Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

There were no slides, or any amusement rides for that matter, and the kiwi juice was unfortunately subpar to the one from Ryuuzetsu (according to Lily), but the beach Master had sent them to for a week of real vacation had the hair on her arms prickling in excitement. Breezes would revive the goosebumps and suck her deeper into the relaxed calm of the waves.

The ocean was clear as crystal, with the sight of tropical fish feeding on the sandy floor and drifting in their schools. The little animals paid her no mind as she bobbed along in the inner tube and, thankfully, didn't see her as a meal this time. Although Happy hadn't been so lucky (again), as the exceed took off into the water the moment they had arrived and dove right for a beautiful fish with gold and cerulean scales. His would-be prey had no intention of becoming the afternoon snack, and cleverly got away by whipping its tail into the Exceed's face with enough force to knock him backwards into the water.

Sun rays warmed the cool water that lapped over her stomach as she floated on in the inner tube. She'd drift for a bit, then turn the float around to watch the shore (Natsu and Gray were currently in the middle of a sandstorm, kicked up by their castle-building competition, Lucy and Erza had been sucked into the cloud of gritty dirt before they even had a chance.), and restart the process by wafting wherever the current took her.

Levy stretched her arms high above her head before reclining back into the inner tube. "They'll have to drag me back to the guild kicking and screaming, this place is utterly addictive."

Pantherlily turned about on his spot leaning against her legs to put the full force of his all-knowing smirk on her, "I doubt that would be very hard. The right person would just have to toss you over their shoulder."

She laughed and wobbled her leg to shake his balance enough to satisfy her need for a retort. "You can't fool me, Lily. Even the lack of good kiwi juice isn't enough to send you running back for the guild so soon."

"True, but if I did decide to stay, at least I could fight back." The smirk that played at the tufts of white fur was eerily similar to his partner.

Levy scoffed and rolled her eyes, briefly turning her attention back to the beach to see the sand cloud had settled and Erza was perched confidently in a white chair. The requip mage was proudly holding her spoils of war, plastic shovels and buckets stacked under her sharp supervision. Lucy was laughing at the petulant shadows of Gray and Natsu, while the two were halfheartedly flicking sand at each other in what was no doubt a silent argument about whose fault it was that their toys had been taken away.

The script mage gave it two minutes before Natsu and Gray occupied their time with throwing unsuspecting guild members into the surf, starting with Lucy.

She arched her back and stretched, "It's nice avoiding trouble and getting kicked out, for once."

It was Lily's turn to scoff at her comment as he adjusted to her new position. "If that's your wish, then we should have just gone to a different beach entirely from Natsu and Happy."

"Carla's on guard for Happy and Erza's sworn to keep Natsu under her eye this time, so maybe he'll behave with that incentive."

"I doubt even the Titania could lasso in that tornado."

"Well, she's got a handle on the overzealous sand castle competition at least."

Lily hummed his agreement and settled back against her leg. It would have been nice to have his own dragon slayer under his supervision. Gajeel had been determined to pound Natsu's face into the sand at least once while they were here. His partner didn't seem to grasp the meaning of the word 'vacation'. It's why he hoped the man would follow them out here and not stalk the beach for a fight. He enjoyed spending time with Levy, but he had a bet with a demon. It just so happened to work out that Gajeel was far more tame and well-behaved when he was around the young girl.

If that kept the iron dragon slayer out of trouble and got Lily in the good graces of Mirajane Strauss, he was eager to play along.

"We should probably head back, I'll need more sunscreen soon." Levy playfully poked the top of her knee to drive her point home, the fading fingerprint stark against the light pink skin and clusters of darkening freckles.

"Right!" Lily popped up from his seat as Levy began to shift so as to paddle her way back to the shore. He beat her to the punch and grabbed for the rope draped along the side of the inner tube, her laugh bounced along the waves as they flew toward the shallows.

"Lily, c'mon, you don't have to do this." Levy's words barely made it past her breathless giggles. "I've got legs, y'know!"

