The Pen is Mightier than Iron

Time Lost Can Be Time Well Spent

Time Lost Can Be Time Well Spent

Feb 15th — "Longing"

"Yo, Shrimp."

"Hi," she replied with a smile, holding the Lacrima closer to her face. "Is everything safe over there? You're not jeopardizing yourself by talking to me, are you?"

"'course not. I'm no idiot to spyin'," he scoffed. "Have a little more faith in me, would ya?"

"I do, but Master was really wary about Raven Tail—don't you think it's for good reason?"

"Whatever's the problem, I'm more than ready for it. Don't worry, I'll still be back to mess with ya some more, Shrimp. Gihi." He held up a fist and gave her a cocky smirk before the transmission ended. Levy hummed softly as she set the Lacrima down on the table.

"Feeling some relationship strain?" Lucy asked, sitting next to her. Levy moaned pitifully in response.

"You wouldn't know, Lu-chan. You and Natsu go on missions together all the time!"

"Not really," she amended. "Around the S-Class trials, he starts piling up solo requests, and all night I stay up and worry about him. Is he okay? Is he going to overwork himself? Will he make it?" She nudged Levy gently with her elbow. "I bet you're thinking the same of Gajeel."

"Hmm," she mused sadly. "Do you know how to make it better?"

"How about a lunch date between us? We can stop by Bookland too," she suggested, beaming when Levy smiled. "C'mon, before we have to wade through a Guild fight."

"You've never told me," Lucy remarked, sipping her mango smoothie. Levy looked up from her new Adventure book, something about a man shipwrecking on a cursed island that was really picking up thirteen pages in.

"Told you what?"

"When you and Gajeel became a thing."

"Mm... I'm not sure anymore. It's something that you're not really conscious of until someone points it out, you know? I just remember a lot more touches, and we'd sit together more often—even though Jet and Droy hated it—and just...things like that that turned big. But enough about me! How's your manuscript going?"

"I think it might be ready to submit to a publisher in a few months," she confessed, and both girls spent a moment squealing in excitement over that.

"Remember that I get the first copy, Lu-chan!"

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of giving it to anyone else."

"Not even Natsu?" Lucy scoffed, but her blush gave her away.

"I don't think he reads novels."

"Maybe not, but if it was written by you, you think he'd read it?"

"I don't know... I'm thinking of that Maya's Forest incident," she said, waving Levy off. "That was the last time he ever had an interest, feigned or otherwise, in one of my books."

"I thought he reads your manuscripts all the time?"

"Pssht, yeah, as a joke, him and that stupid cat, because he knows it'll rile me up."

"Well you know how it is: boys often tease the girl that they like," Levy grinned. "That's how it started for Gajeel and I, remember?" Lucy colored even profounder. "But to be honest, Lu-chan," she added, picking at the crust of her cucumber sandwich, "I'm worried for him."

"Don't be! Gajeel is strong—he'll get out of there without a scratch on him, I promise you."

"I don't know, Master Ivan is strong—he is Master's son, after all, so we know he's not a pushover. And there are all these stories going around the Guild about how strong he is—"