Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail nor the characters!

He remembered that day pretty good, for as he was wearing his favourite pair of jeans and his shitty pair of boots - that seriously needed a repair or a meeting with the trash pin - while it was pouring like hell outside. Why was that freaking walking stick of strawberry cotton even living in the middle of nowhere?! But there he was, running out of the train station, through the rain in hopes of catching the bus, only to see the backside of it on the horizon.

He skittered to a stop; cursing under his breath as he nearly slipped on the wet asphalt and walked up to the timetable, but not before flicking his good finger in direction of the bus driver, hoping he saw it. The bus had left two minutes too early. He felt like kicking something, luck wasn't on his side today, first the rain, then the boots, his hair smelled like a wet dog, now the bus and he still had to deal with the bastards he had to call friends. Also he had to wait twenty more minutes and then he'd be even later than he already was.

Grumbling he stepped underneath the covered bus stop, which happened to be leaky and dripping all over. Should he walk? Wait... which direction should he even go? This dump was a fucking maze! He'd be lost even without the rain!

It was then he finally noticed the little blue-haired girl next to him, who apparently just arrived at the bus stop too. She was listening to music via big headphones- that seemed to nearly slip off her small head - while shaking out her umbrella carefully. Little raindrop hit the pavement, underneath the bus stop, that wasn't wet yet.

Gajeel decided to ask her: "Jo, Shorty."

She didn't hear him, even though her music didn't seem to be that loud (as he could hear it), so he spoke again and waved a hand in front of her face. Realization struck her and she quickly took her headphones off and hung them around her neck. Soft and calming noises filled the air around them, barely noticeable.

"Y-yes?", she spoke politely, "How can I help you?".

"Yo.", he straightened again, as he had to crutch to meet her eyelevel earlier, "jus' wanna know if it's a long walk 'til the next station."

She gave him a confused look, pointing in one direction, "Uhm... no. It's just down the street, a little bit left, then right again and then you are there."

Gajeel just raised an eyebrow. Oh great, that didn't sound complicated at all. He grumbled, looking at his boots and then up the street he had to walk along. A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts again.

"Do you want to walk?"

"Yeah... the next bus comes in way-too-long. I don't wanna spend the rest of the night here."

She giggled, now completely putting away the music player in her little handbag, keeping the headphones around her neck, "Should I walk you there?"

He stood dumbfounded for a moment, as soon as she saw his expression she added hastily with a slight blush, "W-well I would have walked too! But the rain kind of kept me here... I-I need to go there too, so-"

A laugh interrupted her, "Yeah, yeah... common shorty.", and he started walking away.

"Hey!", she huffed, putting her umbrella up again and trying hard to catch up with him.

They walked in silence for a while, only her speaking when she suggested him carrying the umbrella, so he would not get wet. He first wanted to deny, since it already was too late for him, but in the end he obliged. He really didn't knew why.

At least it was white and not some girly colour he didn't wish to be caught dead with...

It was only when they got to a red traffic light on the main street she decided to speak again, "What are you doing so late out here anyways? I guess you do not come from here."

He grunted. Of course he wasn't from here. If he was he wouldn't need her help. "I could throw the question right back at you... "

"I was sleeping over at a friend's place...", an answer without hesitation," But she wouldn't let me go sooner because we had too much to talk about and catch up on.", she added giggling while shortly slipping away from under the umbrella, trying to avoid a puddle.

"Ah", he replied. He wouldn't have taken her for the chatty type. But he never had been good at guessing people, "I gotta visit a maniac on 'woodland alley' because of some birthday."

"Oh! Do you mean Natsu?"

He blinked a few times, looking at her surprised, "You know the pink beast?"

A laugh was followed by a hard nod, "Yes! We were in the same elementary school."

Gajeel shock his head. The poor girl...

A hand entered his vision, "I'm Levy, by the way."

He grinned and took her much smaller hand in his, "Gajeel."

Levy's eyes brightened, "Nice to meet you!"

A/N: Just a little idea that came to my mind... I really love AUs~ Hope you liked it!