Fairy Tail 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail, iPods, the Road Runner (cartoon), YouTube, or any other brands named in this work.

* * *

She eyed the treadmill warily eliciting a hearty laugh from the gym owner.

He settled a hand on her shoulder and merely continued to smile, even as she turned her sour expression on him. "I understand library steps are a bit more your speed, Levy, but you'll do fine on the treadmill." Lily affectionately yanked on her ponytail, the familiar treatment finally brought a smile to her face. "Besides, I'll keep an eye on you just in case."

Levy sighed and hopped up onto the extrusions, planting her feet solidly on either side of the track. She tapped the buttons cautiously, programming the machine for the warm-up, just a slow walk with an added incline that resembled the feel of the 35 steps leading up to Magnolia's library. It was the bunny slope compared to the gym olympian that was five machines down from her and ran at a guesstimated eight miles an hour.

The woman chewed her bottom lip and glanced back to Lily before she stepped down onto the track. "You don't have to. I don't have the money to upgrade my membership to include a trainer and I know you've got your hands full making sure everything else is running smoothly, let alone have the free time to ensure _I_ am."

The dark skinned man snorted, rolling his eyes and pressing the green start button. "_Right_, at eight o'clock on a Monday night, I'm slammed. Don't know how I'll do it."

She laughed and easily adjusted to the pace set on the treadmill. Levy moved to tighten her ponytail and readjust the thin, lime colored headband holding her wild hair back. "I'll just have to come in at your rush hour and wreak absolute havoc next time."

"I'll keep that in mind." He winked, the skin at the corner of his eye pulling over the old, nasty scar there. It was comical the way it was in polar contrast with his personality.

She'd pay to just stand by the front door and watch people set eyes on him for the first time.

Levy smiled at Lily before she unwound the headphones of her iPod and turned on the playlist she'd made for working out. Mentally, she willed her legs and feet not to betray her- for _once_. She'd skinned her hands and knees more times than she could count on the way up the library's cement steps and she didn't need to add track burn to her list of fall ups. Natsu had played enough of those ridiculous videos on YouTube to know how it ended for anyone that fell on a treadmill.

With her luck, she'd wind up smacking her face onto the track- trying to explain away that injury and keep her dignity intact would have been nigh on impossible to do.

If it meant she had to work at a slower pace, then by all means, Levy would make like a snail without a hiccup or interrupting Lily's evening.

Levy snuck a look at her friend as he made his way down the aisle, watching for a moment as he struck up a conversation with the Road Runner. She'd known Lily for a few months now, it had been a wonder she hadn't met him beforehand. Magnolia was the textbook definition of a small world, despite being a fairly decent sized town. Everybody knew everybody and the gym owner turned out to be none other than the husband of her mentor from college.

Shagotte had been head of the English Department and made an instant connection with Freshman Levy McGarden four years ago. She had invited Levy over for dinner once she had settled back in town after graduating from Dawn City University, she had been very insistent on the matter. The older woman had been _dying_ to introduce Levy to her husband ever since her and Levy had struck up their friendship. Since the English major didn't have the money to go back and forth between Dawn and Magnolia, the introductions had been put on hold. In a weird way, Levy felt she already knew him from all the stories Shagotte shared with her.

When she did finally meet him, at a small Fourth of July party the couple had hosted, he was nothing like she expected.

Maybe a savvy business man that was lean and sharp, clever in his manners of speech and the perfect gentleman, but she had been utterly taken aback at the man she was introduced to. He dwarfed Shagotte by a solid foot and had an intimidating scar that looked like it never properly healed over of his left eye. After proper introductions and two hours of steady conversation, Levy figured out exactly how Lily managed to sweep the often straight-laced Shagotte right off her feet and why the woman had been so adamant that Levy would love him. He was the polar opposite of Shagotte, but managed to be _perfect_ with her. Levy could count on one hand the times she had been completely wrong and enjoyed being wrong.

Lily was easy to talk to and had coaxed almost her entire life story from her- without being impolite or nosey.

Their conversation had eventually steered toward Lily's profession and how his business was going. He told them how it wasn't easy keeping up a gym that wasn't part of a franchise- even in a local-business-loving town like Magnolia- and before she knew it, she'd been invited to check out the place on her night of choice and free of charge.

Shagotte and Lily had had to do some finagling to get her to agree to the 'free of charge' part. Lily compromised and promised that if his business wasn't doing so well in the future (and if it made her feel better), then she would pay like any first-timer. The cards weren't in favor in the end and she lost the argument of paying her way. He had winked at her and smirked, joking in a satisfied manner that _"I could charge you double for the next visit, if it would make you feel better." _

She also learned that night that Lily had an exceptional talent for silencing his juniors. She had opened her mouth to retort one last time and he'd served her with a look she hadn't been on the receiving end of in at least ten years.

"_Let an old man have some pride, yeah? One free night's not going shut the doors permanently."_

One month and a low rate membership later, she was hooked. The workouts helped to calm her, melting away the strain of her day. Not to mention, the routine bath she took the minute she returned home was all the sweeter after slowly getting coated in sweat and residue from the sanitary wipes the gym offered to clean the equipment once someone was done using it.

A wailing guitar yanked her from the reverie, the cheesy 80's pop song pounding against her ear drums nearly had her jumping out of her skin.

Levy fumbled for the iPod, dropping it once in her scramble to turn the volume down, and made a mental note to _kick Lucy's ass _next time she saw her. It would be the last time her mischievous friend would be allowed near her desktop computer or laptop. She unlocked the device, adjusted the volume, and switched to the next song. She prayed that Lucy had had enough mercy in her not to add anymore songs that would cause her permanent hearing loss and arrhythmia. Levy fixed the music player back in the little case at her hip and focused on finding her running rhythm once more.

She took a deep breath and lost herself to the music.

Just before her surroundings melted away altogether, the front door sounded its usual low beep to announce the arrival of another person. Unphased, she didn't spare a glance toward the front desk; there was close to nil chance that a large group of people would walk in to disrupt the peace and comforting thrum of equipment motors.

She was determined to make headway in her workout schedule, pushing herself just a hair farther than the last time, without interruption.

In her peripherals, she caught an odd flash of black against the pristine white walls and, over the low pulse of a bass line, the mumbled rumble of a _'Hey, Lil''_.

* * *

Lucy clutched her sides as she doubled over in her chair, garnering several questioning looks from the cafe's patrons. "I can only imagine the look on your face and how high you must have jumped when that song came on."

"Yes, it's _hilaaaarious_ that you nearly gave me a heart attack with your little joke- never mind the fact that I was on _dangerous gym equipment_." Levy pointed her salad fork in her friend's direction and narrowed her eyes. "You could have warned me, Lu. A simple _'Hey Lev, updated your playlist'_ would have more than sufficed."

The blonde tilted her sunglasses down and winked at her friend. "Ah, but then, you would have gone through and removed the songs before I got to have any fun. Besides, I'm sure you gave Lily more than just one good laugh."

Levy hummed, her thin brows raising over the brim of her own sunglasses as she took a drink of her tea. "Don't know if he caught it. Someone walked in around the same time, a friend of Lily's no doubt- I heard them call him Lil'- so he was probably more concerned with them rather than watching me almost wipe out on the treadmill."

"A _handsome_ someone?"

The blue haired woman sighed and rolled her eyes up to the bright sun. The outdoor patio of the cafe had few occupants that afternoon and Levy was immensely thankful for it if her dating history was about to be brought up- which _always_ came up during their bi-weekly lunch dates. Thankfully, Lucy asked more in good fun instead of seriously badgering her about the lack of a man at her elbow.

Levy rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't know. I was there to workout, not _ogle_."

"A shame really." Lucy shrugged her shoulders and lazily propped her chin in her hand, ignoring the slight glower coming from an older woman; undoubtedly for speaking as frankly as she did and putting her elbow on the table.

Levy stayed her laughter and looked appalled at her friend's words, as if the familiar conversation was new between them. "Lucy, you're _married_."

"So? Doesn't mean I can't vicariously date through _you_." Lucy pulled her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose and winked at Levy. "Besides, it's not _me_ I'm in it for."

Levy sighed, her shoulders slumping with the deep exhale. She rubbed her temple and glanced at Lucy pleadingly. "Is it really so bad that I started going to the gym to get in better shape?"

"Of course not! If anything, I commend you for the initiative. But if I know you, and I do, I know you're a brilliant multi-tasker and can also appreciate the scenery." Lucy clicked her tongue and winked coquettishly.

Levy scoffed at the odd compliment. She took a few more bites of her salad, eyeing Lucy warily as the woman innocently sipped from her drink. "What's Natsu think of your schemes and, apparently, wandering eye?" Levy lifted her brow quizzically up at her friend.

"That's the catch, for me- there's no one else, but for you- I will always be on the prowl." Lucy winked once more, then quietly sipped from her tea.

A comfortable silence fell between the pair after that. Levy took the opportunity to play out of the possibilities for Natsu's reaction to his wife's _appreciative_ nature. He'd probably just laugh, say something about him having her wrapped around his little finger, and take the inevitable swing Lucy would make for him with only more laughter. No matter what her friend said, Levy knew the joke to be true on some level, but Natsu would just as equally be wrapped around her friend's finger. Completely taken with the other, there was no way Lucy or Natsu would be capable of having a real wandering eye.