The Exceed ignored her, only turned his smug expression to their destination and sped forward, the downy feathers at his back illuminating in the sunshine. Her nakama were of no help, only egged Lily on or continued to play in the water, Wendy and Master Mavis being at the forefront of loudest cheers. The schools of fish that floundered to get out of their way and comically parted to separate sides fueled her heaving guffaws. He towed her through the waves until her feet sank into the warm sand and slimy bits of seaweed, kicked up with her steps and rolling over her toes. She regained her footing and stuck the hilariously large inner tube under her wry arms.

"If you were going to fly us back, why not just carry me?" Her chest rose and fell fast with the effort to catch her breath as she stumbled once, then twice on the uneven ground.

"Less fun that way, gihi."

Levy hunched her shoulders and dragged the float back to the renting shack, "Gajeel's having too big of an influence on you."

She returned the inner tube to the renting shack and made her way back to her chair and bag, slipping in the shifting sand every couple of steps. Lucy and Erza were no longer lounging on the chairs when she reached the spot, but she caught sight of their bright heads of hair at an ice cream shop up on the pier, Gray and Natsu in tow. As she figured, Lucy was bundled in a towel and her pigtails drooped with the weight of ocean water from her little 'swim'.

"Lily, don't you think Gajeel's wondering where you're at?" As the Exceed climbed onto the chair, she offered him her extra towel.

Pantherlily was having a difficult time maneuvering the large folds of the towel as he dried off, a scowl working its way to his face when he yanked an edge from under his foot, only to have it tangle around him further. "He mentioned something to me about pounding that Salamander's face into the sand, I don't think he'll miss me."

Levy quietly offered him assistance with the towel, distractedly rubbing the material over his ears and arms. The girl sighed and hung her chin to her chest. They were all supposed to be relaxing and enjoying the sun, taking it easy, breathing deep, that sort of thing. Even spending time with each other…It didn't matter, it's silly to be hung up on that. Gajeel's still going to be Gajeel, even on vacation.

"Are you disappointed?" His whiskers twitched and the scar at his eye stretched with a keen sense of knowing despite any answer she would have given him. It didn't stop her from trying to cover it up, nonetheless.

"What? Me? No! I just hope he doesn't, if only because he'd meet Erza before he got to Natsu." Levy nervously ground the towel over her errant curls, then clutched it around her body to catch the cold drops of water running down her back.

"Didn't know ya cared so much, shrimp."

Levy nearly jumped right out of her skin at the gravelly voice, whirling in the unsteady sand to see the man himself standing behind her. His arms were crossed over his chest and a smirk crawled to one side of his mouth, pleased with his ability to startle her so. That gleaming canine of his was far more dangerous than any set on a shark. She got the sinking suspicion that the reason behind the Exceed's smirk had nothing to do with her and everything to do with his partner's sudden, and damn sneaky, appearance.

"Tch, don't flatter yourself." She feigned ignorance to the sly snigger from Lily. 'Gajeel's having an influence on you, too,' was loud and clear between his throaty chuckles."I just don't want to spend my vacation cleaning your blood off the beach once she's done."

"Uh huh," the lilt to his voice matched the steady rise of the metal studs over his eyes; he was unconvinced. "And who said you were the one to be responsible for my blood?" Gajeel was just as entertained, and the question had her her face pinking under his smarmy stare.

"Well…" Her initial comeback faded in the saltwater breeze and picked back up with a scoff, "I like Lily too much to leave him confined to cleaning the beach, he deserves some time to relax too." The aforementioned Exceed rolled his eyes in exasperation and scrubbed the towel over his head, the glower hanging off the dragon slayer's face unbelievable. He took Gajeel to be a bit more perceptive to Levy's translucent jabs.

The girl didn't miss the falling corners of his mouth and smacked his arm with the edge of her towel. "I wouldn't very well leave you like a beached whale, Gajeel. Someone with opposable thumbs would have to stitch you back up to fighting order."

