The Pen is Mightier than Iron

Hey, Levi-chan

Hey, Levy-chan

Feb. 14th — "Matching"

"Hey, Levy-chan, did you notice that you and Gajeel-san have the same phone case?"

"Really?" Levy looked at her phone case, a simple clear design but with a small bunny ornament chain attached to the corner, and glanced a few seats down at Gajeel. As he showed Natsu Dragneel something amusing, she noticed the same clear case and even the same bunny. "Wow, Lu-chan, you're right. I wonder why a guy like him has a bunny on his phone."

"Maybe you should go investigate?" Lucy suggested with a sly leer. Levy reddened and pretended to be super focused on her homework. It was no little secret between them that she had had a steadily-growing crush on Gajeel since junior high, but always found him...standoffish. "This could be a conversation starter. Come on, be like one of the heroines you always read about!"

"Lu-chan," Levy whined.

"Come on!" she admonished before calling Natsu over. "And bring Gajeel—Levy wants to tell him something!" she added, grinning. Natsu gave her a funny look, but he spoke to Gajeel anyway and the next thing Levy knew, they were coming over. She pretended to be focused on her fingers as Lucy stood from her desk and put her arms around Natsu's neck, kissing him amiably on the cheek, then large fingers were filling up her peripheral, gently bringing her head up. She screamed internally at the feel of his calloused hand on her face.

"So what'cha need to say, Shrimp?" Gajeel's gruff voice came from above.

"I'm not a Shrimp," she mumbled in protest, but she secretly enjoyed her little nickname. "I just wanted to say that..."

"Oh?" Suddenly his tanned fingers clasped around her phone and it was lifted from her hands. She looked up to see him comparing theirs side by side. "We have the same case. Wow."

"I know why I have a little bunny," she said carefully, "but why do you?" He returned her phone with a scowl.

"My little cousin Wendy gave it, and I didn't want her to think that I'd jus' take it and dump it," he explained. Aww, Levy knew he was a softie under his metallic exterior. She hid her grin beneath her hand but Gajeel noticed anyway, and he grabbed her by her blouse's plaid tie to gently lift her from the seat and to eye-level.

"H-Hey! Put me down!" she said in surprise.

"Not until ya tell me what's so damn funny," he grumbled.

"Nothing! Nothing's funny, so drop me!" she demanded, but it didn't hold the same effect with her being up in the air. He gave her a half-grin as he dropped her back onto her behind with a muffled yelp.

"Thought so." And he walked off back to his desk, sitting down heavily and returning to his work. Levy puffed her cheeks out in indignation. The jerk! ...But it didn't diminish the feelings she had for him, and she righted her necktie with a smile.

"Hey, Levy-chan, did you notice that you and Gajeel-san have the same hairband?"

"Really?" she asked, touching the new one she had gotten. It was dark blue and white with pale orange accents, designed in the popular Native American style. She glanced over at Gajeel and confirmed Lucy's words: He had the same hairband holding his unruly black mane from his face with two long, untamable strands on either side of his sharp face hanging down by his ears. She blushed and smiled a little. "I guess so."

"The phone thing bombed earlier, so why don't you try talking to him again?" she continued, furrowing her brows.

"Lu-chan, that was just a few weeks ago. I don't think he'll react any better," she sighed.