Summer Heat – A Fairy Tail fanfic

Spring had come and gone with its wonderful cool breezes and calm atmosphere. With that gone, Natsu had been breathing more and more fire. It seems that whenever summer rolls it's nasty head around Magnolia, Natsu was always the one who was the most overjoyed. It came with being the Salamander.

Natsu was the only one who was happy about summer.

A massive heat wave was predicted for the better part of the week and that meant everyone was getting out of the guild or rushing to the pool. Even Mira was too hot and sweaty to do much of anything, let alone keep balance of the missions. But it seemed like all the clients decided that whatever they needed to have done definitely could wait till after this heat wave.

With the the distinct lack of missions, and a big lack of clouds in the sky, the pool was Fairy Tail's only hope.

That was where Levy was. Underneath a nice, shady umbrella on one of the many pool chair behind the guild. Next to her was a small table with a book on Ancient Calligraphic Texts which she was borrowing from the Magic Council Library. She was studying it for a request of ongoing research that the Minister of Magical Affairs commissioned her specifically for. Her quill lay beside the book, ink dried up in the summer heat. Sweating, Levy turned her head to the side and thought that even the quill looked as if it were about to erupt into flames.

Even wearing her swim suit, Levy was unprepared for the onslaught of heat. The pool was crowded, and Gray had to be the day's hottest guy.
Or coolest, technically. Everyone swarmed him, Juvia in particular and Levy knew that if she could move without feeling like her insides were burning, she'd go over to him too. Jet and Droy had left her to go in search of something cool to drink, but they were probably just hanging out in the ice cream shop on second street.

Taking a deep sigh Levy turned her head to look at her book again. She knew that she should start reading it, because it was important that she get her findings into the Minister by the end of the week.

But she was just SO hot!

With a huff Levy slowly started to sit up from her chair when a familiar looking dark Exceed floated about into the side of the water at the edge of the pool. Her eyes glanced over him for a second before darting her eyes to look around the deck. There didn't seem to be an ever more familiar Dragon Slayer grumping around after Lily. Levy's eyes narrowed a fraction of a bit and she shifted in her seat.

Gajeel didn't always have to be at the guild. And even though the two are partners, Lily didn't always have to be with Gajeel too. Happy and Natsu do it all the time right? They separate so they can do their own thing.. right?

Levy worried her bottom lip. It shouldn't bother her. Gajeel is definitely his own person and he can take care of himself perfectly fine. Lily is just here to socialize and play in the water, and Gajeel would probably be along soon too. And by the look of Lily's small trunks, Gajeel would no doubt enter onto the deck in similar attire, just like all the other guys here. Long chiseled dark arms… a muscled hard chest.. sculpted back… black spiky hair… an even darker tongue… a handsome face… red enticing eyes-

NO! Nonononono! Levy snapped out of her train of thought, an even redder tint highlighting her already red face. She rolled about in her seat, almost pulling her hair out. Then she stopped when the activity got to be too much for her.

"Heat getting to you Levy?" A soothing voice across from her asked.

"Huh? Oh. I-I guess Mira. It's incredibly hot today isn't it?" Levy piped out.

Mira gave a knowing smile and nodded sympathetically. Everyone was just too hot to do anything normal. Mira's eyes flicked over to the dark furred Exceed and grinned slightly.

"Hmm, I wonder where Gajeel is? It's soooo hot out, I wonder what he's doing."

"W-what?!" Images flashed in Levy's head. Gajeel's long mane tied with an elastic, keeping the hair off his back and letting her get a nice view of his neck. Another where he was just sitting down, ordinary, but tossed a bucket of water over his head to cool him down. Water dripping down his face and bulging chest, down all his intricate piercings. And a sweeter one with a sleeping Gajeel, practically naked underneath her-

Mira smiled as Levy began to fade out of reality, nothing on her mind but where the Iron Dragon was. For a second Levy looked as though she was about to pass out, but she suddenly started to fan herself and breath quickly.

"Damnit she was hot enough already Mira, no need to add Gajeel to the mix." The Script mage thought.

"I wouldn't k-know where he is."

Mira's eyes flashed. "Well why don't we ask Lily then? He ought to know… right Levy?"

"Ahh yeah! Uhm, I guess?!"

"Lily! Could you come over here for a second?" Mira called from her chair while Levy's eyes went wide.

Lily turned himself to look at Mira, who was wearing a look akin to something Gajeel would look like. His eyes drifted to the blue haired orange clad girl near her and made the connection. He gave Mira a smile and a nod and gave himself one last dip into the water before he trudged out and made his way over to where the two ladies were sitting.

