Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
Trigger warning: Not the usual coffee shop au. And two mild descriptions of anxiety attacks.

- Briny Dregs -

There was something pretty nice about working in a coffee shop, Levy mused. While she never drank coffee because she could always taste the heady bean flavor, she did love the smell of it. It was a nice way to start her summer days, smelling coffee being brewed and greeting Extalia's regulars. In the school year, she knew Extalia got far more customers since it was relatively close to both the high school and Magnolia's community college, but customers never ran dry even in the summer. Adults always had work, and there were some students with summer classes. Besides, Extalia's main draw wasn't the coffee - it was the baked goods. Shagotte Faust, the owner, was the queen of the kitchen. Breads, muffins, brownies, mini pies, crepes… whatever people craved, Shagotte could bake it, and she could bake it well. Levy was more than happy to buy herself treats sometimes (and take home any unsold leftovers if she was on the closing shift).

With the promise of astounding baked goods, coffee, free Wifi (with a purchase, mind you), and its good location in Magnolia, there was no way Extalia would ever run out of customers. It also never ran out of people willing to work there. Young people were especially attracted to the work, and Shagotte liked giving them the chance. Levy had been roped into applying by her childhood best friends, Jet and Droy. Normally, she'd work at the Crocus library, Crocus University library, or Magnolia library, but when Jet and Droy asked, she couldn't really say no. It wasn't like she'd make any less with Shagotte, and she'd be able to spend time with her friends that she didn't get to see often anymore.

Jet and Droy had been working for Shagotte every summer for four years in a row. Droy was immensely useful in the kitchen, and Jet could somehow apply his quick running speed to making coffee. Plus, they could easily switch roles because Jet could follow a recipe and Droy could make a mean expresso. Since they were good employees, they could pick and choose when their shifts were, and their good word to Shagotte certainly didn't hinder Levy's exemplary resume when she applied. Levy wasn't exactly cut out for working at the coffee shop, though. She was a bit clumsy sometimes, and that was why she was given cash register duty more often than not. She was terrible in the kitchen, even following recipes with Shagotte looking over her shoulder. Her tendency to daydream when something snagged her attention also kept her out of making drinks because she'd accidentally let cups overfill more than once. Honestly, Levy felt very lucky to not have been fired already, but Shagotte just took the small expenses from her paycheck and left it at that. Everything had been exactly how she'd thought it'd go (hell, it went better because she was still working at Extalia)… except…

Her eyes flickered from the customer at the front of the line to the man three people behind them. He had a knack for appearing during Levy's shift, and he was even better at showing up in Extalia during the morning rush line. He was tall, and he was handsome. His dark clothing always looked good on him, fitting in all of the right places. He ran a hand through his dark hair, pulling it away from his sharp facial features. There was something about him that drew in people's gazes, and a hint of danger kept them reeled in. Currently, he was wearing a slight frown, staring down at the screen of his iPhone.

"A large Americano, got it." Levy said, stealing her eyes away from the man in the middle of the line of customers. She rang up the drink then turned to Jet, who nodded very seriously and locked gazes with her. So, he'd noticed the man, too. Levy almost wanted to laugh. Of course Jet noticed him. It was hard not to, honestly. Jet winked at her with a half smile before he turned to make the Americano. After giving change to the customer and signaling them to wait at the side counter, Levy accidentally met the gaze of the tall man. She flushed and looked down, heart racing. She was such a fool.

"A slice of coffee cake and a medium dark chocolate mocha. Anything else?"

Levy could feel his dark eyes on her as she left the cash register to retrieve the cake from the glass counter. Her fingers trembled a bit unconsciously as her heartbeat picked up even more. Levy clenched her teeth, breathing quickly through her nose as she concentrated on getting a slice of cake and not dropping it on the ground. It wouldn't be the first time, and certainly not the first in front of the man. A thin sheet of ice seemed to be growing over her shoulders, swooping slowly around to envelope her neck and slow her breathing to sharp bursts. Her chest hurt in ways she didn't know were possible before this summer. Levy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and, when she accidentally met the eyes of the tall man, again, over the coffee cake, bit down hard. Why was he already here? He was early today. Extalia had only been open for a half hour, and he usually showed up forty-five minutes in. That was when the normal morning crowd was, anyway, not that six people in line was a real crowd. But he was here already and that was unnerving and he really shouldn't be there, smiling at her and making the butterflies in her stomach multiply to the point where she felt like she was going to be sick and…

A hand on the middle of her back made Levy jump. She squeaked a little bit, but thankfully did not drop the slice of cake from the plate she'd somehow gotten it on in the middle of her thoughts.