Lucy cleared her throat and met Levy's eye evenly. "All joking aside, Lev, you're not being bothered by anyone while you're there, right? The no-shirt guy got the message? You're comfortable going solo? Because if you aren't, I can tag along and-"

"I'm fine, _it's_ fine, and Lily runs a tight ship. That guy was a one time thing, I put him in his place and then Lily helpfully escorted him back to the lockers to get his car keys and right out the door. I really enjoy it despite the occasional speed bump from guys like him. It gives me the chance to just kind of lose myself for a couple of hours without having to worry about deadlines or holding up pointless conversation-"

"_I see." _Thin, blonde eyebrows arched high over the brim of red sunglasses.

"-not that our conversation is pointless, you know what I mean, Lu." Levy rolled her eyes as Lucy's bell-like laughter echoed around the patio once more. "_Anyways_, thanks for the offer, seriously." Levy smiled genuinely at her old friend.

"Good. And don't think anything of it, I could use a little more activity in the evenings anyways." The blonde's big heart would win out against her scheming every time.

Lucy narrowed her eyes on her friend and touched her chin in thought. "Although, if I was there, I could make sure you didn't miss any nice ones."

Even if that big heart didn't win out for very long.

"You're incorrigible. And the last time you so thoughtfully 'made sure I didn't miss a nice one', I ended up with a bruise on my ribcage."

Lucy waved her hand and scoffed, "Minor casualties of war." She placed both of her elbows on the table and daintily rested her chin over her interlaced fingers. "So, did he at least sound handsome?"

"_Lucy."_

* * *

_circuits_: one completion of all prescribed exercises and when one circuit is complete, the first exercise is started again for the next circuit. Traditionally, the time between exercises in circuit training is short, often with rapid movement to the next exercise.

_extrusions_: side parts of a treadmill you step on and off of.

**A/N:** I decided to get a move on and just post this. I've got a multi-chapter project I really wanted to work on and refused to even start that before this one even got off the ground and onto the interwebs. The chapters will stay relatively short, at the max 3k words, and maybe 5 chapters long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail, Game of Thrones' character Khal Drogo, iPods, or _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._

* * *

The following Monday, there was no mess of black spotting the corner of her vision. In fact, she didn't catch the odd mass- what she later learned was excessively long hair- for another two weeks after her night of crash courses on the treadmill.

Her interest had been peaked- no thanks to Lucy- and, once again, she learned why her curiosity would always have the upper hand.

Levy was minding her own business and not even thinking about him when he was suddenly _there_. This time, she saw him from the side and her brain went into overdrive as she tried to count all the piercings on his face. An unobstructed view of the person attached to the unruly mane revealed what she was sure must have been a subspecies of giant and troll. The man was tall, she could tell even as he was sitting, and had a perpetual scowl on his face- as if the public gym was solely his territory. The look definitely left her with an uneasy feeling, as if she was intruding.

_Give him Lily's scar and he's Khal Drogo_. She scoffed amusedly to herself, imagining the brooding stranger streaked with paint and a long beard complete with tiny hair tie.

He was _built_. Another thought crossed her mind as she studied him on her way to the treadmills- either he actually _was_ the infamous Khal or, at the very least, his stunt double. There was no way someone looked that much like the well-known T.V. character by accident. Levy knew exercise was important for keeping up muscle tone, but she just couldn't see how _he_ needed to workout like the others.

In fact, watching him, she was pretty sure her apartment building was a good deal _less_ sturdy.

She couldn't discern much after she reached her treadmill, he sat on a weight lifting bench behind her and if she got a few more looks (strictly for her report to Lucy), she would have been caught and on the receiving end of his murderous scowl.

The gossip of soccer moms and throaty laughter of teenage boys carried over the sound of machinery and the several fans placed in the main room of the facility, echoing to the high ceiling and back down, so the perpetual scowl was fairly understandable. The same irksome twist set to her own brow and mouth as she adjusted the volume on her iPod.

A person could only take so many lowbrow jokes some kid heard whispered in the locker room and scandalized _'just who does she think she is, I mean, really?!'s_ before they totally lost it.

Levy wished it was Monday, that crowd was always respectfully quiet. However, her schedule that week had been unfortunate and greedy, stealing away her favored Monday slot and trading it for Friday evening. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd had the asinine belief that the people of Magnolia would _definitely_ have something more exciting to do on a Friday night than fill up a gym.

"Dude, you should go run by _her_."

_Obviously not._

Was the universe so hard pressed to cut her a break? She was very decidedly _not_ in the mood to dodge underaged attention, so Levy slowed her steps and powered down the treadmill. Her stomach rolled regretfully when her workout summary blinked up at her- only ten minutes ran and she didn't even get to increase the speed or incline this time! She huffed and tried to push the thought away, there were things she'd hadn't tried out yet in the gym anyways. The woman wasn't much of a swimmer on her good days, but if it gave her a reason to use earplugs and a swimming cap to discourage out any possible conversation in the pool area, then, by all means, she was a swimmer.

As she grabbed her water bottle, secured the cord of her earphones neatly around her iPod and turned for the locker rooms, she finally got a straight on look at him. And seeing as she was heading in the direction he sat, she was able to get away with letting her gaze linger a bit longer than before.

Levy hadn't expected for him to have moved, let alone be facing _her_ direction. It caught her off guard enough to have Levy stumble and almost trip. An embarrassing tumble to the carpet played on loop in her mind. She righted her footing in the next point of a second and made her way past him, making sure not to step too close and praying he hadn't noticed her _graceful_ moves.

She blinked a few times, trying to get her brain back in working order. He was striking, to say the least.

The blue haired woman silently thanked every force in the universe that he wasn't the type to fling his t-shirt halfway across the gym the second they walked into the gym, but from the looks of him, he definitely had a better view to offer than the one guy that had just turned 30 and thought he was a modern-day Adonis.

That had been the most awkward workout of her life, as the 'Adonis' had chosen to bench press right next to the equipment she did crunches on and had been much more talkative than anyone else she'd met in the gym. The only amusement she'd gotten out of that situation was her theory that he could give Natsu a run for his money. Luckily, she'd been saved fairly quickly by Lily. There was a very obvious proper clothing policy in the open gym, the older man had none-too-gently chastised him that this wasn't the pool area and, that if he wished to talk with others, he ought to keep it down as he was disturbing the rest of the gym.

The memory brought her back to her next obstacle: the gaggle of children lounging on the gym equipment raucously jeering their way through a conversation.

They would get chewed out by Lily soon enough and, hopefully- for their sake, judging by the dark look on the man-built-like-a-small-house's face- Lily would ask them to take their leave if they weren't going to act like adults.

She squared her shoulders and breezed her way past them, silently ordering them not to say anything to her as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Levy never had such luck.

"Hey, can I get your number?"

Without missing a beat she continued walking, not sparing the tangle of baby face leers a glance. "I quit the babysitting gig years ago."

Before the swinging door shut completely, she could have sworn she heard a rumble- _chuckling_\- underlying the hollered chorus of _'rejected!'_. In the next moment, she heard the comforting drawl of Lily's voice, giving them a talking to on how to treat a lady and that it was best they take their social visit elsewhere.

Levy's victory was cut short when a double take had her halting in front of the entryway to the women's locker room. The door she'd just walked through closed and she wasn't tall enough to see through the window near the top of the door, so she couldn't check, but there was no way. No possible way she'd caught such a small detail when her eyes were only on the man for a whole five seconds and the wide gray headband he wore threw shadows over his brows from the bright fluorescent lights. She had to have been mistaken.

_Red eyes?_

* * *

"I'm sorry about those kids, Levy."

The shorter woman shrugged as Lily walked her to the door an hour later. She carefully wound her wet hair up into a bun as she rolled her eyes. "They're nothing in comparison to what I've had to deal with before."

Lily snorted and opened the door for her. "Aye, and thank goodness _they_ had the good sense to keep their shirts on." He winked, laughing at her sour expression.

"I wouldn't have put it past them, but, uh, they had some pretty unbeatable _competition_." Levy tilted her head in the direction of the man with the long hair and smirked. "He looked like he was about to eat one of them."

The gym owner roared with laughter. "I'll have to let Gajeel know that scowl of his actually works. He's a wet blanket most the of time, but great for keeping unwanted behavior out of here." His brow furrowed at her wary look and he set her hand on his shoulder. "Gajeel works the late night and weekend shifts for me with a few of my other employees, he's a very good friend of mine and ultimately harmless. I've known him since he was a kid; you needn't worry."

She had a hard time believing the man who looked like he belonged to a biker gang and ate nails for breakfast could be described as anything close to _harmless_…But if Lily trusted him, then he couldn't have been too bad.

"If it would help to ease any doubt, next time I could introduce you."

It took some effort to pull her gaze from Gajeel's back to meet Lily's eyes, but she managed and tried her best to ignore the glint of amusement shining down at her. "It's just been a weird week at work, I should be back to my regular Monday nights next week, but I'll keep that in mind."