"Anything I can do for you Mira, Levy?"

"Why yes Lily, there is actually something Levy - and I wanted to know." Mira leveled a gaze with the battle hardened cat before having her eyes shift over to Levy's stiff frame.

"Levy, or actually, we wanted to know where Gajeel is. He isn't with you or here at the guild so Levy was wondering where he was."

"H-hey Mira! That isn't true!" Levy interjected.

"Ahh, well, Gajeel is back at his apartment. He's sick." Mira and Levy looked confused.

"Sick? Is it bad?" prompted the blunette, to which Lily smiled wryly.

"Not necessarily. Gajeel explained to me that he sometimes gets sick around this time of year, or when the seasons drastically change. Kind of like seasonal allergies." he explained.

"Around this time of year huh?" Levy frowned.

"Yes. It's due to the change in temperatures, or something of the sort. Metal can be affected by the temperatures of the areas, such as it can get very hot in the summer, or icy cold during the winter."

Mira's expression tightened. She didn't know he was sick, and as much as she liked to press people together, having an addled mind doesn't help her along.

"Levy, I was thinking. Do you think you could bring him some ice? He had a fever when I left and I just came here to get some ice from Gray."
Levy jumped, it seems she was in a deep thought as well.

"Oh, sure. I mean, I've been cooling off all day and you're covered in fur. I'll bring him some ice." she smiled in response.

…

Oh why did she decide this was a good idea?! Levy had expected to be invited over once, never in broad daylight and under these circumstances though… She always thought it would be night, and Levy and Gajeel would have made their own heat-

"Stopitstopitstopit! Ugh I'm turning into Lucy." Levy grumbled.

Gajeel's apartment was in a bad part of town, but she was lucky no one decided to be outside today. The streets were practically deserted, save for an unlucky soul or two who were forced to brave the heat. His door was always shadowed, the door opening into an alley. Lily's key rang in her hand as she tried to support the ice box in one hand and on her knee. She had slipped on a pair of shorts and a shirt that showed her midriff and put one of her many orange headbands on. She had borrowed a pair of Lucy's sandals, to which the Heartfilia heiress had quickly handed to her and followed a salmon haired Dragon Slayer away from the guild..

Whatever Lucy was doing with Natsu right now, she highly doubted she needed shoes.

Finally getting the key in the lock of the door she turned the doorknob and opened Gajeel's apartment to see…

Nothing. The doorway was pretty bare save for boots, a coat rack and Gajeel's coats. Levy slipped her sandals off and closed the door when she realized the whole apartment was really dark. She placed the ice box on the ground before moving to her right to see if there was a light switch. She felt the wall until her hand scraped across the familiar feeling of a light switch, and flicked the lights on.

She expected it to be bare, except for maybe a few objects, and she was half right. After moving forward she clued in to the fact that the whole apartment was in fact, incredibly cold. To her right was what she assumed to be the kitchen, although the boxes upon boxes of what looked to be scraps of metal left her skeptical that Gajeel did much cooking. Left of the entrance was a sitting room, a simple dark brown couch and a coffee table and a small bookshelf, to which she gave a soft smile. There weren't many books, but the ones that were on there were maps, geographical atlases, and a small row of precious gems and metals.

The blinds to all the windows were drawn, and the walls were painted grey. It wasn't much, Levy though, but it still feels like a little home.

It was when another book caught her eye that she stopped for a moment. It was leather, and looked old and worn. There were scratches over the cover and the spine, and it was barely being held together. Reaching her hands out she impulsively grabbed it and opened it. What was in it surprised her.

The language was totally unfamiliar to her, and there were a lot of jagged lines and sharp edges to the writing. Her breathing quickened and her heart jumped. What was this? Her fingers easily sought the next page over and over again till she heard a rumbling from the other room and squeaked. She gripped the book in her hands tightly and slowly placed the book down when she heard the rumbling again.

"Nggnn… Lil… turn off…"

Levy walked back to the tightly sealed ice box and picked it up and made her way quietly to the room in the back, she pushed open the door, which would probably be…

Gajeel's room.

It wasn't as mostly bare like the rest of Gajeel's apartment that was for sure. A door that without a doubt led to the bathroom hung directly adjacent to the door Levy opened. A big, double door white closest was beside the door. Another bookcase and two end tables were situated beside the bathroom door and more boxes, slightly smaller than the ones in the kitchen were to her left the second she entered the door. An incredibly wide, too wide, bed was smack dab in the middle of the room. A window was placed above it and a bedside table with a lamp was on one side.

