was soon just as warm as the fire they sat beside. He hoped she couldn't feel the rapid beating of his own heart. It sounded too loud for his own ears. Realizing he'd stopped breathing, he exhaled the pent up breath and forced himself to calm down.
For awhile, he kept his hands on his knees, far away from the bluenette currently sitting in his lap and refusing to budge. Not that he wanted her to leave or anything. Levy fit quite nicely against his chest, creating his own personal heater to keep him toasty. He just didn't know how far she'd thought this through or if she even knew what she was doing to him.
The scent of her hair, that sweet strawberry aroma, wafted through his nostrils. It was more difficult than he cared to admit not to sniff her, pulling as much of the scent as he could into his being. God damn, and she wasn't even aware of all that.
After awhile of getting used to how close she was, how nice she felt, and the intoxicating aroma of her very person, he slowly wrapped his arms around her chest, leaning forward and resting his chin on the top of her head. Not too tightly to crush her, but loose enough where he felt he wouldn't hurt her accidentally. Silently, he gave into the impulse to fill his lungs with her scent, reveling in the sweetness with closed eyes.
Levy did everything in her power not to snuggle deeper into his embrace, her face probably a deep red because of the position they were in. She normally wasn't the forward type, but something about the way Gajeel acted around her, as if holding himself at a distance emotionally…she just knew. If she wanted anything to happen between the two of them, she'd have to be the one to initiate it.
Deep down, the bluenette knew why. He probably still felt guilty for attacking her when he'd been in Phantom Lord. The thought made her sigh. He was always adamant that she should stop talking badly about himself, yet punished himself everyday for the mistakes he'd made so long ago. Levy had forgiven him ages ago, she'd even told him so. He just had to find it in himself to let it go.
Maybe being close to him like this will help. Maybe he'll start to think he deserves happiness too.
They sat there in silence, drawing warmth from one another contentedly, watching the fire. Gajeel thought that they didn't need words. It was peaceful and quiet, and wonderfully warm.
There was a long pause, before Levy finally broke the silence. "Clyde is an asshole." She said suddenly, and Gajeel looked down sharply at the bluenette in his arms.
He laughed, his chest rumbling in amusement beneath her, but he couldn't stop himself. It was too unexpected. Levy smiled, his laughter infectious, and she chuckled as well. "What?" She asked, giggling at his reaction.
"Just not something I expected to hear from you, shrimp. You're too polite to insult people. Gihee."
"Well, I don't go making a habit of it, unlike you." She joked. "But you know as well as I do that it's true." Levy tried defending. Unfortunately, she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, and Gajeel joined in.
In their mutual dislike for their client they almost completely forgot the previously precarious feelings, and stayed up talking for awhile in companionable discussion.
Lily flew into the guild hall, Happy right on his tail with tears in his eyes. "Lily! You promised you'd help train me!" The blue exceed exclaimed, holding the leftover fish he'd been eating earlier.
With a sigh, Panther Lily rolled his eyes, landing on the bar and folding up his wings, finally turning to his companion. "Look, I tried, but there isn't much I can do for you unless you take it seriously."
Falling to his small blue knees, Happy clasped his paws together. "I will! I'm sorry I got distracted at the lake! I promise I won't go after the fish again." He blubbered through his begging. "Please, Lily! I want to be cool like you and Carla!"
"It's getting late, Happy. We can start again tomorrow, alright? Get some rest." Lily suggested, pointing to the door where Natsu entered alongside Lucy. "I think Salamander is looking for you anyways."
"Aye…" His normally jovial catchphrase was uttered in a much more subdued manner. Continuing to mope around, Happy flew away towards his partner, leaving Lily alone at the bar. He rubbed at his face, feeling the exhaustion of the day wearing at him.
While he didn't mind spending time with his fellow exceeds, they sure did make him work. Happy couldn't go ten minutes without wondering where the nearest fish was, probably no thanks to Natsu's influence. The man could eat like five grown men.
Carla didn't seem to be very conversational to the two other exceeds, preferring to spend all her time with Wendy. She was intelligent though, and Lily could respect her abilities of observation and prediction.
Only himself out of the three of them was really suited for combat, in the most direct degree. He could hold his own against an opponent, but Happy had proven that perhaps he should stick to being a supportive companion while in battle. Lily had even legitimately tried teaching him methods of attack and defense, but the blue exceed seemed too preoccupied with other things to really pay attention.
Laying on the bar, Lily closed his eyes, feeling too tired to get up and fly back to the house quite yet. Perhaps a nap was in order…
"Long day?" A voice asked, and he cracked open an eye to see Mira bringing over his favorite kiwi juice from the kitchen, setting it beside his head. He sat up, nodding in appreciation.