True to her word, her work schedule had gone back to normal and the introductions hadn't been needed, but she wasn't able to avoid it in the end. That isn't to say she was _avoiding_ them, but Gajeel didn't look like the amicable type and preferred to be left alone.

* * *

Lily might have planned for it to happen within the next week or so, but it was another month before she even said her first words to Gajeel.

Magnolia was gearing up for a triathlon that would start in Clover Town and end in Hargeon, with Magnolia being the last change-up from cycling to long distance running. It was going to be a huge event and each town was holding a series of festivals leading up to the day of the race. Dozens of charities were involved and it always brought Lily business from a slew of new people wanting to get in shape.

Levy was very much pro-triathlon, it was the mayhem during the countdown that drove her insane.

Now just one week away from the triathlon, things had slowed down considerably with people realizing how farfetched their goal was and opting out to train at a more sensible pace for next year's race. However, it didn't stop the gym from staying packed to the gills or one or two die-hards from silently bullying her off whatever equipment they wanted that she had been using.

It was a mad house and Lily had only been able to shoot her a millisecond's worth of apologetic smile before going back to the line waiting at his desk. He had his hands full with people crowding the pool past capacity and more than one screaming match echoing so harshly from one of the racquet ball courts, she swore she felt the foundation shake.

Time and time again, she would come later than last time, in hopes that the crowd would be thinner each time. It wasn't until her fourth try, arriving at midnight, that the gym only thrived with a dull roar that, thankfully, came from the various machines at work and not the people. She went straight to the locker room and stowed away her bag and keys before snatching her iPod and water bottle.

She didn't run in hallways, she was a grown woman, but if she denied sprinting down the empty stretch toward the main room for the chance of catching an open treadmill, she would have been lying.

The treadmills were almost full, but she managed to spot one by the wall, with one empty treadmill separating her from one of the die hards practically smoking the track under his feet. By this time of night, only people fortunate enough to have the next day off (Monday) were left and she was one of them. The thought of being expected to function at work after working out until two in the morning had her cringing.

Her boss had noticed Levy's more sluggish demeanor the past few weeks and had given her the next Monday off to recoup.

Not something she was overtly proud of.

In so many words, her boss had noticed the slight decline in productivity and pitied her. The fact that one of her worst nightmares had become a saving grace was almost too much for her to bear and if she didn't have some godawful power ballad Lucy had mischievously added to her playlist drowning out every coherent thought she had _right that minute_, she was going to lose her mind.

iPod unlocked and glowing with backlight, she started the song and subsequently felt her knees buckle and crash together when the song cut off and the light went out.

The infernal screen and loathsome battery with the horrid red line in it blinked mockingly up at her.

Levy sucked in a deep breath and forced the air loudly out through her nose. Her hands shook with restrained fury as she wound the headphone cord around the device and carelessly tossed the iPod into the cup holder. She pushed any thoughts of listening to music out of her head and focused on the T.V. screen in front of her.

A sliver of relaxation melted into her as she noticed that it wasn't sports or the news or news on sports or anything in relation to iPods or triathlons, but _F.R.I.E.N.D.S. _A small smile made its way across her face, so maybe the universe would refrain from completely hating her for half an hour. _The One With the Prom Video_ was probably her guiltiest pleasure as far as any of the episodes went and she was getting to watch it from the beginning.

_Point for Levy._

In a matter of Chandler scoring a winning shot on the foosball table to the gold bracelet _that goes with everything_, she was gone. Entirely immersed in the program and all thoughts of traitorous iPods and rude die-hards washed from her mind. She had even hummed along to the theme song subconsciously.

Her bliss didn't last long when, halfway through a dish soap commercial, yanking her out of the reverie.

"-sed?"

Levy blinked, looked to her right, glanced up, and blinked again. "What?"

"I said, is this treadmill being used?"

Another blink. "No."

The man, the one with the wild black hair, very, _very_ red eyes, and named Gajeel sighed, rolling his eyes at her. "Mind if I use it then?"

The synapses in her brain finally sparked and clicked and she was back in her mind, blushing furiously. "No, go ahead."

He mumbled a thanks and stepped on the treadmill, cursing when he turned it on and realized the only treadmill left open in the place was the one that lagged as it booted up. She watched him out of curiosity, shaking her head after a moment and turning her eyes back to another commercial. She dimly registered that he got the machine up and running finally, and started to lazily walk. Levy heard him grumble in appreciation as the die-hard to his right got off the treadmills and made his way for the weights. Levy chuckled at his vexed words, bringing his attention to her once more.

"Is it dead?"

"What?"

He craned his neck to look past her and ticked his head to the long forgotten cup holder. "Yer iPod. Is it dead?"

"Oh." She followed his line of sight and glowered at the aforementioned item. "Yeah…Guess I forgot to charge it."

He nodded at her iPod once more. "Can I?"

Levy's head snapped back to him, scrunching her eyebrows dubiously.

He sighed again and scoffed. "I'm not gonna steal it, mine's better anyways."

"Excuse you," Levy scowled and cut her eyes at him.

"Chill," Gajeel scoffed amusedly. Without another word, he reached over and fumbled under the treadmill's computer screen. In no time, he brought out a black USB cord that was shoved into a compartment she didn't even know existed, snatched up her iPod before she could blink, and plugged it in.

The battery screen flashed again, slowly turning green and redirecting her back to the main menu.

Levy smiled slowly at the electronic before stretching her smile into a grin back at him. "Thanks, I really do appreciate it, but I don't think I'll be using it for a bit." She looked back towards the wall of T.V.s and hummed happily as the last commercial finally faded to black, brightening back up on the well-known apartment door.

He glanced at the T.V. for a moment, watching the show as he untangled the mess that was his own set of earphones. "_F.R.I.E.N.D.S._, huh?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Fair enough."

She watched from the corner of her eye as Gajeel chuckled at one of the jokes, noting how decidedly _harmless_ he appeared like this. Lucy's round of questioning echoed in her mind and she blushed, snapping her attention back to the T.V. show and adamantly blocking out his presence at her side.

* * *

**A/N: **Posting a day early because I leave for vacation early on Saturday morning and Friday's going to be really hectic. There will be no update for next Friday since I'll still be gone and won't have my laptop. Sorry I'm not leaving you guys with more gajevy interaction to hold you over, but _c'est la_ pacing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail, iPods, TBS, Pinterest, _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._, or any other recognized brands.

* * *

Levy shouldered her duffel bag and locked the car door, a triumphant smile pulled at her lips as she approached the gym's doors. Today, she was operating under strict orders to try the rock wall and she was actually, _truly_, excited. She was a little shy to admit that she had been so elated to be granted clearance of the wall- Levy even looked into special shoes specifically made for said activity. It was probably a bit much for a grown woman to get so worked up over something as trivial as a rock wall, but replaying Lily's confident smile as he gave her the green light to move ahead in her grand workout adventure got her every time.

Rock wall clearance meant duly noted advancement and responsibility around the gym.

It wasn't something wholly coveted, it wasn't _that_ hard to do, but it was more than enough for her. She'd worked on a few pieces of equipment that targeted the muscle toning in her arms and while the difference was minute in comparison to men-built-like-small-houses, Levy was certainly proud of her accomplishments thus far. Her hand swept up, ghosting over her forearm and allowing the muscle to contract with the touch. A broad smile worked its way across her features, the young woman took a deep breath and curled her fingers around the door handle.

The heavy glass seemed to glide open just a little easier than it had before.

"Well, Lil', I'm here and I'm- _Oh_." She blinked and awkwardly froze in the doorway, trying in vain to shrink back into her windbreaker.

"Well don't sound so disappointed." Gajeel rolled his eyes, shuffling a stack of papers behind the counter.

Levy blinked once more, uncertainly sweeping her gaze across the main room. She didn't mean it the way he implied, but a part of her was a tad bit disappointed. She had wanted to show the gym owner that she wasn't just some pushover and could at _least_ carry her own weight. Self-consciously, she tugged at the rolled up sleeve of her jacket and giggled breathily. "Lily's not here?"

"Aye, that would be why I'm trapped behind the big fancy counter." His not-really-a-frown expression slowly changed, giving her a subtle smile. _No offense taken, no harm done._

Tentatively, she returned his small smile. She cleared her throat and took a few steps closer, folding her arms over the countertop and allowing a chuckle to pass her lips. "A step up then, huh? You get to do more than just glare at people if want them to leave now."

A tiny sliver of satisfaction wound its way into her gut when her remark elicited a chuckle from him. He nodded and the subtle expression shifted again, it began to pull at his eyes and the corners of his lips. "I get to play Solitaire on the expensive computer when I get bored too."

Something tickled in her chest, wriggling its way under her heart to make her laugh. When she opened her eyes, she caught sight of the careful upwards tilt reserved to one side of his mouth, it wasn't like the smirk he had used earlier- this one was something entirely different and _warm_. Before she could think on it too much, the expression was gone in an instant and she was staring back at the default expression Gajeel usually wore.

"Were you, uh, needin' Lil' for something? I've got keys to everything and the T.V. remote if you wanna watch some more _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._" His brow ticked up, clearly showing his amusement at her.

