A Phantom 《FAIRYTAIL X READER》

6: First Month

Pantherlily, over the few months he spent with Gajeel, learned to love him for who he is. He even got used to the shack that man lives in. At first, he thought it was an odd place to live in, especially since metal weapons and sheets were in every corner. It felt almost crowded at times. Still, Gajeel kept things organised to the point where Lily forgot they were there. Another favourable thing about the Gajeel, was his determination.

He tried his best, and went far and beyond to bring him comfort. And while at first, Lily thought his friends also were weird— they're pretty nice. Well, one of them. Juvia tends to visit, either to help Gajeel with home related stuff like cleaning up, or to hang out with him. She tends to also bring something for him, like a basket of goodies.

Now F/n… Lily wasn't sure why Gajeel hung around her.

Not that she was a bad person… But why? She was far from a banal person, a little devout, but nonetheless, Lily found it hard to speak with her. Gajeel praised her at home, and would retell the story she would sag right back at the exceed. From afar, Lily would watch her— before Tenrou, chatting with Juvia. And post-Tenrou, she would insult the 'fools' that would attempt to talk to her.

So Lily found it hard to interact with her— even though Gajeel once forced them out into a lunch date of some sorts.

She didn't talk much, and let Gajeel do all the talking. Lily threw in his two cents here and there, but it wasn't enough for her to start talking.

Gajeel insisted it was because she had a bad day— someone broke into her house and it wasn't Natsu. Still, Lily wouldn't say that he was good friends with the woman. An acquaintance is a more fitting word, given they shared a few words here and there. Lily likes to believe she's anxious, and cautious of new people. He would understand that, given he too was like this in Edolas.

"Alright— here is good," Finally, the hiking up the mountain was over. 

The mountain top was cooler than the steep ; With the winds climbing up the steep slopes to gather at the top. The ground was uneven, but covered in green and the occasional weeds and flowers. In the distance, stalks of brown stood tall, and protected from the dazzling heat by foliage. The foliage emitted a vibrant glow where the light hits, and casted a halo.

Yet, F/n was indifferent to the place Gajeel chose. The earthy smell that wafted through the air didn't move her. The scent of wildflowers would soothe anyone, but not her. It didn't deter her from her bitter thoughts or pettiness. She carried a bag and looked like she didn't even hike the mountain. There was no red suffused in her face, or sweat dripping down the side of her face.

Meanwhile, Gajeel took a seat on a rock to catch his breath.

Lily took note of these two. While they trained in different spots, they were in sync. And while they were in sync, the two sauntered to different locations. Gajeel dropped his bag and stretched his arms, and moved towards the open field. While F/n to the darker areas, which is the forest. Lily trained his eyes on her, and watched her disappear to the darkness. He didn't look away, instead waited for something. And there it was, the flickering of a small purple flame.

He returned his gaze back to the field. Gajeel decided to focus on the durability of his metal arm, and the range of his roar for today's training.

Lily's eyes flitted to the tall dominating trees of the lush forest, to the worn out ground. There were clear paths marked into the grass, as though many have taken the exact same route over the months. He gazed at his partner training, but then stared at the woman. It seemed like his legs had a mind of their own, sauntering over to the darker parts of the broad forest. He spotted the woman in a small clearing.