"Looks like we need to tell Droy and Shagotte to make more coffee cake, huh?" Jet's voice was soft, and the look he gave her was softer yet. He grounded her thoughts spiraling out of control even though she loathed needing it.

"Yeah. You mind doing it? I'm-I'm okay. I was just thinking about a book I read last night." Levy smiled at him, both knowing she was lying though her teeth. Jet's eyebrows knit together and his lips puckered slightly, but he nodded and headed to the back room anyway. Levy straightened herself, eyes on the slice of cake as she walked back to the register.

"Sorry about that!" She said, putting on her best retail worker smile. The older woman gave her a gentle one in return, shrugging it off with a, "It's no problem, dear."

"A'right, I need six small black coffees, stat. I'm already runnin' late without having to do a stupid coffee run." The next customer groused, looking down his nose at Levy. She said nothing, just ringing him up before turning around to the coffee machines. Jet had just started working on the dark chocolate mocha, but he'd need help with six drinks in one order regardless. Levy knew when the irritated man joined the old woman by the side counter because the air around her got heavier. She could feel the weight of the man's gaze on her back, making her shoulders subconsciously curl inwards.

"That last one was six black coffees, right?" Jet asked as Levy joined him. She made a noise of agreement, pulling six small cups off of the holders. She started pouring the first one, eyebrows slanting downwards over her eyes. The tall man wasn't going to affect her. She wasn't going to allow his stupid smug face to affect her in any way. Concentrating solely on pouring coffee and slapping on the lids, the next few minutes passed much too quickly for Levy. She didn't want to pass on the drinks to the irritated businessman because that meant her resolve would be tested.

You're prettier when you smile.

The memory made Levy bite the inside of her lower lip, willing herself not to smile. Levy knew she was a bubbly person when she wasn't feeling shy. She liked smiling. Even when she didn't mean to smile, she usually did to help alleviate awkward situations. But this man… he didn't deserve that. Levy felt tainted when she smiled around him.

"Hello there, Peaberry." He smiled roguishly at her. Levy figured his smile, all straight white teeth, could be blinding to some, but she preferred the snaggletooth grin of someone else.

"What would you like to order?" Levy asked, not meeting his expectant gaze or reacting to his greeting. From someone else, nicknames were endearing, but from this man… it made her skin crawl. Jet's presence, leaning against the counter with the coffee machines, gave her courage. Levy was startled when she heard the back door open and Droy walked out, bearing a platter of banana bread. He was whistling some sort of tune, and even after putting the loaf on display, stayed behind the counter instead of returning to the kitchen. The both of them being there, and the fact they weren't actively butting in, made her sense of dread fade a little bit. Jet and Droy had eventually learned she could fight her own battles, but it was nice knowing they always had her back. She had allies if something ever got messy. Not that Levy thought Shagotte wouldn't be on her side, just… she'd known Jet and Droy since she and Jet were five and Droy was six. They provided comfort few others could give her.

"Aww, don't be like that, Peaberry! We're friends, aren't we?" His saccharine voice didn't match the intimidating aura he had. Levy sucked in a sharp breath, mentally cursing herself for keeping her hands on the counter instead of literally anywhere else. The man reached forward, patting the back of her hand twice, lingering for a fraction of a second too long after the second pat before pulling back.

"Ah well, there is a line here. It'd be just terrible of me to hold it up. Hmmm… today, I think I'll get a blueberry muffin and… a salted caramel frappuccino."

He definitely thought he was doing Levy a favor, and it made her sick to her stomach. Levy didn't respond to him, turning to get the blueberry muffin only to almost run into Droy. Droy smiled at her, holding up the requested blueberry muffin on a plate. Jet was already working on the drink order with quick hands.

Even after ringing the man up and giving him his muffin, he wasn't out of Levy's hair. He leaned casually on the side counter, trying to strike up a conversation.