Levy ducked her head and twisted her hand into the curls at at the back of her head, nervously scratching and tangling there. "Not this time, thanks." He didn't need to know that she knew the program wasn't even on this early in the day. And unless TBS was running a marathon- which they weren't, she'd checked-, _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._ was showing later in the evening. "Oh, it was nothing pressing. I was just told to try the rock wall today and had hoped he'd be here to catch me win our bet."

He flashed her another smirk. "A bet, huh? So, which one of you is convinced you couldn't even bench press a pair of marshmallows on a twig?"

"Hey!" Her brows bunched together as her mouth screwed up in protest of his low jibe.

Gajeel muffled his laughter with a cough and straightened. They were barely acquaintances and here he'd already put his foot in his mouth, something Lily _specifically_ warned him against while manning the gym in his absence. In Gajeel's defense, it had been a long time since he had found himself conversing so easily, _willingly_, with a patron of the gym- let alone the general population. He bit the inside of his cheek to check himself. "Sorry, but, uh, the bet?"

Levy crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes. "Not a bet against me, I was merely promised something in the event that I make it to the top and rang the bell. Just wanted to be sure he'd make do on his promise."

"We are talking about the same man, right? If Lil' says he's gonna do something, he's going to follow through. He won't be out long. His stepdaughter, Carla, is in from school on Spring Break. Shagotte made him promise to hand over the gym in the evenings so he'd be there for a few dinners and outings."

Her eyes lit up and she leaned forward on the counter, causing Gajeel to take a step back in the midst of her sudden excitement. "Ah, Carla's in? Shagotte didn't say anything!"

"Yeeeah…" Gajeel glanced off to the side, scratching the back of his head. He looked back to her and raised his brow. "You know Shagotte and Carla?"

Levy tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and smiled brightly. "Mhmm, Shagotte was my mentor in grad school and I've talked to Carla once or twice before."

Gajeel blinked. "Lil' said he just met you a month or so back, though."

He had not meant to admit he knew _that_. They only just barely knew each other from the other nameless people who frequented the gym, butl he could practically hear the gears cranking in her head. No doubt already deducing that he had inquired about her.

Levy pretended not to notice the way he faltered, or the stapler that clattered loudly to the floor with his fumbling, she merely hummed as she made her way to the locker rooms. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Gajeel recover the stapler and mutter a curse under his breath. "Funny how the world works, huh?"

* * *

The woman manning the rock wall was impossibly stunning.

Not a lick of makeup on her, yet her blue eyes still shone bright and sharp against her delicate features. Long waves a few shades darker than Levy's own were tied back high up on her head. Her name was Juvia Lockser and her manageable hair caused Levy to tick a nervous hand through her own ponytail- in vain hopes of smoothing her much frizzier, shorter locks down.

"You must be Levy, Lily said you would be coming in. I'm Juvia Lockser." She was the cardboard cut out of every 'This-could-be-you' add and Levy found her stumbling with her introduction.

"Right, yes. That's me. Hopefully I won't give you too much trouble."

Juvia smiled _Crest_ would be proud- and offered her hand. "I think you'll do just fine. It's a lot easier than what everyone thinks."

After Levy's harness on, tightened, and double checked, Juvia stepped away to get into her own harness. She didn't even pause in her work or look up at Levy as she spoke. "I haven't seen Gajeel talk so easily to anyone in a long time. It's funny, I don't ever remember him mentioning you." The gym trainer glanced up at Levy then, offering a comforting smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "And I definitely wouldn't forget him talking about you. How long have you known Gajeel?"

The shorter woman cleared her throat and smiled nervously, her hand flying back to tangle in her hair and scratch at her scalp. "Ah, that would be because we've only just met recently. I'm not even sure he knows my name, to be honest."

"Hm, you must have really gotten on his good side then." She laughed, the sound like the tinkling of a spring, and lowered her voice. She leaned toward Levy, as if they were conspiring, dropping the volume of her voice. "Gajeel's not the overly friendly type, as I'm sure you've noticed." Juvia didn't take offense to the girl's derisive snort or the muttered, _"That's an understatement." _"But you must have really made an impression."

Levy shrugged, turning to hook the tether to her belt. "Yeah, I guess so."

Juvia hummed, "Right. Now, Lily told me you were going for the bell today?"

"Right." Her shoulders straightened as she stepped up to the wall, the unwavering stare coming from the area of the front desk not going unnoticed as she reached for the first plastic rock.

* * *

Lucy opened her door, gave her a once over, and-

"You've met someone." Her grin was wide and blinding and didn't bode well for Levy as the blonde lurched forward.

In a flash, she wound her hand around Levy's arm with a death grip- wholly unnecessary, as Levy was there for their bi-weekly catch-up anyways- and yanked the smaller woman into her apartment.

"Either I'm rubbing off on you, or you're actually starting to listen to my advice." Lucy fell back into the couch, taking Levy with her. "In either case, spill."

Levy breathed deep, rolling her head back to stare up at the ceiling as she ticked off a list on her fingers. "Well, he's an old friend of Lily's, built better than my apartment building, he remembered I liked _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._ the one time it was on at the gym, helped me recharge my iPod, and made fun of my height the first full conversation we had. We've really only spoken a handful of times, but he's not much of a talker. anyways"

Lucy snorted, standing from her spot on the couch. "Sounds like a real gem, Lev. Or more like one of the guys that's employed by Best Buy. Are you sure you understand the meaning behind _'I've met someone'_?"

Levy scoffed and shoved her foot into the back of Lucy's knee, forcing her friend to stumble forward. "I know what it means! Just go get the drinks and tooth-decaying snacks so you can continue to pry into my personal life without shame."

"Well, at least we have our routine." Lucy winked and ducked behind the swinging door to her kitchen, narrowly missing the couch cushion flung from the living room.

Levy resituated on the couch, straightening her shorts and propping her legs on the edge of the coffee table. She sighed, tilting her head back again and curling her toes back-and-forth to the ticking of the wall clock. She absently noted that a fresh coat of nail polish was needed. Her and Lucy were long over due for a girls' night as well.

A _"What's your poison?"_ came muffled through the kitchen door, the clanking of glass almost drowning out Lucy's words.

"Do you still have some of the lavender lemonade left?" _Okay, so Pinterest was good for one thing in her life._

"You got it!"

The door swung back open and Lucy breezed her way back to the couch, setting the tray down before lazily flopping back to the couch. Her legs settled comfortably over Levy's lap and her friend rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we get it. You've got the legs of an Amazon in comparison to me. Let's get on with your prying."

Lucy wiggled her legs and snorted, "Well, gee. You make it sound like I'm about to rip out your teeth. It's not an inquisition, Lev."

"Can we get on with it so I can ask you about the usual blunders of married life?"

"Fine, fine." Lucy waved her hand dismissively, then brought her hand to her chin in thought. "Hm…Job?"

The blue haired woman held up her fingers. "Two- one at the gym to help Lily out when he needs it, plus a regular day job."

"Job or career?"

"Betting career- definitely not a suit, though." Levy bit her lower lip, a wry smile tugging its way to her face. "I can't see him working a mall job…or anything that required he have too much interaction with people."

"Ah, a regular Prince Charming. But points for being a good friend and making a living. How about gym manners?"

"Trust me when I say he looks like he lives in the gym, Lu. If I hadn't seen him come and go with my own eyes, I would think he never leaves. He actually knows personal boundaries and _manners_. I think I found the one guy other than Lily that doesn't make unnecessary _noises_ when they're working out." Levy made a disgusted expression and shivered against the onslaught of nightmare material she had overheard while working out.

Lucy's grin widened at that. "Ah, a real keeper. Okay, hygiene?"

"You're serious?" Levy knitted her eyebrows, her mouth twisting dubiously. This was a new one to Lucy's usual List of Must Meets.

The blonde merely shrugged. "Well, you did meet him in the gym. And I think you can tell a lot about a person depending on how they choose to dress for certain places."

"Fair. The norm, I guess? I mean, it's a gym. People don't exactly roll in dressed to the nines or anything, but yes, clean. Shirts with sleeves and practical gym shorts. I've seen him with a bit of scruff on occasion, but the next time I see him, it's be gone." She'd noticed the first time he walked in with the faint traces of a beard that he had appeared tired and restless. Of course, it was before they had even spoken to each other, so it wasn't like she could just waltz right up to him and ask him if he was doing all right.

Or compliment the 5 o'clock shadow that made his jawline completely _unfair_.

Lucy's brow quirked and a corner of her mouth lifted in amusement. "Do I detect the tone of loss in your voice?"

"Oh, stop it." Levy flushed, hiding it by swatting her friend with the remaining couch pillow. She brought the cushion back to rest over Lucy's legs in her lap as she leaned forward on her elbows. She saw no harm in admitting a half truth to Lucy. "Either way, it doesn't take _away_ from his look. Though, I still haven't decided if his hair is a bit much or what's up wi-"

"Hair?"

"As in, growing from the scalp. It's well taken care of, no rat's nests or split ends. Like everyone, it looks a bit rough after he's done working out." Levy tugged a hand through her shorter stands of hair, letting it slip and fall from her fingers as her hand continued to move away from her. "It's just _really_ long a-and it's gorgeous, but he doesn't strike me as the vanity type."