His expression lifted a little at that, catching the edge of the towel she swatted at him with unreal speed and yanking her forward to tousle her sodden hair, "Well anyways, I came lookin' for you two to get somethin' to eat. I'm starving."

Gajeel brought them to a secluded cafe just on the other side of the pier, facing away from the beach. They'd had to fight through thick crowds, but open seating and lack of a lunch rush in the place was more than welcome. The faded red of the bricks on the building looked more like a place she'd frequent back home than a beach, but it had a down-to-earth and home-like feel to it that set her at ease amongst the beach crowd passing by.

"Well, at least this way we're far enough away to avoid being linked should Natsu or Happy cause a riot."

The dragon slayer narrowed his eyes at the Exceed perched on Levy's shoulder and deadpanned, "Yer hilarious, Lil'."

Levy chuckled at the two and lightly flicked at one of the soft black ears, "It's nice, Gajeel. The walk was worth it."

"At least someone 'round here appreciates my effort." The feline rolled his eyes as his partner held the door open for them.

A bell tolled their entrance, a kind elderly woman waved them to her counter. Her voice was warm, and her description of the menu and how they would make their order and then take their seats outside was fast and sharp despite the rasp of years. She swept her glance over the small group and smiled knowingly. Gajeel grumbled at the wink Lily shared with her while Levy put all her strength in fighting down her blush and ignoring the silent exchange.

Once again, it was Gajeel that lead them to a table at the building's corner, set back from the other various rows of chairs and the busy sidewalk. Whitewashed deck chairs sat in pairs with the matching tables, trails of sand wound around the wooden legs, left from previous customers. Without the proper height to reach the table from a chair, Pantherlily was left to sit on the tabletop, leaned back against the warm brick of the establishment. Levy placed her hands in her lap and played with the slick hem of her shorts as she studied the water patterns carved into the table's surface. Gajeel had been patient enough to let her stand under the showers to wash off the ocean and sand before pulling shorts and a t-shirt over her bathing suit.

"It's killin' you, isn't is?"

"Wh-what is?" Her head popped up to meet his amused expression, a look she could recognize a mile away and the precursor to her being made the butt of one of his jokes.

"Not pulling' a book outta yer bag and reading while you wait."

Levy's cheeks puffed and pinked at the discernment, "Sorry." At least he wasn't offended, and it was kind of nice to hear a slip of understanding in his tone. "Guess I'm pretty transparent, huh?" Her fingers entwined and tangled in her damp hair as she nervously scratched the nape of her neck.

"Tch, pretty much. I might be digging' my own grave here, but, uh, what're you readin' now?" He wore a look of pained interest that sent her into peals of giggles.

"I'll try to keep it to a short story." Levy winked at the brow creased in worry and calmly started her description of the tome on runes Freed had lent her. "I'll never have the time to master it like Freed has, but if I can understand that much more about it, then I can get stronger!" Gajeel and Pantherlily chuckled at her unbridled enthusiasm, small hands fisted with confidence and her eyes glimmered with the promise of power. It was a sight to see.

"Sounds like you don't need me, huh, bookworm?"

"Well- I, uh, I wouldn't say that. I could use some muscle toning." Levy feebly raised her arms and flexed the slim muscle there.

Gajeel smirked down at her, pleased with her tenacity, "Oh, yeah?"

She wouldn't- couldn't- forget his promise even if she tried. There would come a day when she would go toe-to-toe with Gajeel Redfox and she would be able to hold her own. Levy subconsciously rolled her lip between her teeth and smiled, "Yeah."

Gajeel opened his mouth to comment further, but the moment was interrupted by the younger girl bringing out their drinks then, tall iced glasses topped with tiny umbrellas to complete the motif. The cups they used were almost as tall as Lily standing up.

The exceed eyed the drink warily and scoffed, "Well, at least they're not stingy."