"You know, after I saw you eating one of these delicacies, I thought to myself, 'Bora, you just have to try that muffin!' I know everything here is delicious, but I want to find the best treat. I think I've found if, if I do say so myself." The man was always dropping his name, probably in hope to hear Levy say it. She vowed never to say it or to even think it. It'd mean he'd won something if she remembered his name. So, she always pushed it out of her mind as she casually ignored him. Levy could get away with ignoring him since he was only around when there was a line keeping her busy, but she assumed he showed up then so she couldn't go to the kitchen "for a few things." She'd done that once, letting Droy take his order, and he'd shown up in the middle of a line ever since.

His presence seemed to choke her even when he got his drink and sat down. He always chose a little table far enough from the counter to not seem creepy, but he was always watching her. Levy didn't like leaving the register even when he stared relentlessly because she didn't want to appear weak. There were so many things that made her look weak, and she knew that. So she wanted to prove that she was strong. If she could bear him for the fifteen or so minutes he was there, she told herself she wasn't weak. She had endured him, and she could be proud of herself. But some days, when she was feeling particularly lonely or just off her game, she had to escape to the back kitchen to talk with Shagotte and whichever one of her boys was helping Shagotte bake. It felt horrible, like a retreat, but she just couldn't take the weight of his gaze on bad days.

After the line had dissolved, Levy pulled the barstool out from beneath the counter and sat down, pulling her phone from her pocket. Shagotte was pretty lenient on phones as long as the volume was low and they weren't on for too long since an employee on a phone seemed unapproachable to some people (Levy understood that since she felt bad interrupting someone who was looking at something). Looking at her notifications, her sour mood lifted and her shoulders uncurled. Unlocking her screen, she tapped at the message, positively glowing when she saw the image she'd been sent.

"These two assholes somehow unlocked the damn cabinet, found the catnip, and got so high they passed out." The text read beneath the image of two cats, a very large, very fluffy silver Maine Coon and a smaller Russian Blue, curled up together. Her phone buzzed alive with a new message of, "How do fucking cats figure out child locks?"

"What's making you smile like that?"

Levy jumped, phone tumbling to the floor. She'd been so close to laughing in his presence and hadn't even realized it. Immediately, her face flushed, and she scrambled off the bar stool to get her phone from the ground. She wasn't scared that it had cracked since she'd bought a heavy-duty case, but she felt the need to move away from the man leaning over the counter and into her personal bubble. Levy shoved her phone back into her apron pocket, blinking rapidly. She could tell the man it was a message from her boyfriend, but then he'd want proof or something. He could carry the conversation, keep her talking and expressing emotions.

"I was—it was a funny picture on the Internet." She scrambled for something safe, something that he couldn't extrapolate on. It was hard because naming a site, especially a social media one, was taboo. He'd suggest being friends with her on the site then. Levy hadn't touched Twitter ever since he'd followed her on there. She also couldn't name an online news source since he could dig into what she read ("Aren't politics these days just a disaster? That newspaper is so biased, you should try this one instead.").

"Oh really? What website? I might—"

"Hey, you mind going to the back and getting some more cups, Levy? You know it's hard for me to get down to the bottom shelves with my knees." Jet casually interrupted the man, coming up to Levy's side. He was lying because his knees were fine, but it was a believable lie since Jet was tall.

"Y-yeah, no problem." Shame burned furiously on Levy's cheeks and she turned tail and went into the storage room. She wasn't mad at Jet, no. She would've done the same had he been in the same situation. It just made her feel… like she couldn't handle this man. And she wanted to prove so desperately that she could. That her friends didn't need to worry about her because he didn't bother her that much.

Once the storage room door closed behind her, Levy leaned against it and slid down to the floor, frustrated tears making pin pricks at her eyes. She felt pathetic. Only forty, forty-five minutes into her shift, and she already was crying in the storage room. Plus, she had to be saved by Jet because she'd been floundering, unable to handle that man. Bile rose in her throat as she tried to hold back her heavy heart and heavier tears. Her phone started vibrating, but she barely noticed it.