Lucy bolted upright, yanking her legs out from under Levy, nearly sending her tumbling off the couch. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. It's black, right?"

Levy slowly glanced at her from the corner of her eye, she did not have a good feeling about the gleam in her friend's smile. "Yeeeah?"

The blonde's hands fluttered to her face, pointing to her wide, brown eyes. "Red eyes? Looks like Khal Drogo without the beard and body paint?"

"How do you-" Levy sucked in a breath and watched Lucy struggle with her words.

"That's Gajeel! He's _Gajeel_, it's Natsu's cousin!" With that, Lucy slumped back as her body gave into the peals of laughter shaking her frame. "Of all the people- _Gajeel_. I can't believe-!"

The shorter woman shifted on the couch to face Lucy, holding her hands up in an attempt to calm her friend and gain a minute to understand what was unfolding in front of her. "Okay, you're kind of freaking me out and so what? He's Natsu's cousin, that's not a crime. Wait a second." Levy's eyes widened and narrowed, her voice dropping disappointingly. "He's not a felon or anything like that, right?"

Lucy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, he might look like a tough guy and is about as approachable as a brick wall, but he's a huge softie. And from the way he deals with Natsu and their younger cousin, Wendy, he's a stickler for the rules."

Levy's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "_That's_ hard to believe."

The blonde smirked, raising her brow. "I never would have put you two together."

"Hoo-ol-ld up, Lucy. We're not _together_. We're hardly acquaintances," Levy squeaked.

"But he know's your favorite T.V. show. Natsu doesn't even know _my_ favorite T.V. show and we're _married_." Lucy eyed Levy speculatively. "Have been for a few years now."

Levy slumped forward, hiding her face in her hands. "Don't give me that look! It's not like we were having some in-depth conversation about our likes and dislikes, Luce."

"Still. Kinda sore I didn't think about it before, though."

"Gajeel would let you, _Natsu's_ wife, set him up?" She peeked at Lucy from the side of her hand, chuckling at the blonde's pout.

Lucy shrugged and chuckled. "Well, not anymore." At Levy's blank expression, Lucy continued. "There was an incident and now we're not allowed to meddle anymore."

"I can't see him letting you meddle in the first place."

"I _could_ meddle again."

"What for?" She had a bad feeling about giving into Lucy's questionnaire so easily. Perhaps it would have been better to wait until her and Gajeel were friends, that way she stood a chance of playing it off and giving him a good laugh.

Lucy leaned forward, meeting Levy's eye and winking. "Your case, my friend."

_She was doomed._

* * *

_TBS _is an American television network that plays reruns of _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._

**A/N: **This was a trip to come up with out of nowhere and edited in 4ish days.

Also, I haven't been getting a lot of reviews, I hate asking for them, but I could use some encouragement, y'know? Even if it's just a 'Great chapter!', it goes a long way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail, Game of Throne, Hershey's Kisses, or any recognizable brands mentioned.

* * *

No sooner had Levy gotten out of her car, pumped to tackle the harder sections on the rock wall and _happy_, then a strangled noise rolled its way from her throat. She paled as the good vibes completely drained away and thunked her head on her car again. It took all of her will power not to drop her head to the side of her car (repeatedly) as a familiar blonde bun bobbed excitedly as an award-winning smile was shot her way- with a hand wave graceful enough to put beauty queens to shame- from across the parking lot. _Doomed_ was now an underestimate to what Levy would be the second she walked into that gym with Lucy. She should just ready the kabob and pit now because she was _roasted_.

Lucy zipped to her side, staying unusually quiet as Levy ducked down to slowly pull her gym bag from the backseat.

Levy figured maybe if she took long enough and didn't make any sudden movements, Lucy would realize what a lost cause the blue haired woman was and move along…Or if she was just fast enough, she could hop in her car, lock the doors, and gun it for-

"How goes, _khaleesi_?"

_Not a chance. _

She could hear the confident amusement in Lucy's smile- brilliant and burning like the sun.

The question startled Levy as she began to stand back up, jolting her enough to make her head bump the roof of the car. The shorter woman bit the inside of her cheek- _hard_\- as she straightened; her mouth twisted to one side as her eyebrows rose in indignation. Lucy smiled shyly and shrugged.

"You've got three seconds to find another gym, Dragneel." Levy rubbed the tender spot on her head and hissed when her fingers circled over a particularly sore area. She glowered from one eye, the other having closed against the prick of pain.

Lucy merely winked, wholly unaffected and unintimidated by her friend's best efforts. She tucked an escaped lock of hair behind her ear and scoffed, "And here I told Natsu I was _sure_ you'd be excited to have a workout buddy for once."

Levy sighed, hanging her head back and closing her eyes against the bright sunshine. "Please don't."

The blonde laughed, the sound echoing harshly off the open space and blacktop. "You make me sound so sinister. I wasn't going to do anything."

As if on cue, the rising bruise on her scalp _pulsed_.

"Yeah, right. Last time you weren't 'going to do anything', I wound up footing the bill for my salad and that one guy's plate of _lobster_\- which was imported, mind you. The bottle of wine leftover from that night definitely wasn't worth what I paid, if you were curious. You're not allowed to _'not'_ do anything within a mile of me anymore."

"Y'know, maybe you don't need my help." Lucy tapped her chin as her lips curled into a small, satisfied smile.

She folded her arms and shot Lucy her own wry smile paired with quirked eyebrow. "You think?"

"I mean, you sound just like _him_, it's ridiculous. Verbatim, this is the conversation I had with Gajeel after his fluke date." The blonde swung her arm around Levy's shoulders and slumped lazily against her friend. "You two can get together and chat about how I ruin your lives and the fertility of your checkbooks."

Levy bumped her hip against Lucy's and grabbed her arm before Lucy had the chance to pull away. "You know I don't mean it like that. We've just got our pride, is all."

The blonde snorted and rolled her eyes. "Ain't that the truth."

She shook her head, Lucy was her go-to fix for bad work week therapy- the sessions kept to a strict routine of every candy bar they could get and a nice rom com to balance out the bad taste the world had left them with that week; cheesy pick-up lines and predictable endings went down superbly well with a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Levy also remembered how Lucy had hunted down the Bad Date With a Lock on His Wallet and turned him _inside out_ for how he treated her friend. Levy had seen years and years of Lucy Heartfilia's big ol' heart looking out for everyone she cared about and if she was actually offering her blessing and support whilst _shoving _Levy into the stony brick wall of Khal, then maybe she ought to take the dive? There'd be no way Natsu kept stories from Lucy, so other than Natsu himself and their younger cousin, Wendy (whom Lucy went on to _gush_ about how adorable they were with her), Lucy knew Gajeel best.

She would know if Gajeel held even the infinitesimal chance of snapping Levy's heart into pieces and leaving her more bitter than before. Levy smiled lopsidedly and sighed good-naturedly. "Sooooo, do I get to hear about you setting Gajeel up or…?"

Lucy licked her lips, a cunning smile winding around the pretty line of her mouth as she finally caught Levy right where she wanted her. "Why? Curious to see if he's got a type?"

"Yes, _fine_. I'll agree if it gets you talking."

"Well, she was taller than you, so maybe Gajeel prefers the shorter ones." The blonde shrugged, a noncommittal action that mismatched the calculated tilt of her smile.

Levy narrowed her eyes and monotoned, "I am never asking you anything about men ever again."

Lucy pointed a finger at Levy and grinned, presenting her trump card. "Ah, but you can't deny that I didn't do _something_ right. I mean, I _am_ married."

"To _Natsu_. There's not much you could do that would make him run in the opposite direction and not have him falling more in love with you right then."

"He does not do that!"

"Oh, please. You two are the poster children for newlyweds. You could walk around wearing nothing but the shower curtain and he'd be completely _gone_."

"Most women wouldn't find that as such a bad thing. Shower curtains aren't nearly as expensive as a nice pair of heels or bottle of perfume. I'll have to keep that idea in mind. Thanks, Lev." Lucy bumped her shoulder into her friend's, she only laughed harder when Levy started to mutter curses under her breath.

The shorter woman sighed and leaned against the trunk of her car, Levy ignored the wind that swept her shorter hairs around her face and only squinted her eyes against the assault as she glanced toward the gym entrance. She was a grown woman and it had been years since she had bounced between decisions on a guy. Aside from the fact that he deterred unwanted noise in the gym, made a few funny jabs about work, and offered to let her veg out on a treadmill as she watched _F.R.I.E.N.D.S._, she didn't know much about him. Other than his last name and that he was apparently Natsu's cousin.

However, Lucy seemed almost giddy that there was _some_ chance of _something_.

So, he had her best friend's approval going for him.

Levy looked down at her feet, sucking in her lips to hide her smile from Lucy._ Not to mention occasional scruff and the hearty laugh that made her want to laugh too._

"Huh, I thought it was only if you said his name _three_ times…." Lucy tilted her head to the side and grinned at Levy.

"What are you going on about now?" Levy peeked one eye open, raising her head back up to follow Lucy's line of sight to the gym entrance. She growled and swung for the blonde's shoulder. "We're no longer friends."

Lucy gasped scandalously and stepped away from Levy's reach. "You're both brutes too! I swear, if you don't get together and procreate the universe will weep at the loss of such a perfect match."

