AN: This is for Gajevy Week 2016. I have never written for this in the past, but if you've read my other works on here, then you kinda know my style. If you haven't, please check out my Gajeel and Levy fanfictions!

*I do not own any of the pictures.

*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.

Gajevy Week #1 - Horsin' Around

Dressed in jeans he rarely ever wore, Gajeel grumbled under his breath and kept pace behind the blue haired woman. All she had talked about on the way to the rural section of the city was how fun the day was going to be out in the fresh air while on their adventurous outing. Funny, because as they followed the path down to the brown stable from the gravel drive, all Gajeel could smell was a pungent scent he knew wasn't the flowers they had passed.

"Tell me again why we're here?" He asked with an exasperated sigh.

Levy didn't turn around. She merely stared ahead down the path and gave an answer, much like a parent responding to a child. "Because it will be fun."

He growled. "I can think of something else that's fun..."

"Really," Levy began with a roll of her eyes. A tremor shook her backside as his hand made quick contact with her rear, and a deep snicker rolled from his chest.

"Gajeel!" She whipped her head back to glare at him, her expression stern. "Save it."

The smirk grew wider as they neared the barn's wide, open sliding door. "Sure thing, Shorty. But you're gonna owe me after all this."

Levy chose to ignore his comment and strode confidently over the threshold onto the concrete aisle in the center of the large building. The sweet scent of hay and grain filled the air, along with another strong, more powerful odor, which Gajeel noticed immediately upon entering. Hooves thumped and stamped within the rows of stalls. A few large horses' heads were visible over the stall doors and all of them swung their long faces towards the visitors.

"Ooh, they're all so pretty." Levy breathed and reached up to touch the black muzzle of a curious bay. Its upper lip worked the air as it stretched closer to her hand.

"That one is Jasper. He's a young one still."

Turning in the direction of the female voice, Levy saw her friend standing in the doorway of the barn office, holding a set of split reins and a matching colored headstall. The woman's blond hair was pulled back into a braid and her t shirt draped over the waist of her jeans. Her worn boots were adorned with blunted spurs that clinked on the concrete with each step.

"Hey, Lucy! We made it on time!" Levy said enthusiastically. "I brought Gajeel. He's never been riding."

"That's a surprise." Lucy commented. Her lips formed a grin. "Didn't think ya'd be interested in horses."

He grunted. "Come on. How hard can it be?"

Levy exchanged a look with Lucy, and both girls giggled. Laying a hand on Gajeel's arm, Levy lovingly offered, "It's not as easy as some make it out to be, babe."

He frowned as he stared at the leather pieces in Lucy's hands. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What'dya mean? Don't ya just sit there and hold those?"

"What? These?" Lucy asked and held up the reins. "Well, you hold them, but that's just the basics. Horseback riding is involved."

She motioned for the two of them to follow her down the aisle. Her boots and spurs clicked in a steady rhythm. Stopping by another doorway, she led them into a small room. Large heavy saddles rested on racks that were anchored to the wall in a neat order. On another wall were hanging sets of bridles, all in organized rows.

"This is the tack room. It's obviously where the saddles and bridles and other equipment are stored." Lucy explained. She set the headstall on a table in the middle of the room and started to attach the reins to it as she continued. "They're all numbered so it's easy to tell which sets are being used or cleaned."

Gajeel walked over to the racks and listened to the new information as it was given. He pointed to the rows of the lighter looking saddles, ones with a lower front than some of the others. "Why are these different?"

Levy gave Lucy a large smile. She knew her friend loved talking about her horses, but she also hated having to explain things she already knew by heart. She just 'did' and it was difficult for her to relay what her brain understood. But she was patient with the tall man her friend had been dating for some time.

"Those are English saddles. They're lighter than those over there," she pointed to the heavier saddles at the other end of the wall. "The design is best for jumping and other classical types of riding."

"Classical riding? The hell is that?" Gajeel asked with a spat.

"Just forget it, you aren't going to be riding English, you boob." Lucy described with a frown. "The other ones are Western, your go-to for pleasure riding and trail. At least in my opinion. They're more comfortable." She gave Levy a pointed glare and shook her head as she finished her sentence.

The bluenette mouthed the words 'thank you' with a smile. She watched her boyfriend take in the new information with pursed lips and touch the worn leather of a dark brown Western saddle before joining him. She quickly retrieved the numbered bridle of the horse she rode regularly. Her eyes skimmed the numbers and she mumbled to herself ."Where's Custard's saddle?"