"You're just being stupid, Levy, he's just some stupid guy… he-he's got nothing over you…" Levy whispered, blinking rapidly to keep her tears from falling. It was the same thing she told herself, looking at a screen with Twitter, before she closed out of the website without doing anything. Even to her, her words felt hollow and meaningless now. Sniffing, Levy ducked her head into her knees that were pulled up to her chest. Maybe if she spent the remainder of her shift in here, she'd finally be fired like she should've been ages ago after her fourth ruined coffee… or second dropped sweet… or third burnt batch of cookies… or… Levy grit her teeth, unable to think with her phone buzzing madly near her face. She'd been able to ignore it before, but with such a close proximity now, it was impossible. Sneering, Levy pulled her phone from her apron pocket, ready to throw it against the wall in frustration before she saw the name on caller I.D. Straightening slightly so she could lean her head against the storage room door, she swiped right and answered the call.

"Yer on speaker phone. Oi, Shrimp, how do ya ignore all those cat pics an' comedy gold, huh? I mean I know yer at work, but—"

"Shove off, Metal Face, and get to the point already!" A second voice interrupted him, slightly muffled.

"I'm gettin' there ya fuckin' piece o' flamin' shit—"

"Happy could be dead and all you're doing is flirting!"

"He is not fuckin' dead, yer just bein' an overdramatic asshole!"

Levy gave a shaky laugh at that, rolling her eyes.

"Pot calling the kettle black, Gajeel." She said softly, feeling warmer the more he spoke. She could imagine Gajeel holding Natsu away from his phone, the both of them wrestling somewhere. Probably the floor in their living room.

"Aww, whatever, Pipsqueak, ya know ya love me."

Levy sniffed again, nodding despite knowing he couldn't see her. Boy did she love this big, overgrown dork. She'd met him in her first semester of college and hadn't been the same since. Gajeel Redfox was a very odd person, but he was full of love, especially for her. And they both knew it. It was hard not to, seeing how he was a lovesick fool around her. Not that she was any different, mind you. Hearing Gajeel now in her current state made Levy's heart ache and fingers burn, wanting to be touching him somehow. They'd only been separated for a month, but she missed him so damn much.

"Stop – ugh – fuckin'! Flirting! And! Ask! FUCK YOUR LONG ARMS FUCK FACE!"

Yeah, they were definitely wrestling on the floor, and Gajeel was winning, if barely. Somehow. Natsu was a very flexible person, so Gajeel had to be sitting on him. That was the only way he'd ever successfully kept something out of Natsu's reach despite being six inches taller than Natsu.

"What are you supposed to ask me, Gajeel?" Levy asked, unsuccessfully preventing herself from sniffing for the second time since picking up his call. Hearing Gajeel's voice had made her tears start falling, but she felt more relieved than anything else.

"… Are ya okay, Levy?"

Oh no. Cold lightning ran down Levy's spine. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no no no nooooo. She didn't want Gajeel finding out about her current predicament. He'd weaseled some of it out of her during their daily Skype calls, but she didn't want him knowing how utterly useless she was with this man. Gajeel was so big and strong, and nothing ever seemed to bother him. He could always keep his composure in public (if Levy wasn't around). Levy wanted to be more like him, more like his iron-like sturdiness… He couldn't know how weak she was, no no no. Plus, she could totally see him driving down from Crocus and beating the living shit out of that man, and she couldn't have that. That man would deserve it, but Gajeel would end up in jail.

"Oh my god! Will! You! Stop! FLIRTING!"

"Shut up fer a goddamn second, Flame Brain!"

Levy heard a loud thump and felt sorry for Natsu. Now she was causing him pain… not that he and Gajeel wouldn't eventually fight over something… but still.

"Oi, Levy, what's wrong?"

And now she was making Gajeel worry. Fuck.

"It's-it's nothing. I just have a bit of a head cold. What are you supposed to ask me? Ask real quick and then I have to go, you know I only picked up because I'm—not behind the register." Her sentence was jerky because she'd been a half second away from saying "hiding somewhere." But saying that, even though she had before, would only increase his worry. Levy didn't want that.

"… Natsu thinks Happy isn't breathin'. We ain't got those lil mirrors. How can we check?"

Gajeel sounded incredibly reluctant to change the subject, but Levy was thankful he did.

"He's still with Acnologia, right? Have Happy face Acno and see if Acno's fluff moves at all." Levy instructed, rolling her eyes. They'd definitely disagreed over feeling Happy breathing on their hands. That's what prompted the call. Idiots. Gajeel had to be very damn sure Happy was breathing since he'd been flirting with her before he'd been sidetracked by her sniffles. Gajeel was nothing if he wasn't crazy about the welfare of animals, especially cats.