"Would you-!" Her face lit up as her eyes darted between Lucy and Gajeel. Her heart was currently tangled up with her uvula- Lucy's voice _carried_ in the damn parking lot and if Gajeel had overheard the blonde's last statement, she would _die_. Levy worked to push all thoughts of Gajeel alongside universal serendipities and procreating out of her mind as he neared them.

Though, he seemed to not have heard them and she was thankful for whatever force that blessed the gym blacktop and kept their conversation just out of Gajeel's hearing reach.

Levy shouldered her bag once more and cleared her throat, trying not to glare a hole through the man's skull as he eyed Lucy wearily. She had mentally jinxed herself and now she was faced with the occasional scruff _and_ Lucy. She'd never make it into the gym at this point, Lucy would never pass up such a glorious chance. One thing gave her comfort, he seemed just as uneasy around Lucy as she did at that moment. Gajeel easily had at least 50 pounds on the blonde and yet, he looked like he was debating on whether being close enough to speak with Levy was actually worth it.

It was a small victory when he scoffed and relaxed his shoulders, slipping his hands into his pockets. She had to bite back her laugh when his eyes suddenly narrowed on her friend.

"_Heartfilia_."

Lucy sniffed, folding her arms in front of her to purposely show off the glittering bands on her trim finger. "I am married, y'know."

Gajeel snorted and smirked down at her- the thing wider and cockier than Levy had ever seen it before. It was all too clear that while Lucy Heartfilia may make him regret his love life (or lack there of), he was infinitely amused by her company and _enjoyed_ talking to her. So, they had _one_ more thing in common.

"My condolences. Still can't believe you'd take his name willingly." He yanked carefully on her haphazard bun. Watching him was more than a little bewildering; this small house of a man- with a sarcastic streak the size of the country- was openly showing a familiar endearment.

Levy got the feeling the conversation was nothing new either.

Levy smiled warmly as Lucy matched Gajeel's smirk and shoved his hand away. "Ah, still an easier choice than taking yours, Redfox. I pity the woman who swallows that bitter pill, _khal Dr-_."

Levy choked and turned quickly on her heel, whipping the brunt of her bag into Lucy's middle. "Hey, I think I'm going to head on in and let you two finish catching up." The blue haired girl raised her eyebrows at the blonde, conveying a string of curses and threats that went unnoticed by Gajeel.

The man snorted, "Not you too. I ate with Lil' the other night and Shagotte was callin' me that." Levy groaned internally, she hadn't remembered letting that detail slip when she talked to Shagotte. Gajeel grimaced and rolled his eyes. "But it could be worse."

Lucy perked up, the corners of her mouth curling in the tell-tale way that meant trouble for Levy. _"Oh?"_

Then, he grinned as his hand fell away from his stubble covered cheek. "I could be married to Ned Stark's bastard."

Suddenly, everything up until that moment became worth it for Levy. The look on Lucy's shocked face as Gajeel waved them both goodbye was nothing short of _beautiful_, and if he had shot _her_ a conspiratorial wink as Lucy fished for something to say, well, that was just the icing on the cake.

* * *

With Gajeel gone for the afternoon and Juvia in charge, Lucy behaved and an actual gym routine was somewhat achieved. Her ego even got more than just a little boost when her friend had begged for her to slow down and Juvia had jumped in to comment on Levy's progress. All of it was a wonderful bonus to the gym's unexpected, but wholly gratifying, hot water heater and water pressure.

Levy hummed as she rolled her fingers through her hair, trying to erase the slight tingling left from undoing her tight ponytail.

She never thought she'd come to use the shower at all, she barely even noticed it as they were tucked behind a door away from the open space of the lockers and blended in with the rest of the bathroom stalls. She'd seen a few women use them in the past, leaving the expensive smell of perfumes and body wash in their wake as they made their way to dinners or work, but Levy always allotted herself plenty of time between prior engagements and gym sessions to shower at her house.

Besides, it was highly doubtful the women around here would appreciate her walking around in house slippers and the towel dress covered in rubber ducks as she got ready again.

But alas, from what she'd seen was that the women shuffle from the shower stall to a bathroom one to get dressed and emerge to tie back their hair in the mirrors before flying right back out the door. She _was_ the only one in here today, though, but the gym would also close up soon and she was only rinsing off before driving home to take a regular shower. Options were limited and she groaned thinking about stepping back into the cool temperature of the locker room.

Which meant all the hard work she did to loosen up her muscles would wind up going right down the drain after just one good case of goosebumps.

She circled her fingers around a particularly sore spot above her shoulder blade, letting the spray of water wash the sweat and tiniest bit of blood away. Levy opened her palm and picked at the remains of the callous that had tore open while she was on the rock wall and imagined Lily's booming laughter as he reminded her she had yet to give up tears. A grown woman does not cry in a gym and as she had slowly gotten to know Gajeel and Juvia- she certainly wasn't going to start now.

Even if it did smart having the skin torn away.

Levy stuck her palm under the water for a moment before she turned the facet off. The noisy sounds of the drain and pipes made her cringe, she understood why not many women used the gym's showers now. There wasn't enough warm water or heavenly pressure to make it worth the assault on her eardrums.

The nasty screeches echoed in her mind and it caused her to shiver in abject revulsion.

"_Oi!"_

_Apparently, they were the preluding soundtrack to her_ _murder_.

She startled and slipped on the slick floor, barely catching herself on the wall before the swinging door to the row of stalls banged open.

"Anyone back here?"

Usually, she considered herself a well-rounded gal, level-headed and able to go with the flow at the drop of a hat, but the string of curse words that trampled past her lips would have indicated otherwise. If she hadn't been scared out of her skin- seeing that was the only thing she was _wearing_\- she would have laughed at the very recognizable and gruff tone of Gajeel getting his own start. It was pretty clear he didn't expect anyone to be back here. He swore his own streak to outdo hers.

"Who's back here?!"

Her heartbeat pounded in her eardrums and her legs wobbled. "It's _Levy_."

"_Shit_. Sorry, Juvia thought you left."

"What are _you_ doing here? I thought _you_ had left?!" She stuck her hand out of the curtain and fumbled along the wall, blindly feeling for the hook that held her towel…Only to remember she had last seen it laying on a bench, and not on the hook conveniently two inches away from her fingers.

"I did, I just came back to help Juvia close up!"

"_Dammit."_

Gajeel groaned, thunking his head on the side of the door and closing his eyes tightly. "Please tell me you did not fall because I will lose my j-"

"I left my towel on the bench." The words flew out jammed together, tripping and falling over one syllable after another and she prayed to whatever gym force that had saved her from having him overhear her and Lucy's conversation return to give him super hearing abilities. There was no way she was going to repeat that forsaken sentence a second time.

"Please tell me you fell."

_Great._

"Look, just go get it, hang it on the damn hook, and walk right back out the door. I won't reach for it until you've turned around. Simple."

"That's a little more convenient than my life's been, this moment proving _that_ fact all too well." His annoyed tone only served to make his voice gruffer, toeing dangerously close to horror movie villain and it wasn't helping.

She huffed and dropped her head to the cool tiled wall. Levy blanched as pieces of her conversation with Lucy drifted back- _unhelpfully_\- back into her mind. Specifically, a bit that involved walking around in nothing but a shower curtain. A minute later, she realized the room had gone strangely quiet. Levy held her breath and, "Are you still there?"

"Unfortunately."

If he didn't think she was insane now, her deep and unbridled laugh bouncing around the room would definitely seal the deal. In her defense, she couldn't help it. The situation was pretty embarrassing, on both ends, but the sound of that one word set her off. Self-deprecating and miserable and, somehow, not surprised at all. Levy bit her lip, willing herself not to let the next question on the tip of her tongue slip out.

"So, do you walk in on women in the showers very often?"

Levy never did have very good self-control in that aspect.

She heard him snort and the door swing close, pushing back open a second later mixed with a fake chuckle from him. His shadow stretched under the curtain and splayed across her toes, making something in her jolt at the sight.

"Yer _hilarious_. Get dressed and come find me when you're through."

"Why? Because this isn't awkward enough and you actually want to look me in the eyes after all of this?" He was silent for a moment and she grinned. "I can hear you rolling your eyes."

"Well, at least yer perceptive, shorty. And it's so I can walk you out to yer car, the parking lot's one hell of a shady place this time of night."

"I have mace."

"Have you ever used it?"

"Trade secret." When he didn't retort, she knew she'd been caught. Levy rolled her eyes and scowled. "No."

"Let's plan on keeping it that way, yeah?"

"Darn, I was so looking forward to using it and showing off my progress in the gym by kicking some serious ass."

"_Tch_, easy there, wildcat. I'll be in the pool room when you're ready."

Even if he couldn't see it, she smiled. Soft and genuine and _relieved_ that he hadn't walked in on her changing instead. "Thanks."

His shadow moved away and his heavy gait clunked against the floors, letting her know towel retrieval would be safe. Levy slowly moved the curtain and angled her head halfway out to catch sight of him- running a hand over the edge of a wide headband, his hair caught up in the ponytail he wore swung with the jerky movement. Levy internally groaned, she had just been flirting, _sans clothing_, with him and the first time he wore his hair back she didn't even get a good look of his face, but she could tell even from her rear view-point that it only added to features. In her scrutinization, as the door swung behind him, she smiled thoughtfully. The tips of his ears had been a very noticeable shade of red.