For a fraction of a second she was about to say where Lily's bed was until she noticed a nice, stable bunk had been placed slightly higher on the wall with it's own small table and wall sword mount. It looked pretty hand made and Levy laughed slightly at that, until she heard a moaning coming from the bed.

White pillows and grey sheets were tossed about the room and his bed, and Gajeel's massive body lay sprawled on his bed. His limbs were haphazardly going in every which direction and even in the minimal light from the hall that she had Levy could tell he was sweating something fierce. The fact that Gajeel was wearing next to absolutely nothing helped in that. She felt her heart throb in her chest at the idea that Gajeel could be so influenced by the weather. It never seemed to bother Natsu, but they were both completely different elemental mages.

Gajeel was lying on his side when he slowly turned his head towards the door. His eyes opened for a second before he snapped them shut.

"Urrrrghhhh… Shrrimp.." and with that he moved his head back to the position it had been in.

"..Hey. You okay? I brought some ice." Levy whispered, but she knew Gajeel could hear her.

"Ligh..t… off…" the man in the bed puffed out.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, give me a second." and she hurried to put the light off in the other room.

When she returned Gajeel had forced himself onto his back and had put an arm over his eyes. He looked like he was asleep… Levy picked the ice box off of the floor and struggled to put it on the bed. She could feel Gajeel's stare and she became even more flustered until it was on the tall bed, safe from falling. She walked to the head of his bed and smiled down at him. The Dragon Slayer took his arm off his eyes and put it between the top of his head and the headboard.

It might have been the situation, or it might have just been the intimacy of the dark, cold and quiet room, but Levy's hand couldn't stop herself as she placed her tiny hand on his forehead and her smile immediately dissipated when she felt the heat, turning to a solid frown.

"How long have you had this fever Gajeel?!" she chastised, moving her hand down to cup his cheek. She shouldn't have taken a sharp breath in when he had unconsciously leaned his face into her hand.

"Snce this start..ed.." Levy bit her bottom lip, the heatwave had started a good couple days ago.

Eyes closed and leaning into the touch of the tiny girl, no one would even recognize the Iron Dragon Slayer, feared by all, as this man with a fever in this bed.

More naked than not as well…

Levy's hand twitched at her mental reminder and shot herself away to get to the ice box. She did have a job to do. She did start smiling again when Gajeel mumbled something about "getting your damn hand back over here". Levy popped the seals on the lid and opened the top of the box. She stopped for a second to remind herself that she didn't have a towel, and out of impulse her hand went straight for her headband. She took the orange piece of fabric and made a net for all the ice.

"Shhh, here ya go." Levy muttered when she saw Gajeel's face twitch.

The instant relief on his face was the best thing Levy had seen all day. His muscles relaxed and his face even seemed to look better already, but that was hoping for too much.

"Morreee." he groaned and Levy's face immediately flushed.

Taking a moment, she complied and picked a couple of ice cubes out of the box and placed them on his chest, and although she didn't like the fast rate at which they were melting, Levy was happy she was providing Gajeel with some form of relief. As Levy placed one more ice cube on his chest Gajeel grabbed her wrist.

He must've been coherent enough because the next moment most of her body was laying on top of Gajeel's. Flush against each other, Levy felt every hard contour of his chest and god did it feel good.

Taking Gajeel's insistent tugging on her she nervously moved farther on top of Gajeel. Looking down at him, it might have been a dream come true. His breathing was still slightly labored, and his dark skin shiny with perspiration. But instead of her daydream with his eyes closed, his swirling red eyes were fixated on her face. His right arm was brought up and settled his large hand in the small of her back. His left hand traveled up into her hair and decided to settle under her chin. He brought her face down and tilted her chin up so he could make a nice nip at her jawline and then proceeded to lick it with his hot tongue.

He was mumbling something incoherent and her eyes must've closed because she had to reopen them and when she did he was grinning like a fool.

"Gajeel..?"

"When I'm better we'll make a better summer heat than this, got that Levy?"

…

Levy returned to the guild later that night to see Mira and a couple of others packing things up for the night. Mira turned to her and asked how her day went.

"Mira?" the young Solid Script mage whispered, looking at the ground.

"Yes Levy?" Mira taunted, and Levy looked up, her face splattered with red, and judging by the marks from her neck, Levy had a wonderful time.

"I really think this summer heat got to me."