The Tune of Love (GaLe)

The Final Test (part one)

Today would be a good day, a great day. I'd do well on the test. Gajeel would recognise me as a fantastic musician. The class would applaud. I'd feel good about myself for the first time in years. I'd smile a genuine smile, a hearty ear-to-ear one. Lucy would be there to watch me do well. It would be perfect. I'd outshine Gajeel through pure hard work. I would have a new spark in pursuit of my dream, of my goal. I would be genuinely happy.

Well, that's how I thought it would go anyway, real life is never that simple. Real life is messy.

I entered the empty classroom, hoping to maybe get some practice in before the teacher came in. I stretched out my fingers as I sat at the upright piano. Tapping out the much-recited tune was almost calming. I knew what I was doing, which was comforing. Just as I exhaled deeply,  I heard the heavy door to the room click shut and I spun around.
"Yo lev, sounds good!" Lucy called, cheerfully.
"Natsu and I barely got anything done," she laughed.
"We're just gonna wing it and hope for the best."
I smiled at her, how glad I was that it wasn't Gajeel who walked in those doors, I couldn't explain. 
"I've been practicing pretty hard, so you better listen carefully"
"You bet I will!" Lucy laughed. She always found it comical; how seriously I practiced, but she was always supportive of everything I did. We weren't always friends but right then I felt she was the closest one I'd ever had.
"So, Lucy... how'd it go?" I raised my eyebrows inquisitively. She met my gaze with a puzzled expression.
"How did what go?" She questioned.
"You know, private practice time with Natsu, but not getting anything done? You must have been doing something to have kept you so busy?" I interrogated with jest. The second I had finished talking, the blonde's face began to glow a bright red colour.
"SHUT UP!" She ran to cover my mouth with her palm and desperately searched behind her for any person that may have overheard.
"Levy I swear!" She started, holding back for fear of further validating my accusations.
"Don't get angry, you two are so cute together." I chuckled. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Yeah well, guess who told me you were over at Gajeel's place the other day?" Lucy huffed. I felt my face heat up at the memory of his shirtless body, droplets of water from his towel-dried hair streaking his chest.
"She was just there to ask about practicing our music piece." Gajeel sighed as he entered the classroom, pushing open the heavy steel door with ease.
"Geez you girls have to make a drama out of everything. As if I would try anything with the shrimp." He sighed once more.
"You and Natsu on the other hand," His eyes glinted as he flashed a grin in my direction. "You two were making an awful racket the other night with all the-"
"AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH SHUTUPSHUTUP GAJEEL STOP!" Lucy screamed. I was shocked, poking fun at Lucy was just that, but this was actually true for her to react like that.
"Lucy did you rea-"
Her face flushed bright red once again and she stood from the chair she was lounging on to bolt out of the door. Gajeel held it open for her to pass and then let it close behind her with a gentle 'click'. It was early, about 10 more minutes until anyone would enter for class. I was there for practice but why was Gajeel? He usually shows up late and doesn't bother with attendance too much in general. We sat in silence, me seated by the piano, staring at a wall. It got... awkward.
"Well..?" Gajeel started.
"Are we going to practice or what, shrimp?"
I was startled by his proposition. Had he actually arrived early just to get some practice in with me? Maybe Gajeel was not as tough and arrogant as I had originally thought. Maybe he did actually care about this music project that he passed off as a simple joke he could make up on the day and still pass with flying colours. Or maybe, just maybe... it wasn't the music examination he cared about by wanting to practice. Maybe it was that he had actually considered how much this had meant to me and was practicing to help me achieve the best marks I could possibly get. Was this notion too far-fetched for Gajeel? Or did I just underestimate him? Did I, the second I saw the piercings in his face and heard the rough way in which he spoke, label him a delinquent and not consider that he too was human? This man, even if he didn't voice them, would have the same dreams, goals and aspirations as I did. Just because he may have been a little rough around the edges didn't mean that he was a bad person. He was just... different. It had taken me some time to realise this and I may have been a little ashamed of it.
"Uh- yeah Gajeel. I'd like that." I answered.