"Unfortunately. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to help Happy train." He muttered, taking sips from his juice. The white-haired mage laughed, leaning on the counter of the bar.
"It's a wonder Natsu can manage him on a daily basis." She agreed, resting her head on her hand.
Lily had a sneaking suspicion Mira wasn't only there for pleasantries, and after only a brief pause, predictably, the white-haired mage chuckled, giving a sweet smile. "I wanted to ask you, how do you think Gajeel and Levy are doing on this new job?"
Lily grinned in return, his suspicions having been proved correct. "Well, seeing as Levy doesn't have a tent and other items, I imagine they'll be spending some quality time together."
"Hmm…it doesn't help that the desert gets rather cold at night…" Mira wondered aloud, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Too bad starting a fire will be difficult as well. No trees around for firewood. Of course, Levy could easily fix that with her magic."
"Didn't you say the client was rather surly to begin with?" The exceed asked, recalling what she'd said before about the man who'd requested help. Apparently he was renowned for being difficult and a hassle to work with. Most mages refused to take jobs for him. A fact that Mira had conveniently forgotten to tell Levy and Gajeel before they'd left.
She was sure they'd be fine. Perhaps a little ticked about the working conditions, but she was sure that they could still look after themselves and be safe at the same time. They had each other, and Fairy Tail mages were known for being tough to break.
"So I've heard. But I'm sure they'll manage." Lily cocked a brow, unsatisfied with her lack of an answer.
"You originally told me the job poster was sent to Mermaid Heel, not for Gajeel and Levy." He pressed, enjoying watching her unwavering smile under pressure. Looking decidedly too innocent, she tilted her head in surprise, her mouth forming a perfect 'o.'
"Now, when did I say that? I'm afraid I don't recall." Her devious smile returned not a moment later. "Didn't I see you taking out Levy's camping supplies from her bag when you saw them off at the train station?"
The afternoon they'd returned from the translation job, Lily had insisted he see them off, feeling bad for not going with them. Of course, while they'd purchased the tickets, Lily had offered to take their bags aboard the train. A few items might have 'accidentally' been misplaced in the process, hidden in some nearby bushes until after they'd left, but Lily, of course, wouldn't know anything about that.
Lily finished drinking the juice and crossed his arms, turning to survey the unusually small number of people in the guild hall. It was hard to mask the grin that threatened to show. "I'm offended you would think so low of me, Mira."
"Ah, my apologies." Came her chuckled response. She saw the yawn the exceed let out, sighing as she straightened up. "It's getting rather late. Perhaps you should head back home."
"Perhaps." Unable to fight off his exhaustion any longer, Lily nodded and bid his farewell to Mira, hopping off the bar and flying out of the building, heading towards home. The colder night air was a welcome change to the heated guild hall. One didn't know how stifling it actually was until they left.
As he flew the streets towards his bed, Panther Lily thought of Gajeel and Levy, honestly hoping that they were alright. He knew it was probably not the best idea to have taken Levy's camping equipment, no doubt causing some problems wherever they were, but he knew that unless something pushed them together, they'd never get over that bump separating the two of them. And Lily was getting pretty tired of the two of them not acting upon what was obvious to everyone else.
"It's getting late. We've got a long day of walking tomorrow." Gajeel whispered to the bluenette still wrapped in his arms. "Better get to sleep."
"Mhmm." She hummed, too tired to even move from her spot. It was nice and warm in the blanket, she didn't want to leave it. Her eyes were slowly drifting shut, the weight of her eyelids too much for her to combat. She felt more than heard Gajeel's chuckle, and he leaned back away from her, forcing her to sit up or fall over.
"Come on, shorty." He coaxed, watching her groggily rub at her face. She let the blanket fall from her grasp and the wind hit both of their warm bodies, sending chills down their arms and necks.
"Stupid desert…" She muttered, and he bit back the laugh that threatened to spill from his mouth.
He allowed her to get up before he stood himself, brushing off sand from his trousers. Levy tried smoothing out her hair, which had been blown in the wind, but the wild tresses refused to be tamed. Giving up, Levy yawned deeply, seeing Gajeel head towards his tent.
Remembering her predicament, the Solid Script mage's eyes widened, her previous exhaustion temporarily forgotten by the revelation that she had no place to sleep that night.
Gajeel noticed her hesitation and looked back at her. "You ain't gonna sleep out here in the sand, are you?"
"Uh…well, is there even enough room for both of us in there?"