* * *

**A/N: **Get it? Because Jon Snow knows nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She couldn't be sure if Gajeel Redfox had suddenly taken his position at the gym to heart…or if she was being ignored. The cold shoulder felt to be a bit much and it wasn't like _he_ had been the one stark naked behind a criminally thin shower curtain. If anyone had any right to avoid anyone, it was her and she _definitely_ had.

In her defense, she felt that she had went about it like an adult, instead of blatantly refusing to acknowledge him while they were in the same room, she had taken her embarrassment- and her very yellow belly, Lucy had helpfully added- elsewhere. Levy took a few days to get the entire ordeal out of her system, so she went running- mostly from the geese- in the park with Lucy. It had been a better way to get her exercise in and talk with her friend sans the threat of being tripped or shoved into Khal Drogo's impressive arms by her friend. Not wholly unpleasant, but she didn't want to become _that_ girl at the gym.

The fresh air had done it's job and her mind was clear now and she was ready to tackle whatever post-accidental shower encounter conversation that came her way.

Though, _she_ definitely _wasn't_ going to be the one to bring it up first.

Which left the two of them in an unofficial (possibly one-sided?) standoff from across the gym. He moved from one end of the big, fancy desk to the other, _tack-tacking_ on the keyboard and trading out towels for the customers' keys and greeting people when they walked through the front door. The only breaks in his concentration were when Lily would phone in from his office in the back, where the gym owner had holed himself up to finally prepare his paperwork for the subsequent tax season. Gajeel would look up, glance out the front doors, squint against the bright light from the afternoon sun filtering through the glass doors, and give his report of events from out on the floor, hang up, and then, glue his dumb, criminal eyes back to the computer screen.

He'd wind up damaging his vision and wearing glasses.

In an effort to give herself a good dose of humor for the day, she tried to envision him with coke bottle glasses with heinously colored frames that clashed with those ridiculous eyes of his.

However, just like with everything else since she had been made aware of his presence, it came back to bite her in the ass.

Instead of coke bottle frames that slipped childishly down his nose, they were slick, rectangular frames and his hair was knotted up at the back of his head and there were the beginning traces of 5 o'clock shadow on his jaw.

Levy resisted the urge to slam her head against the key pad on the treadmill.

She needed to get out more.

_Or move ten cities away._

She gulped and whipped her head forward when he glanced up to speak to someone.

Her reflexes just grazed _good-enough-not-to-die_ on better days, so it was hard to believe he hadn't already caught her boring holes through his noggin. The man seemed completely oblivious to her very obvious, flashing, _neon_ sign presence. Now, Levy McGarden wasn't one to wear anything for the attention of a man or to please one, but the color of her shorts were all but demanding of it. She'd bought them just to bait him because, in all honesty, she missed his sarcastic drawl interrupting her peaceful runs.

Between the day she bought the damn eyesore of active wear and now, Levy had worked out ten different digs he could make and twenty more comebacks she could respond with for the pool of comments she figured he would choose from.

She enjoyed the back-and-forth that came so easily between them and, more importantly, _messing_ with him.

Gajeel looked like he bench-pressed minivans and would snort at the idea of brushing one's teeth three times a day and stole from little, old ladies on the weekends, but he was pretty much a pushover. Even better, an _easily_ tongue-tied pushover. It spelled out many quick wins for her and Levy would have been lying if she denied pre-composing one-liners about the shower debacle, she had been prepared for this. A small part of her even screamed out that she was a little bit excited. She _liked_ Gajeel's laugh and he made her laugh in turn and-

_Man, was she in deep._

Not the biggest of her problems, to be sure. However, they were still relatively new to each other and what if he saw her as something like a distant younger cousin he could joke with, but didn't have any real connecting conversations or anything in common? She would die if she had to hear the infamous _'I like you as a friend'_ line one more time.

Especially from him.

And in Lily's gym to boot.

He didn't have any obligations to like _like_ her and she wouldn't blame him or stop talking to him, but damn, if it didn't hurt to think she had misread this entire situation and made herself out to be a fool.

Maybe she should have swallowed her pride and talked to Lucy anyways. Her friend would have given her a few more tips on Gajeel's personality and insight into whether or not he had been flirting back with her. Levy groaned and shook her head, slowing the treadmill down and taking a swig of her water.

Being out of the dating game for so long had taken its toll and she couldn't remember the last time she was interested in a guy and actually had to make the first move.

Her own indecisiveness aside, he still hadn't so much as glanced toward her. It wasn't like her bright blue ponytail was easily mistaken as someone else's head of hair- the closest would be Juvia's, and hers was longer and darker. Levy was her own form of giant, neon sign and Gajeel was showcasing an impressive level of cluelessness formidable to Natsu's.

_Well, there had to be a familial resemblance somewhere._

Gajeel hadn't been too busy to chat with Juvia or Lily or even shoot disapproving looks to Totomaru, where the latter manned the rock wall. The fact had irked her more than it should and with that, her indecisiveness was cut away as she made her mark.

An overly juvenile action, one she knew he'd appreciate.

Levy yanked off her thin headband and aimed, the projectile shot across the gym and snapped _beautifully_ against Gajeel's cheek. She had never seen someone of his size startle so violently, but it choked her breaths as she quieted her laughter. He had very nearly thrown the chair backwards with his weight- she almost blew her cover when another fit of laughter overcame her with the vision of nothing but his giant feet and the wheels on the chair stuck up in the air.

Muttered curses made their way to her as she schooled her features, picking her pace back up to make it look like she had been intensely focused on some goal.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught him scanning the gym with narrowed eyes as he scrubbed his hand over the wide headband he wore. His gaze landed on her and Levy swore she could feel the tips of her hair fry with his burning suspicion. The baby hairs on her neck stood on end and a shiver wracked her frame, he was too good at this game and she had had no chance of winning even before she shot her headband at him. The little tell was all he needed to know exactly who was guilty of hitting him with a lime green hair accessory.

The man had stubbornly snapped it against her head enough times during their back-and-forths to recognize it right off the bat.

Not her best plan, but she was thinking on her feet- _literally_.

Perfect trajectory and target hit aside, he delivered his best glare- the heat of it nearly burned her shoes to the track. She risked a glance out of the corner of her eye and he somehow managed to make eye contact, holding her in the spot. Levy gulped and his eyebrow quirked up, in amusement or annoyance, she couldn't tell.

Those emotions seemed to stay neck-and-neck for him, the fine parallel line between the two was too thin to even _see_ most days.

By some cosmic blessing, someone emerged from the door to the locker rooms and approached the desk, handing back the towel they had borrowed for their car keys. A rush of air left her in a _whoosh_ as he was forced to look away and her feet were freed from the weird spell that made them feel glued to the track. Levy hoped the distraction was enough to sway him from staring her down until she left or worse, kicking her out of Lily's gym for being five-years-old and risking someone's safety.

_Namely her own if his lack of patience with annoyances had anything to say about it._

Her hands jolted on the handle bars of the treadmill, embarrassingly noting that her heart rate had begun to pick up. Gajeel Redfox had one hell of a pokerface and she was a heart pinned to her sleeve, noticeable and gaudy and more telling than her words ever could be. Levy shook her head and powered down the machine. A few more people had trickled into the main room to cool down on the treadmills and the ones that had been free on either side of her were now being used. She didn't need complete strangers glancing over at her and thinking she struggled to jog or that she might have been having a heart attack.

Just as Levy hopped off the treadmill and began her trek to the locker rooms, something smacked against her temple.

She scrubbed at the irritated spot, whatever it had been had a definite _pop_ to it and her skin tingled from the contact. Levy glanced around and when it was clear no one else had seen what happened, she moved on. Her shoe rolled across something, nearly making her trip. When she looked down and lifted her foot, there rested the lime green headband she had been wearing. A smile began to split her lips when she picked it up, disappearing the second she looked up to speak to Gajeel.

Lily stood in the doorway behind Gajeel, arms folded across his chest and his own brow quirked in a way that was expressly for chiding children.

Levy gulped and ducked her head, nervously shuffling forward when he ticked his head in order for her to come to the desk. She had the distinct dread that only came whenever she was called to the principal's office when she was in school. Her stomach twisted in knots, it wasn't a feeling she had expected to feel again. Seeing as she was well into her twenties and no longer in school. When she reached the desk, Gajeel shot her a blank look, not a single sign of possible hope or the same dread that crawled deep in her belly. Levy cursed his pokerface once more and vowed to learn the trick to looking completely unphased.

When she met Lily's dark eyes, bold and striking to the soul, she gulped. A grin split the older man's face as he leaned down toward her.

"I don't believe _flirting_ falls under the list of duties I pay Gajeel to do, Miss McGarden."

"_Oi_, 'm not-!"

Lily looked pointedly at Gajeel, talking over and cutting off whatever it was that was about to come out of his employee's mouth. Nothing appropriate after he denied flirting, she guessed. "_Which_ is why I am kindly kicking the two of you out of my gym and to the nearest restaurant to continue this on your own time and money." He winked and that familiar pull of his scar with the motion eased her inner turmoil and pulled a light flush to her cheeks.

