Author's notes: I saw this great fanart on DeviantArt and I've been asked to write a fanfic about it ^.^ so here it is :3 that great drawing by Allaysa called motion sickness problem; also, check this fic that i loved and kinda sparked this: After the Chariot from DemonLover8115 on

*bleh the links dont work -.-;*

of course i still don't own fairy tail or this fic would have happened in the manga :3

Comfort Zone

The loud noise of the massive crowd in the arena echoed in the hallway, their cheers and applause provoking vibrations that could be felt through air itself, like a giant heartbeat. The small blue-haired fairy placed a hand over her heart, feeling the vibes pass through her in a strangely soothing way. Her brown eyes darted to her right, in the direction of the teams loges, where, soon enough, a certain blond mage would come to meet her.

Levy had agreed to meet with Lu-chan at the end of today's events to go strolling in a nearby park, before dinner. The two of them would use that time to talk in private, something they didn't have a lot of opportunities to do, lately. The bluenette knew that the previous day's events had affected her best friend far more than she let on, mainly her controversial defeat to that Raven Tail mage, and Levy well intended to give her all the attention and support she could possibly need. She had the feeling that the upcoming days would also bring their share of emotions and if she could help lessen Lucy's burden with her presence, it was the least she could do.

It was no wonder that Lucy and Gray had been depressed, it was an understatement to say that things hadn't started too well for Fairy Tail. Even without counting the obvious threats, cheats and back-stabbing attempts coming from the Raven Tail guild, both groups had been stricken by what could be called, in a very optimistic point of view, a series of unanticipated developments. Juvia and Gray had been no matches for Rufus from Sabertooth, Jellal had been victim of... well, honestly, she wasn't sure exactly what had happened to him, and with today's Chariot event, she guessed that what they witnessed could fit in the definition of the word unexpected.

To say she hadn't seen it coming would be quite accurate; in fact, nobody had. Everyone had always assumed that Natsu's weakness to vehicles had been a personal issue, just like Droy's strong dislike for bugs ( her teammate strictly refused to call it a phobia ) or Warren's fear of heights. It was also weird that, until now, Gazille had never felt any kind of inconveniences with transportations, at least, according to Lily. Judging by how the dragonslayer had reacted, when he had been on the chariots, it seemed like he, too, had been quite surprised by this new weakness. If he had known, he probably wouldn't have participated, in the first place.

But then again, he would have missed a perfect opportunity to compete against Natsu... Levy shook her head with a knowing smile, just for that reason, she knew he would have done it anyway.

The bluenette let out a little sigh as she shifted slightly her position on the bench, feeling her butt becoming numb from the long time spent sitting. Fortunately, the battles were almost over which meant that she wouldn't have much longer to wait. She normally would have sat with the others to watch them but after seeing the iron dragonslayer in such a sad state, she had found herself unable to pay attention to anything else and escaped here to calm down and avoid the inquiring looks of her nakamas.

Now, why would seeing her friend like this make her react this way? The small fairy blushed at the thought, her fingers twiddling in embarrassment. She would always do her best denying it but it wasn't a lie to say that she cared for the black-haired man who had partnered with her for the S-class Exam, something that Lu-chan would always make herself a pleasure to tease her about. Levy would turn herself blue in the face telling her that she was only showing concern for Gazille in a friendly way, like she would for anyone else, but then, a little voice in her head would laugh and say Yeah, right in a sarcastic tone, mirroring the same sarcastic look the stellar mage would then have on her face.

It was useless playing dumb, the script mage knew that what she felt for the man in question was deeper than just friendship. Ever since he had saved her from the two Grimoire Heart goons, her heart would speed up every time he would be around. She would often find herself thinking about him, wondering about his whereabout and well-being. Sometimes, she would even dare to go as far as wondering about his feelings for her which, more often than not, would leave her with a headache and a fluttering heart. That man's mind was harder to decipher than the most ancient languages.

The bluenette closed her eyes as she let her head drop against her chest, feeling like the biggest fool there was. How shameful it was for a mature woman like her to turn all jelly-legged and babble-mouthed in front of a man. In the past, when she would read about a character from a book acting this way, a part of her would snicker, thinking that it was greatly exaggerated, that no one, in real life, would turn into such an idiot because of love. And yet, today, that snickering voice was laughing at her because SHE was the love sick idiot.

A long groan escaped her lips, she really was hopeless, wasn't she?

Levy was so lost into her own musing that it was only when she heard another groan, one that did not come from her mouth, that her eyes snapped open and she noticed that she wasn't alone anymore. Of course, to make matters worse, Fate would have it so the very man she had been thinking about, the iron dragonslayer himself, was the one who had just sat at her side.

The small fairy's eyebrows shot into her hairline in surprise, her whole body freezing in shock for a few seconds as she starred at the black-haired man sitting at her left, his whole body hunched over his knees and his head propped in his hand. His face was whiter than the pants he usually wore, his skin was covered in sweat and he looked sick as a dog with the heavy dark circles under his eyes and his glazed look. His breathing was heavy and groans would escape his lips from time to time.