Levy's eyes found the number. It was a heavy light brown saddle with a striped saddle blanket, and it was anchored to the wall at eye level. "Gajeel, can you-"

Before all of her words were out of her mouth, he was already there beside her, ever willing to be her source of help. His arm lifted them from the rack with no trouble at all and he carried it as he followed her out the door. Lucy had gone out to get the horses they would be riding from the pastures. She was a ways out, leading a few horses back up the familiar path that led up to the barn.

He set the saddle on top of the blue metal gate and looked down at Levy. She had stepped onto the gate's lowest rung and was leaning on it. An excited expression was plastered there and her teeth showed through her smile.

Although this setting wasn't something he'd choose to do on his own, Gajeel had to admit that it was nice to be out with her on a warm, sunny day. Even if they were shoe deep in shit. He'd always decide to be with her. No matter what they did or where they went. Just witnessing the happiness radiating from her was enough for him to be content wherever the day took him.

"How many times have you come out here?" He asked.

"I used to ride a lot, but I've only been out here a handful of times." She replied easily, and then tied her blue strands back with a hair tie. "The one on Lucy's left is the one I ride. She's a palomino."

He turned back towards the field and watched the lighter colored horse walk calmly next to the blond. The beast was on the small side, with a light yellow-golden coat and had an even lighter mane and tail. The mare's head and neck drooped low beside Lucy in obedience.

"What's the other one?" Gajeel spoke, still staring at them as they approached. His eyes lingered on the black horse on Lucy's other side.

Levy's eyes narrowed. "That's Grimwald. But I don't know why she's bringing him in. He's usually not for first time riders."

The big gelding walked with his large head raised while he looked around. The lead rope was attached to the halter that had been slipped over his head. He walked along like the mare, but there was something in his stride, something that spoke a lot about the beast's personality.

Lucy reached the gate and led the two horses to the round pen a few yards from the barn. She tied the leads in a quick release knot and turned to her friends. "Gajeel, this is Grimwald. We just call him Grim. He's the biggest horse we have right now for you to ride. Alright, let's grab some brushes."

Once they each had the grooming supplies, Lucy explained what to do for Gajeel. Levy started to work over Custard's golden coat. The bristles of the large body brush loosened and brushed away bits of dirt and loose hair. She made quick work of it on both sides and then went to check on Gajeel's progress.

The man had one side done, but he kept watching Grimwald's round hindquarters. He inched closer to the dock of the tail, and frowned when the gelding poised a leg and tilted his hoof down into the ground. Gajeel saw Levy near him, so he pointed to the horse's hind leg with the brush and asked, "What's he doin'?"

"Oh, he's just resting it. He's relaxed." Levy commented. She stared curiously up at his head. She had thought Grimwald was labeled as a handful, too rough sometimes to handle under saddle. But now he stood very quietly for her boyfriend. It was surprising. Maybe the gelding wasn't as bad as he had been in the past.

"He ain't gonna kick me or anything, right?"

"He can't with that foot in that position, he'll have to move it to kick. You're fine." She saw his uncertainty and held out her hand. "I can do the rest if you want."

Gajeel shook his head and palmed the brush. "Go mess with your own horse, Shorty."

He took an excessively wide step around the horse's back end and finished the other side of his black coat. When he was done, he noticed that Lucy already had her chestnut gelding saddled and bridled. The horse looked very different from before, with the saddle cinched around his girth and with reins draped over his neck. He calmly stood there, waiting until Lucy had need of him.

With Levy showing him step by step, Gajeel successfully tightened the saddle's cinch around Grimwald's gerth, and pulled the bridle over his head. He took a step back to gaze at his work. The black horse turned his head so his big eye could look at him.

Levy was already mounted and guiding the palomino through the open gate into the arena. Lucy was in the middle of it ground working her gelding with a lunge line. The tacked up chestnut was loping in a small circle around the blond, and pivoted on his hind hoof when Lucy stepped into his path to redirect him.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Gajeel strode to the gate towing the black horse behind him. He watched Levy and Custard trot once around the arena's perimeter. The mare's easy gait was a gentle jog, just barely picking up her hooves and setting them down softly into the dirt. He waited until Levy approached and she lifted the reins a few inches to signal the mare to halt.

"Aren't you coming in?" She asked and nodded to the gelding standing behind him.

"Yea, Shorty, hold your horses." He voiced, and his eyes followed her as she nudged the mare back into a trot. He brought the reins over the gelding's head and mounted, setting himself into the saddle with a plop.