"Yer a genius, Levy. Thanks. A'ight, Fucker, go see that yer cat is alive."

Levy heard muffled movements and wanted to laugh at just how predictable the boys were. She heard Natsu grumbling as he got up.

"Now he's dealt with, Levy—"

"I'm sorry, I have to go, Gajeel." Levy interrupted him, hanging up immediately. She turned her phone off before composing herself, grabbing a sleeve of small cups. If the man was still somehow there, it'd be weird if she didn't leave with cups. Levy squared her shoulders before leaving the storage room, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't see the tall man anywhere.

"You okay, Lev?" Droy asked, watching her closely. Because he was sitting behind the cash register, it meant he and Jet had traded positions. Jet was now helping Shagotte bake, and Droy was going to help Levy with the customers.

"Yeah, sorry, Gajeel called and Happy supposedly wasn't breathing and… yeah." Levy shrugged, putting on a smile. Despite the fact Jet and Droy had known her the longest out of all of her friends, she was always able to fool them eventually. That, she supposed, was one of her strengths. Lying about her feelings to the people closest to her when she really didn't want them prying. The only one that was always able to see through her was her socially awkward boyfriend. Gajeel said it was because he knew how she felt, and sometimes she let herself believe him.

"Dang. He must be worried sick." Droy's eyes widened, taking from her choice of words that Happy was okay.

"Yeah, he is." But about the wrong thing, Levy finished the sentence in her head. Placing the sleeve of cups next to the others, she sucked in a deep breath, and faced the rest of her day with more confidence than she felt. Their shifts passed without anything else eventful happening, so when Levy went home with Jet and Droy, she had almost convinced herself nothing had happened in the morning. The first part of her shift was just a small hiccup, nothing serious, something she'd just blown out of proportion because that man was staring at her. She shouldn't have let it bother her that much.

At night, tucked into her bed with her laptop open and Skype pulled up, that notion crashed around her and shattered into pieces twenty minutes into her call with Gajeel. His cat, Acnologia, jumped into his lap and started batting at his nose for attention and food, and the memories came back with an edge.

What's making you smile like that? You should smile more. You're prettier when you smile.

All Levy could see was those leering eyes as the man, the first day he'd come in during her shift, leaned down close to her chest. Her nametag was pinned there, but girls could always tell when someone was looking at their chest. Levy was no exception.

Oh, you're a cute one! Levy is it? Nice to meet you! I'm a regular here. The name's Bora.

"I-I have to go, I…" Levy stammered, unable to come up with a plausible excuse as she hung up the Skype call before Gajeel could say anything. She logged out of Skype and shut her laptop off, shoving it away to hug her knees to her chest.

"You're just having a bad day, Levy. Shake if off. You're okay. You're okay. You-you're okay." She gave herself a small shake, concentrating on nothing but breathing slowly in and out. Levy refused to let that man ("The name's Bora") affect her in her own home. He ("I thought to myself, 'Bora, you just have to try that muffin!'") couldn't touch her here. He ("You know, I had a crazy ex once – know what she told me? 'Juvia can't believe you, Bora! Prioritizing your work over Juvia!' Well, she doesn't know the name, Bora, my name, will soon be heard around not just Fiore, but all of Ishgar because I work so hard!") was not allowed into her sanctuary.

Levy started when her phone started vibrating, but she didn't answer it. She let the call go to voicemail, not even looking at who was calling. She didn't care, and she didn't feel like talking. She did, however, look when her phone buzzed again, telling her whoever called had left a voicemail. Levy played it when she saw it was Gajeel, feeling guilty.

"Ya hung up 'fore sayin' g'night. So, good night, sleep tight, an' don't let the bed bugs bite. I love ya, Levy, no matter what."

His voice, saying those words and being suppirtive, shattered something within her. It had been a while since Levy had cried herself to sleep from something other than test anxiety. But in the morning, with puffy red eyes, she felt… better. Depleted of all emotions and slightly robotic, sure, but that was better than feeling her skin crawl endlessly, heart thump painfully, and brain pulse against her skull erratically.

"Today is a new day, Levy. You can beat him today. You've already forgotten his name." She whispered to herself as she brushed her teeth.