"Huh?" He cocked his head in that confused manner, raising a brow. What was she talking about? "Both? You can take the tent, shrimp. I'll be fine."
"Gajeel, no! I'm not going to kick you out of your own tent just because I forgot mine. That's rude."
"Quit worrying." He tried persuading, hoping that she'd just drop the subject, but she resolutely planted her feet in the sand and crossed her arms.
"How could I not worry? I don't want you sleeping out here in the middle of the desert. It's freezing at night! We've only got one blanket and one tent. If we-"
"Quiet down out there! God damn teenagers…" An angry voice called from the caravan, as Clyde decided to put his two cents into the conversation. They both swung their gazes to the vehicle, watching as the light on the inside abruptly shut off.
After a few moments of silence, they turned back to each other, regarding the other carefully.
"Well, I ain't making you sleep out here." He reasoned with a shrug. She sighed, rubbing at her face with a small laugh.
"It's really not that hard to get, Gajeel. I'm trying to suggest that we both share." Levy's blush returned when he didn't say anything. And she was too nervous to look up at him to see his expression. "I mean…unless you absolutely don't want to, then I-"
"It's not that I mind, shrimp. Just didn't think you'd want to…" He muttered, scratching the back of his head. Levy shook her head with an exasperated sigh. Really, for as great as Gajeel was, he really was an idiot sometimes.
"There you go assuming things again. I'm fine sharing. Now, come on, we're both tired and we've got a lot of walking to do tomorrow." And so saying, before she completely lost her nerve and started to think too much into what she was getting herself into, Levy picked up her bag and wandered into the tent, leaving Gajeel staring after her for a few moments. With his own shake of his head, the dragon slayer followed after her.
He'd lain out a makeshift bed with extra fabric, since they didn't have much in terms of comfort to use as padding. Levy had tossed her bag in the corner beside his own, and was now perusing through it for something comfortable to wear to sleep.
"Look away for a second." She said.
Intentionally avoiding her gaze, so he wouldn't be inclined to stare, Gajeel turned his back to her and busied himself looking through his own bag. There was no need to change into something else. His clothes were breathable enough to keep him warm to sleep in without constricting him. Digging through his bag was just a means of keeping his attention away from the bluenette behind him.
He could hear her clothes rustling as she wiggled out of them and into something else. After a few more moments, she gave her permission to turn around, and he reluctantly did so, unsure of what he'd find.
She'd changed into a loose t-shirt and some pants, simple and practical for the cold temperature outside. Her feet were outfitted with thick socks, though they were patterned with snowflakes. He raised a brow at that, and she looked away. "What? They're my favorite, ok?"
"I didn't say anything about 'em."
"You thought it." She accused with a pout.
"So you read minds now, huh?" Gajeel grinned, leaning forwards slowly to peer into her face. Some things he just couldn't help but put the small woman through. His endless teasing was one of those things. "Hmm, can you tell what else I'm thinking now?"
If he thought her face was red with a blush before, it definitely was now, an explosion of red taking over her skin. Her eyes stared into his. Levy didn't say anything, and he cocked his head to the side with his signature smirk. "Eh? No ideas?"
The bluenette found her voice wouldn't work. Was he really suggesting that he-?
"I was thinking the desert air is making you shrink even smaller. Look, you've probably lost a couple inches, gihee!" He patted her head just to prove his point.
The growing nervousness and slight excitement quickly vanished at his words, and she glared instead. Sputtering, she swatted him away from her face.
"S-stupid Gajeel! Stupid, s-stupid!"
"Gihee!"
"Shut up!"
Levy pushed herself away and angrily grabbed the blanket throwing it over her body and laying down on the floor beside him, making sure she faced the other direction. "I'm going to sleep."
"Gihee, alright, alright." Being sure to keep his distance, Gajeel lay beside her, arms propped behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling of the tent, and before long his eyes closed. After several minutes of nothing but the sound of their breathing, Gajeel cracked open his eyes a little again. Grin still in place, he glanced at the mess of hair that poked our from the top of the blanket. "Oh, and shrimp? Try not to suffocate me in my sleep with your cuddling."
"I-I don't cuddle, you jerk!" She adamantly defended, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket. Still she refused to look at him. "Go to sleep!"
"I'm sorry, gihee."
"No you're not." He heard her mumble, not convinced of his apology.
He'd never grow tired of the tiny woman, and her spitfire temper at being teased. Deciding that she'd been tormented enough for one night, he settled himself more comfortably, letting out a sigh as his back popped in just the right place.
He fell asleep with a pleased grin in place.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