"Maybe their kiwi juice will be better than the one on the beach?" Levy hesitantly watched Pantherlily carefully balance the cup on the bottom rim to stick the straw past the ice cubes. Neither of them caught the smirk Gajeel wore as he set back in his chair, he knew for a fact it was.

Pantherlily experimentally sipped at the drink, smacking his lips together in thought once he was done. His dark eyes widened and he eagerly downed more of the drink before smiling excitedly, "It is good!"

In turn, Levy was equally satisfied and impressed with their homemade lemonade. She had thought there would be no worthy contender for Mirajane's recipe, but this place came awfully close. She pondered the decision to tell the take over mage, but she was too unsure of how the demon would take the thought of a competitor. Especially for the script mage's avid loyalty to her lemonade after all these years.

"How's their water?" Lily slurped the last remains of his drink, ardently poking the ice cubes out of the way of his straw.

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward on the table, "It's water. It ain't got salt in'nit, I'm good."

"Lily!" The trio snapped their heads away from each other and over the bustling sidewalk. Carla and Happy sped down the walkway, making a beeline for their table.

The two Exceeds landed on the table edge, their breathing haggard from the search to find their friend. It was Carla that caught her breath first.

"They're having a sandcastle building contest on the beach-"

Happy took one great gulp of air and threw his paws over his head, "You should build one with us!"

"You shouldn't interrupt, Happy." Carla popped her small hip and folded her arms over her pink swim top, scowling at his lack of manners.

Lily finished the rest of his drink in a satisfied gulp, "Who else is competing?"

"Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen, Wendy and Master Mavis, Cana, Lisanna, and Mirajane, and then, Lucy and Juvia." Happy and Carla intermittently ticked off the teams on their paws.

"What about Natsu and Gray?" Pantherlily's brow furrowed at the idea of sharing a beach with the reckless idiots. There was no way he was about to commit himself to guilt because of association. Ryuuzetsu had been a debacle he wouldn't repeat if he could help it, that ridiculous slide still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Carla rolled her eyes, "Erza banned them from participating for their childish antics, but made them judges to assuage them. Elfman, Max, Warren, Laki, and Erza are the other judges.."

"So, will you do it, Lily?" Happy dropped to his knees and clasped his blue paws together, his eyes pleading and voice pitched funny.

"Get up, Happy. Gihi, let's go!" Pantherlily snickered and took off with the other two at his heels.

"Lily, what about your meal?"

The exceed fleetingly glanced over his shoulder at Levy and smiled, "I didn't order food."

The script mage and Gajeel were left to watch them disappear over the drop of the pier, their wings glinting in the setting sun. Gajeel had the distinct unease of being set up.

"Gajeel."

"Hm?" Levy was still looking out over the pier, when he moved his attention back to her.

"You weren't really planning on hunting down Natsu for a fight, you were out finding this place, weren't you?" Her head swung back to him and pinned him with that all-knowing gleam in her eyes. He was just a page in one of her books.

"And if I was?"

"Thank you." The gleam softened to something he couldn't quite place, but something that settled nicely with the meal placed in front of him on the table.

They finished their meals in companionable silence after that. Too full to move once their plates were emptied, they stayed at the table and watched beach goers pass by. The younger waitress from earlier brought them the thin slip of paper tallying their bill, clearly unsure to whom to hand it. Gajeel solved the internal dilemma fast enough with his swift reflexes, no doubt to beat Levy to the punch.

Ignoring the girl's splutters of protest, he handed over the correct amount of jewels and enough for a tip. The waitress chirped her thanks, hoped they would have a nice evening, and bounced away to another table before Levy could recover her tongue.

She narrowed her eyes at the dragon slayer, "How much was it?"

"Not tellin'."

"Fine, how much did you pay for the tip?"

"Not tellin'." Gajeel leaned back in the deck chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest and sniggering at her rising aggravation.

"I'll just go in and ask, then." She pushed her chair back, screeching against the concrete.

