We all got bruises (FT AU)

The Project

Levy tapped her pencil restlessly on the desk, the teacher droning on and on about creative writing and it's decline in recent years. It was the same speech every time at the end of class. Someone would whisper about how The Hunger Games was being ripped off by Divergent and vise versa. Or that Fifty Shades Of Grey was based on true events blah blah blah! The teacher would hear and go off on the students about how none of those books were worth talking about.

The blue haired teen couldn't care less and just resorted to doodling in her notebook. While she herself was a book worm and did enjoy The Hunger Games, Divergent, and (of course in true Levy fashion) hated Fifty Shades Of Grey and much preferred Between Shades Of Gray instead, did a agree that other then the later book, diversity in genres were hard to spot. It was a struggle to find one of those rare treasures in the vast collections a utopian/ dystopian types these days.

But the bell rang out and her peers made a break for the door. But Mr. Leo quickly stopped everyone from escaping just before even a hair from the lead runners went past the door frame. While Leo (or Loke as he sometimes went by) was a very cool tech, he could be scary. Like the time someone looked at his wife, Aries, the wrong way. But no one speaks of that day, ever.

"Before any of you go and smoke behind the dumpster out back, you all have to write a poem of your own and present to the class on Friday next week." He glanced over at the heads of the frozen pack of pupils. "You can present it any way you want, even in pairs, as a song, exc. Just get it done and do it well."

With that, everyone but McGarden was left. Levy packed up as Leo leaned against his desk at the front of the classroom, smirking.

"How scary did I look on a scale from one to ten?" he asked the remaining girl.

"I give it a 6. You could use a little less snark and a bit more menace." she answered.

The ginger haired man chuckled in a smooth voice and ran a hand through said locks. "I suppose I should take lessons from Erza sometimes. She may just be a fitness trainer, but she has the rage of a child who lost their favorite toy. Only the child can kick all your teeth out in no time flat."

Levy chuckled and gathered up her things, but not before pulling down the light blue sleeves of her sweater to hide the scars. Leo watched her arms as she picked up her items with pity. Seven years and she still covers them up like the events had occurred last night.

After walking from her seat that was just next to the window four seats back from the front, she walked past Leo while thanking him for the lesson. The teacher gave her a swift your welcome. But as she was about to grab the door, he turned to her while fixing his red tie that hung down on his white dress shirt.

"Ms. McGarden?" he asked, his voice less cheerful then his usual tone that he used with her. She stopped just as her hand had reached the handle to the hall. She ball changed to face Mr. Loke. Once he had her attention, he looked into her doe like brown eyes, so innocent and young. Too young to live through what had passed.

" What do you plan to write about for the poetry project?" He asked, raising a brow. Levy paused and pondered for a moment. She could always go the classic route and talk about the current vs. the old. Or maybe write about a time period in history, possibly the 90s because it was her favorite decade. It was hard to decide on the spot.

"I don't know, maybe about your after class rants about creativity. That ought to got me an A!" she jested with a grin that made even the toughest of people melt like butter. But Mr. Leo stood stoic and firm, shoving his hands in his black dress pants. Her smile slowly ebbed off as well to match his. Loke wasn't usually like this and when he was, it had to be something beyond just what happened above the surface.