"He's unoriginal, so he's not going to come up with anything new. It's been a month. You've heard all his stuff by now." She reassured herself as she got dressed.

"He's just a dumb, disgusting little man and you'll be done with him in fifteen minutes. He's got nothing on you." Levy mumbled to herself as she chewed her toast at breakfast, careful to be quiet so Jet and Droy couldn't hear her across the kitchen table.

"You're not going to let him win today." Levy told herself as she and the boys climbed into Jet's beat up car.

"He's not going to get the best of you today." Levy promised herself, entering Extalia's back door with Jet and Droy. They were there before opening. She and Jet cleaned and set up the front of the shop while Droy helped Shagotte start baking in the back.

"You will beat him." Levy steeled herself when Jet turned the front sign from "closed" to "open." As people started leaking in over the course of fifteen minutes, she gave herself more pep talks, feeding more and more into the feeling that she'd win the mental duel with that man. It felt like it was her only defense after a night like hers. She felt nothing but spite and dread as the clock ticked closer to the normal morning rush.

With five minutes left before the usual start of the morning rush, the bell above the front door jingled. Levy looked up and her heart stopped. A tall frame filled the doorway, and it broke her resolve a little.

"Oi, heard ya got some good kiwi bread?"

Heat pooled in Levy's face, and it stung the bottom of her eyes. Gajeel gave her his snaggletooth grin, raising his arms in his "oopsie" gesture he thought made him look innocent. It, however, always made him look like he was saying, "Come at me, bro," especially when he was wearing a tank top like he was.

"I thought I told you that shirt is so stupid?" Levy rolled her eyes at him, willing her tears not to fall. Personally, she had thought she'd cried all the tears out of herself yesterday, but Gajeel always proved her wrong. He looked down at the bold letters saying, "Sun's out, guns out," made a noncommittal noise, and left Extalia's doorframe to stop in the center of the store. He looked unsure of himself, like he might not be welcome. Jet sensed the tension between the two of them and said nothing, eyes traveling between Gajeel and Levy like he was watching a tennis match.

"What are you doing here, Gajeel? Don't you have work in Crocus? Don't tell me you were fired again. You need to work on your customer service smile." Levy started babbling, hoping he hadn't actually been fired. If he had been, that meant he'd be hanging out with her until term started and they both had to go back to Crocus for classes. Not that she didn't want Gajeel around… just… that man complicated things.

"Oh, uh, no, called in sick – Natsu is coverin' fer me, which is definitely a bad idea, but, ya know… ya seemed like ya had a problem, yesterday." Gajeel shoved his hands into his pockets, looking a little to the left of Levy's head. She watched his eyes dart to her face every few seconds and saw the muscle jumping in his jaw.

"And you're here to, what, solve it for me?" Levy frowned, heart sinking. It was bad enough that he had figured out something was wrong and thought it was serious enough for him to make the four hour drive from Crocus to Magnolia, but… if he wanted to come, barge in on her problems, and fix them himself… he was not wanted around. At all.

"No 'course not! 'Member the first memorable thing I told ya? I'm goin' ta make ya big, Levy McGarden. I'm here ta support ya. If ya want me here. If not, I'll just go an' – ooof!"

As soon as he'd finished saying her name, Levy had started moving. It had been the first time Gajeel looked her in the eyes since entering Extalia, but she was still able to surprise him with the strength of her hug when she barreled into him. Levy pressed her face into his chest, half crying and half laughing. It was hard to tell what Gajeel was going to do… except when it came to her. He'd never stepped in to fight her battles for her, not once. Though this was an entirely new situation, one he didn't even know the scope of, she was glad he hadn't changed his ways. Levy felt Gajeel's arms wrap around her, holding her tightly.

Now she had the force of a dragon behind her to fight off the unwanted suitor prince, and her shoulders didn't feel quite as heavy anymore.

A/N: Will there be a part two? Who knows. I have some cuddles planned but no ending. Spring semester is starting soon and if I don't get a conclusion before then, I probably won't ever. So pls don't ask for a second part. And Bora is not an OC (and his relationship with Juvia is canon) - he's the asshole from chapter 1 of FT, the fake Salamander. :D Hope y'all enjoyed (and if you did, dropping a review would be lovely)!

~ Stitch