The young woman grimaced in sympathy at the sight:

" Still don't feel very good, don't you? "

If Gazille had been in his normal state of mind, she supposed that he would have made fun of her for stating the obvious, but he only let out a weak grunt, instead. Levy hummed in worry, raising a hand to touch him but retracted it almost immediately, afraid to offend him by crossing his personal space.

" Maybe lying down would help, " the bluenette suggested, after a short moment, " I can help you go to the infirm-eeh! "

She had been about to stand up to escort him to the infirmary when the dragonslayer suddenly interrupted her by doing exactly what she had suggested: without warning, the man lied on his side, resting his head on her lap, his left arm stuck under him while his right one circled her waist in a lose hug. With wide eyes, Levy could only stare at Gazille with a dumbstruck expression, her body stiff as a statue, her mouth hanging open and a fierce blush invading her whole face.

It was one thing to fantasize about the man she was secretly attracted to doing such a thing but it was totally another to have it happening for real, out of the blue, without having time to brace herself for it! Her heart used to beat like crazy anytime he was simply in the same room than her, right now, it felt like it was struggling to literally come out of her rib cage. The beating was so fierce, it hurt a bit and all this excitement was also making her light-headed.

While she was on the verge of losing consciousness, the black-haired man was simply lying there, sweating and groaning, with for only proof that he was still conscious, a few Uugh and Ooh moaned from time to time. The small fairy took a couple of breath to calm down and tried to look at the situation with a clear mind.

Okay, girl. You got one slightly sick but still sexy muffin snuggling your lap, completely at your mercy. What do you do, now? How about... playing nurse?

The bluenette fought back the urge to slap herself: where did that come from? She wasn't that kind of woman! Well, at least, not out loud. There was no way she could possibly consider just staying here and letting Gazille use her as a pillow ( another rush of blood went to her head ), it was obvious that she had to get him on his feet and bring him to the infirmary.

Reluctantly, the small fairy tried to move while doing her best to not brusque the dragonslayer, her right hand sneaking under his head to lift it. She had barely moved her leg that Gazille's right arm tightened around her waist, his hold surprisingly strong for someone unable to stand on his own two feet. Levy gasped at the sudden touch and blushed for the third time already when she dropped her gaze on the man's face: his nose was almost buried in her belly. Between pants and a moan, the dragonslayer managed to croak a word:

" No. "

His eyes didn't open nor did he move, he looked so lifeless that she wasn't even sure he had spoken.

" Gazille, you should- "

His hold on her petite waist tightened slightly:

" Stay still. "

Even when he was dead on his feet, that man managed to be bossy. The script mage stuttered a Y-yes and her answer prompted the man to take a long breath and release it with a sigh, his body gradually relaxing. There was still an occasional groan and moan but, by and large, he looked far more at ease than before.

Levy glanced left and right, not sure if it was really alright to stay like that with Gazille on her lap. After all, it wasn't really appropriate for people who were simply friends to be in such an intimate position, no matter the circumstances. And, beside, she wasn't a couch, who said she was fine with the idea? Maybe she did NOT want to stay like this just to please him...

Yeah, right, said the sarcastic little voice in her head, the same that would snicker at her when she acted like a love fool. Who are you kidding, girl? If you could do it without looking like a lunatic, you would be totally squealing your heart out.

True. It was useless denying it: she was happy, very very happy to be in this position, it was one of those once in a lifetime chances that had happened to her and she had to enjoy it as much as possible.

Pushing a little contented sigh, Levy laid back against the wall behind her and allowed her right hand to play with Gazille's hair, using the excuse of pushing wet bangs out of his forehead to touch him. The poor man was still pale as a sheet and beads of sweat were making his skin gleam just like his piercings would under the sunlight. She had no idea if he actually liked or not the subtle contact she did with the tip of her fingers but she figured that he would have said so if he didn't. All she had for a reaction was a twitch of the arm still around her waist and another Uuuhh that didn't sound like a complaint.

" There, there, " she whispered tenderly, " you'll be better in no time... "

The dragonslayer grunted, as if to answer her, and she smiled. Her fingers were combing through his hair in a soothing manner while her eyes roamed over his facial features that she now had the perfect opportunity to admire from up close. She knew that she loved every single part of him, like his nose, his lips, his angular chin or the line of his jaw however, what she preferred the most were the studs adorning his face, ears and forearms. Those piercings were exactly what gave him his unique appearance, what set him apart from any other man. They were representing him so well: rough yet exotic, cold in look but ( she brushed the ones on his eyebrow ) warm to the touch.

A moment passed where Levy simply observed Gazille resting, a soft smile on her lips. She was happy to notice that his breathing was smoother than before and his skin color was slowly getting back to its natural tan. He would still grunt and hum when her hand would brush his head but it sounded more and more lazy. It was obvious that he was about to fall asleep if he wasn't already.