Although he was tall already, Gajeel felt even taller as he sat atop Grimwald. The horse began to walk into the arena, veering off to the right and towards the middle. Gajeel tried to turn him by pulling the rein to the right, but the gelding went wherever he wanted.

Levy saw that he was having a bit of difficulty in directing the horse beneath him where to go. "Turn him, Gajeel." She shouted from across the pen.

"I'm trying," he growled and kicked Grimwald's sides. The horse ignored him and continued leisurely walking towards the closed gate on the opposite side. Gajeel pulled on the reins again and growled. "Come on, ya black mule. Move yer ass."

Grimwald's ears flicked back and forth and sped up into a rough trot. Grimacing, Gajeel groaned as his manhood hit the hard leather with each fall of the horse's stride. He tried to adjust his seat, but he couldn't do that and keep himself from potentially fall out of the saddle. His free hand wrapped around the saddle horn with a clenched jaw.

Lucy had mounted and was riding beside Levy. She watched with concern and yelled, "Bend his head to your leg with the reins!"

Gajeel did what she said, but instead of coming to a stop, Grimwald kicked out and tore his head away from the man's grip on the leather connecting him and caught the bit between his teeth. The black beast moved into a quick lope and started bucking in an attempt to rid himself of his rider.

From his uneven seat, Gajeel struggled to stay in the saddle as the horse's faster gait threatened to dismount him. They rushed past Levy and Lucy, and he saw at a snap glance their horrified expressions. Both women were motionless and couldn't look away as the horse rode away with the black haired man.

"Whoa, easy!" Gajeel shouted, his arm flailing. The gelding threw his head down between his front legs, and kicked up his hind legs. "I said whoa, dammit!"

Grimwald continued his bucking, an angry squeal escaping his throat with ears pinned against his head. He jerked to the left and then to the right, his deliberate actions throwing Gajeel off balance. The man quickly regained it, and dug his heels into the beast's side in an attempt to stay on.

The whites of Grimwald's eyes could be seen now, and he rushed off towards the girls at a near gallop, bucking all the while. Gajeel pursed his lips and yanked on the reins, twisting the black's head around until his black muzzle touched Gajeel's boot. The horse's balance faltered, and he had to swing his opposite foreleg out in an exaggerated stride as to keep from falling.

Grimwald let out a distressed sound and followed the rein pressure. Levy sucked in a gasp as she watched Gajeel work through the difficulty. He seemed to have a good seat, considering that he'd never ridden prior to today and that with all the intense bucking, he had managed to stay in the saddle.

Loping slowly in a small circle, Grimwald finally slowed to a jog before he came to a stop. Gajeel took a deep breath and glanced over to where Levy and Lucy sat on their horses.

"What are ya trying to do to me, blondie? Why'dja give me a spastic horse for!"

"What, you think I did it on purpose?! He's not normally like that! Maybe your personalities clashed or something!" Lucy shouted with a frown plastered on her face.

The large man glared at her. "Clashed, my ass. He damn near tried to kill me!"

He flicked the reins and touched the gelding's sides with his heels, signaling for the beast to walk on. The black's ears flickered back as he listened to his rider, aware of the confidence now instilled within the man atop.

Lucy turned to Levy. "That was kinda impressive. I didn't think he'd stay on."

"I heard that." Gajeel called, still making his horse jog circles as if he had been riding all his life.

"You know what I mean," Levy supplied as her palomino made its way towards her boyfriend. "You could be in the rodeo busting broncos with a seat like that."

Lucy snorted and urged her horse forward. "He could have been one of the clowns maybe."

Gajeel chuckled. "Just jealous that Natsu ain't into the rodeo scene."

A blush tinted Lucy's cheeks, and she shook her head and frowned. "You idiot. You don't know what you're talking about."

His horse sidled up to the chestnut. "Apparently I do. I stayed in the saddle, didn't I?"

Lucy heard the smart remark in his tone. She glanced to Levy, who shook her head. She smiled and nodded at the question in Lucy's expression. She turned to Gajeel and fixed her blond braid a moment before shoving him hard in the shoulder. The sudden contact pushed Gajeel past his balance and before he could scramble for the saddle horn, he was tumbling over the other side.

He landed on the dirt with a thud and rubbed his right shoulder. His foot was still in the stirrup, the only thing not on the ground. Lucy grabbed hold of Grimwald's reins and burst out laughing. Levy rushed to make sure he was alright before she joined in with her own giggles.

Gajeel scowled and brushed the dirt from his shirt and jeans, then moved to remount. "Yea, yea, get it all out now..."