He caught her wrist with practiced ease and pulled her back down. "Sit down, shrimp, and just let me pay for your meal."

"But I can pay-"

"I know you can."

"So, why won't you let-…." Levy's eyebrows rose and her mouth dropped lightly, "…..me?"

"I think ya've got yer answer."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would it've mattered?" Gajeel's rumbling laughter thrummed with her pulse, the disbelieving look on her face enough to drive it louder between his words, "You'd still fight to foot the bill."

Levy opened her mouth to refute, but wisely backed down and deflated, "Fair point."

They stayed there at the little table until the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the old owner shuffled out to lock the door behind her. When she turned, she startled at their presence.

"Goodness, you two are still here? Why don't you young ones go out and do something? They usually light up fireworks down on the beach around this time."

"Sorry, we were just about to leave." Levy stood and shouldered her bag. "Thank you for the great food." The cafe owner's eyes creased with mirth, good-naturedly shooing them from the deck chairs and out into the night, muttering about wasted youth and opportunities.

They drifted into the steadily growing crowds on the boardwalk. After one too many close calls with people not watching where they were going and Gajeel having been all too tempted to just toss Levy over his shoulder, they made their way back to the inn Makarov had reserved for all of them. They had both decided it wasn't worth the trampled toes and aggravation.

Gajeel's steps were slower on the walk back, Levy managed to stay side-by-side with him until they reached her door. She rifled awkwardly through the various pouches in her bag for the key before remembering she'd pressed it between the pages of the book she took with her.

Levy blushed and sheepishly held it up in triumph, "Found it."

Gajeel's deep laugh echoed in the quiet halls and pulled at her knees like the tide. "Good thing too, I doubt Alberona would've willingly let you borrow her key without paying a price." Especially since the card mage was out with Wakaba and Macao, no doubt exceptionally drunk by this point and in one of her more teasing moods.

"Yeah, you're probably right. After last time, I'm not too willing to repeat the situation."

"Wait, wait, wait. Last time?"

Her shoulders rolled coquettishly, "Sorry, sworn to secrecy."

She pivoted on her heel to face the door, she'd left herself wide open and oblivious to a split second decision amongst seashell wall scones and carpet that was at least two decades old. Levy slid half of the key into the lock before he stepped closer to her.

She barely registered the movement in her peripheral vision. The second she started to turn back, Gajeel hooked his finger beneath her chin and swiftly covered her mouth with his. Her hands were already brushing along his jawline before she realized he had moved her hand from the door and angled her the rest of the way to face him. Her heart was somewhere fighting to her throat and the cage door of a butterfly menagerie had been blown wide open in her stomach with his actions. Their lace wings beat against her insides and stalled the breath caught in her lungs from the tickling sensation.

Levy pulled away the slightest bit to quick her lips up and murmur against his mouth, "Does this get me the okay to read while we wait next time?"

A muffled snarl fell into her mouth as an answer. Her heart shook as her thumb brushed over the metal piercing closest to his temple. He pulled away to kiss the corner of her jaw, "Night, bookworm."

Her hands traced the contours of his cheekbones and jaw, fingertips catching over the piercings on his chin before allowing her arms to restlessly fall to fist in his shirt at his sides. "Does this mean I won't ever get to pay for my own food again?" Her bottom lip caught squarely between her teeth to stop the grin fighting to take over her face.

The cheekiness of the comment had her eyes shining, branded deep in his mind, a place he didn't think even existed before he met her. Gajeel opened her door with the key he had smoothly swiped from her and nudged her past the threshold, "Goodnight, Levy."

Before he could retract his hand from her shoulder, she clasped her hand to his, the warmth stark and seeping into her fingers. A smile curled on her mouth as she gripped his hand tighter, "Goodnight, Gajeel."

tide: the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.

A/N: For Rusky (rboz).

Reminder that the fanfic/fanart event hosted by fyeahgajevy starts today and, other than updates on The Alley, new content will be scarce for a bit.