Gajeel grumbled petulantly from his seat in front of the computer, refusing to look at either of them.

Lily snorted and shoved the younger man's shoulder. "And I'm definitely not paying you to pretend to work while you're actually playing Solitaire."

It was Gajeel's turn to blush- though he'd deny he did such a thing until his dying breath- and Levy laughed.

_No wonder he had appeared so focused on the screen._

Gajeel groaned and leaned back in the chair, swiveling the seat to face Lily. "Ya've got a pretty full house here."

"And I also have Juvia and Totomaru, who are both more than willing to pick up whatever slack you _weren't_ covering to begin with. We're not packed to the gills and everyone's damn tired of watching you two dance around each other for the past few months. It'll do our heart health good to see you finally _talk_."

Levy opened her mouth to come to Gajeel's defense, but Lily gave her a look and froze her in her spot. "About _anything_ that doesn't revolve around this gym, Levy."

He reached forward and affectionately nudged the top of her head, causing a few pieces of her bangs to fall free. The older man smiled and ticked his head in the direction of the lockers, dismissing her from his desk as relief flooded her. She glanced toward Gajeel and offered him a sympathetic smile, mouthing a _'good luck'_ as she ducked away for the locker room. Just as the doors swung shut behind her, she caught Lil's roll rumble as he said something to Gajeel, his teasing tone easy enough to catch, and a drawn out groan come from her co-conspirator.

* * *

When she reemerged into the main lobby, Gajeel was waiting by the doors with his own duffle bag slung over one broad, _very broad_, shoulder and tapping lazily at his phone's screen. Her eyes swung to the desk where Juvia attempted to strike up a conversation with a smile that was all too cunning and sweet for her liking. Levy's eyebrows slowly climbed her forehead as she noted Gajeel's eyes quickly darting to his old friend and muttering something under his breath she couldn't quite catch.

The pointed focus on his phone suddenly made sense and she was wondering just how she was going to get to the door without falling under Juvia's line of sight. She wasn't nearly _that_ short. Just as Levy had started to form her plan for going out the back door fire escape to run around the entire building to get to the front door, Gajeel looked up and she caught the flicker of a smile twitching in the corner of his mouth.

Well, she did have one thing going for her- Gajeel wasn't dreading seeing her and he hadn't stood her up at the gym.

_Points for that._

Levy cleared her throat when she popped up at his side a few moments later. "So…"

Gajeel pocketed his phone, slipping his hands into his pockets and shrugging. "So?"

She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and briefly glanced down to her running shoes, then around the gym. "A-Are we really gonna do this?"

He sighed and out of the corner of her eye she caught his hand rise, before it snapped back to his side. Levy got the distinct feeling he had been about to lay his hand on her shoulder, or, more characteristically, the top of her head. Gajeel cleared his throat to get her attention. "You don't have ta do anything you don't wanna do."

Levy looked at him then, forgetting Juvia's pressing presence at her back and going out on a limb. "But it's something you'd want to do? I mean, you're not out here protesting or tearing out of the gym before I could get out here."

"'m not. And if you haven't already caught on, I'm not the type to go on other people's whims." He whipped his head back to Juvia, narrowing his eyes when she only tilted her head in response, making her ponytail fall prettily over her shoulder, and widened her eyes questioningly- _innocently_.

Levy stepped closer and tugged lightly as his jacket sleeve, urging him to look back at her. She smiled shyly and tried in vain to fight the oncoming warmth of her blush. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Believe it or not, I _do_ actually have manners," Gajeel scoffed. Juvia snorted behind them, gaining their attention as she shook with the effort to cap her laughter. Levy turned back to Gajeel and quirked her brow, folding her arms over her chest. He groaned and threw his hands up, shrugging his shoulders. "Okay, so _some_ manners."

"That sounds more like it."

Gajeel scoffed and turned for the door, holding it open for her and muttering under his breath as she passed by. _"Let's get going, brat."_

She laughed, the sound breezy and infectious. If she had been looking at him, she would have caught the larger man falter, blinking owlishly one or two times before shaking his head and breaking free from the gym's threshold to follow after her.

He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck as he fell into step beside her. "So, uh, food?"

"Sounds good."

"How do you feel about really good, _bad_ Chinese food?"

She gasped and placed a hand over her heart. "After just working out?" Gajeel flinched and fished for something else to say before she winked at him and smiled. "You know me too well."

"I actually don't know you _that_ well at all."

She paused just in front of her car door and turned to him, searching his face for any sign that maybe he was regretting agreeing to the whole ordeal. Aside from an awkward shuffle from being under her observation, he just seemed adamant on the fact that he didn't know her. Levy smiled and elbowed his middle gently. "Well, what else would you call a man that knows my favorite TV program, restaurant choices, and someone who walked in on me in the shower and lived to tell the tale?"

"Your next murder victim, probably."

Levy threw her head back and laughed, the sound deep and too full for her slight frame; it pulled a lopsided smile from Gajeel as they approached their cars. "Please, if I wanted to kill you, I'd have to hire someone bigger than you to drag your huge corpse to the river or something. And that takes a lot more money than I have."

"_Are you calling me fat?"_

She rolled her eyes and opened her car door, nodding to his own vehicle a little farther down the parking lot. "Let's get a move on, Redfox. We still have an audience at the front windows and I'm starving."

* * *

"What's yers say?"

Levy pressed her hand to her mouth and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Gajeel scoffed and smirked at her, leaning forward over the table. "What? Afraid someone's gonna hear ya?" To drive his point home, he looked past her and then, behind him at the emptied restaurant. "'Cause there's so many people here ta judge you if you say it too loud and all."

His smile was smarmy and all too pleased. Even after being forced out of the gym and shoved into what, for all intents and purposes, was an actual date, their banter continued to flow easily. Levy had been a little more taken aback when Gajeel turned out to be one of those guys that had no problem sharing his food. Thank goodness they had both agreed feeding the other was too much, but having him occasionally leave a piece of his meal on the corner of her plate- insisting she try it- was kind of a nice surprise.

The man had excellent taste in food and she quietly wondered how long it would take him to admit that he was a great cook as well. Or what his reaction would be when he learned that it had been Juvia that had divulged that piece of information.

Whomever had said that a way to a man's heart was through his stomach had clearly gotten it backwards, because she was halfway to eating herself sick and _purring_ over the restaurant he had lead her to.

She swatted his arm and glowered. "For someone to claim they have some manners, you sure aren't _acting_ like it."

"You'll get used to it." As the words left his mouth, Gajeel startled at the unintended meaning. He opened his mouth to correct himself, but she beat him to it.

Levy bit her tongue as she smiled in challenge. "Will I now?"

She noticed him lightly bite the inside of his own cheek and she muffled a laugh as he murmured, "We'll see, shorty."

"I think you're short-changing me, Gajeel."

He took a bite of his egg roll before pointing the pair of chopsticks he held in his hand toward her. "Nah, I'm pretty sure yer genetics took care of that."

Gajeel Redfox was probably the only person on the entire planet nicknaming or lightly insulting people he had just met. It took her a few weeks to catch on that it was not so much a slight as it was endearment in his eyes. She'd heard him call Juvia various epithets concerning her hair and other parts of her personality to know the fact about it being an endearment to be true. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, what girl could resist Khal Drogo serving up a lopsided smile and the slow drawl he put on the word 'shorty'?

_Definitely not her._

"You're impossible." Levy scoffed and shook her head disbelievingly. "You've never even asked if I'm okay with the short jokes."

"If ya had an issue with it, you'd've told me an' then, I would have heard it from Lil' and Juvia too. Now, quit stallin'. What's yer fortune?" He stood from his own booth and slid into the seat next to hers. "C'mon, I read mine out loud and it didn't kill me."

Levy rolled her eyes and shoved her shoulder into his. "Okay, wise guy, I'm going." She cracked open the cookie, popping half of it in her mouth before unfolding the tiny slip of paper. Her mouth stretching into a wide grin before she bit down on her tongue, coquettishly waving her fortune to Gajeel. "I think I win this one."

He snatched the paper and guffawed at its text, giving her that lopsided smile and gently shoving her shoulder back. "Yeah, I'd say ya did."

There was no missing the gossiping giggles in Chinese coming from behind them and absolutely not the way he briefly glanced down at her mouth before pinning his eyes back on hers.

* * *

**A/N: **So, there's a game with fortune cookies where you- very maturely- add on '-in bed' to the end of the fortune. The fortune that Levy got is inspired by one I have and it says 'You may lose the small ones, but win the big ones'. Regular comedic genius, I know.

And with that, gym au comes to a close! Thanks for keeping up with the story and your patience between updates, it's much appreciated.

**Edit:** Please do not leave me reviews or messages saying I should check out the other gym AU. That story uses domestic violence and includes a fairly graphic flashback chapter. I was severely triggered by their scene and I would rather not have our stories lopped together. I do my best to create a safe and healthy reading environment and I personally believe that there are some issues that have no place in what we do here. Thank you for your time. -Lionus.


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Fairy Tail, Humor, Romance