A flutter of wings pulled the bluenette out of her peaceful starring. She raised her head toward the source of the sound and saw Pantherlily flying her way. The exceed waved in greeting before landing beside the iron dragonslayer.

" Here he is, I've been looking for him everywhere. "

The black cat's eyes met the script mage's ones, a little smirk on his face, prompting said woman to blush unwillingly. She felt the urge to justify herself:

" I tried to bring him to the infirmary but he wouldn't have it. "

" Figures, " chuckled Lily, far from looking surprised to see his partner in this particular position. " Seems like he got slightly better, " he added, stretching his neck to check his partner. " He still looks a bit greenish, tho. "

" I'm sure he'll get over it, " Levy waved a hand. " Eventually... "

Neither of them knew if the black-haired man wanted to contribute to the conversation or if he was simply reacting to hearing their voices but a long moan escaped his lips. Lily shook his head with a smile and bowed slightly to her:

" I apologize for how troublesome this idiot can be. "

The small fairy shook her head as well:

" Not at all, I don't mind. "

Another groan came from Gazille, this one ended up with some mumbles that sounded like gibberish to Levy's ears but had seemingly meant something because the black exceed let out a laugh as he heard them. The small fairy raised an eyebrow:

" D-did he just say something? "

" Well... "

The dragonslayer let out a faint growl, she threw another confused look at Lily who only waved a hand meaning to forget about it:

" If I tell you, he'll make me sleep outside. Now, if you don't mind, I'll go warn his team that I found him and I'll come pick him up after. "

The bluenette frowned, confused at the exceed's comment, but before she could ask him to explain what he had meant, he disappeared toward the team's loge without another word. The young woman blinked before drawing her eyes on the dragonslayer, feeling a rush of excitement take over her. What had Lily meant by that? That knowing look and smirk from earlier, had they been hinting at something? Could it be...

Levy shook her head, calling herself an idiot under her breath. It was highly unlikely that whatever she thought Lily had meant was really what he had meant. Maybe Gazille had simply mumbled something stupid that had nothing to do with her, no matter how much she wished otherwise. Perhaps her desire-driven mind was making her read too much into random details like this and she was just bound to be deceived. After all, what could a guy like him possibly see in a weak, flat and bookish girl like her? For all she knew, he wouldn't consider her anything more than a guild mate.

If that was really the case, the little voice asked in a teasing tone, why would he come to you to get some comforting? Why didn't he go to the infirmary, instead? Or to his best friend Lily?

Levy felt her cheeks burst into flames, AGAIN, as she mentally cursed her own mind that was purposely trying to confuse her. All this being in love thing was getting really complicated and it wasn't helping that the man she liked was a real mystery himself. She was pretty sure that even with an instruction manual, she wouldn't have enough of ten lives to understand how his mind worked.

She dropped her gaze on him in a vain attempt at getting some answers, all she got was a little snore. Snorting at the cuteness of the sight, the small fairy smiled and raked her fingers through his black mane, earning herself a contented hum, a little hug and, surprisingly, a hint of a smile on his lips.

" Do you even know what you're doing to me? " she whispered, rolling her eyes at the oblivious dragon sleeping on her lap. Yet again, only his soft snoring answered her. She chuckled at the unfairness of the fact that he could so easily sweep her off her feet without even trying.

The bluenette didn't have a clue about Gazille's feelings for her nor if she would ever have the guts to act on hers but what she knew was that what was happening, here and now, was a precious moment that she would make sure to never forget. Even if it meant nothing for him.

Loud cheering echoed again in the hallway but the small fairy barely noticed them, too busy daydreaming. She didn't notice the announcer's voice calling the end of the battle event for today nor the sound of the crowd clapping with joy. She only came back to earthland when, a few minutes later, she heard someone giggle in a voice she knew quite well.

Levy raised her eyes from the sleeping dragonslayer and saw Lucy standing in the hallway, right in front of them. Her hands were clasped behind her back and an horribly infuriating smirk was etched on her face, her brown eyes twinkling with a smug gleam, as if to tell her I knew it.

The poor script mage's face was, once again, abused by an invasion of blood as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation for their position, which her friend didn't even try to interrupt as she simply watched her stutter like a fool, obviously amused by the whole scene.

" It-it's not w-what you think, Lu-chan! I-I swear, he... I mean... I tried but... "

Of course, just to make matters worse, Gazille unconsciously chose that perfect time to snuggle a bit more on her lap, mumbling what had sounded way too much like her name to be anything else. Levy didn't even try to hold back the hand she slapped on her forehead and the juicy curse that escaped her lips while Lucy just burst out laughing, the sound echoing itself all around them, just like the snickering the bluenette could hear in her head, at this moment.

End notes: hope you liked thx again for the faves and reviews :3