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Whenever Gajeel Redfox was in a sour mood, he would resort to blacksmithing as a creative outlet to deal with his feelings. It was by far a much healthier alternative to destroying anything and everything in his path. His adoptive grandfather, Metalicana Redfox, was the one to teach him the ways of being a blacksmith, and since then, Gajeel would be at the smithy when he wasn’t attending university or helping out at Redfox Ranch, a ranch owned and operated by his family. Gajeel’s specialty item when it comes to forging was hairpins.
He only had his adoptive maternal grandfather to blame for this occurrence. Metalicana was a lifelong bachelor who swore arguably worse than a sailor and was more rough and rowdy than it was possible for a law-abiding citizen, but he had a well-known secret. His secret was that he was in love with a woman with the darkest hair and reddest eyes named Yozakura. Objectively speaking, Gajeel’s mother, Wisenna Redfox, fit the bill perfectly based on the physical descriptions Metalicana shared about his lover, but the similarities ended there. While Yozakura and Wisenna both had names deriving from the words for cherries and looked similar with their black hair, brown skin, and red eyes, their personalities were tremendously different.
Like Metalicana, Wisenna knew more profanities than the general population of Magnolia City and possibly even the entirety of the nation of Fiore completely. Curse words could be heard whenever she was displeased, and she was as displeased as she was beautiful. While Yozakura was tall and willowy like an elegant, dainty swan, Wisenna was robust and muscular. The artwork of Yozakura scattered around Metalicana’s house depicted a woman who did not appear to be able to carry a single swan. Redfox Ranch did not have any swans on their properties, but Wisenna has been seen on multiple occasions carrying a few geese. Additionally, Yozakura wore nothing but the finest fabrics, completely covering her body except for her hands and feet. On the other hand, Wisenna wore whatever she thought was comfortable and suitable for manual labor. All in all, Yozakura was not Wisenna, and Wisenna was not Yozakura. Still, Metalicana could not help calling his adoptive daughter his sweet swanling, much to Wisenna’s annoyance.
Yozakura always had her silky straight hair tied and pinned up into an elaborate coiffure, which Metalicana took note of, and that was why he would forge hairpins for her. Wisenna had long, curly, and shaggy hair, hardly ever bothering to have her hair up, as she preferred letting her hair out. Gajeel inherited his mother’s preference for having his hair loose as well. Since Yozakura was gone from Metalicana’s life long before Wisenna was born and later given to Metalicana, there would always be a carved wooden box filled with hair pins lying around in Metalicana’s house. Since Metalicana specialized in hairpins, Gajeel had an extensive collection of hairpins left unused.
Fortunately, everything changed when Gajeel stayed for a few more hours on campus. It was an early September afternoon, and as it was lunchtime, Gajeel went to sit at his usual lunch spot. His usual lunch spot was underneath a magnolia tree. Magnolias did not bloom until late winter to midsummer, leaving Gajeel with a flowerless tree. However, the tree provided more than an adequate amount of shade, and Gajeel preferred sitting down on green grass over any other surface. Nearby, there was a friend group of young women all sitting together on a picnic bench whom Gajeel nicknamed the Pixie Posse, mostly due to the fact that one particular young woman stood out to Gajeel from the friend group. She had the tiniest stature in the group and had the shortest hair to go along with it. She had short blue hair adorned in her signature yellow bandana with an artificial pink flower pinned to it. Her red glasses-framed golden yellow eyes were far too big and wide for her small little face, reminding him of a chipmunk. He started nicknaming her Chipmunk Cutie from then on. And, to make matters worse, she wore the brightest of orange-colored dresses, so he could easily spot her from the other side of campus if he really wanted to.
She was the one he noticed because she always came to the designated dining spot first. Specifically, she arrived an hour before the next person arrived. The next person to arrive was a bubbly blonde, curvaceous woman who always needed help with her homework, be it math, science, or something else. With how hyper and energetic she was, he nicknamed her Blondie Bunny because she was just like the rabbits found on the ranch: always energetic. Sometimes, the Blondie Bunny’s sweetheart would arrive, a bespectacled brown-haired man whom Gajeel recognized as he’d seen him around the city with a different woman and, on a few instances, with several women accompanying him. Gajeel could not care any less about strangers and their affairs, but the Blondie Bunny had the worst taste in men if she was in a romantic relationship with a womanizer. However, this was none of Gajeel’s business as his attention was exclusively paid to the Chipmunk Cutie.
He was supposed to be taking a nap when his heightened sense had him overhearing a conversation between Chipmunk, Bunny, and Womanizer.
The womanizer was twirling a lock of Chipmunk’s hair when he asked her, “Your hair smells different from how it normally does. Did you stop using my products and switch to something else?”
Chipmunk nodded her head; she answered his question by saying, “Yes, I did, Loke.”
“Why,” Loke asked her.
“Botaniana reformulated everything six months ago, and the shampoo and conditioner set you have right now is the reformulated version. You know that I have sensitive skin and stubborn hair! Just because you’re my brother through a milk connection, that doesn’t necessarily mean we will have the same skin type and hair texture,” she argued.
A sigh of relief escaped from Gajeel’s mouth upon receiving the information that Loke, the Womanizer of Magnolia, was not Chipmunk’s lover. It would be weird and complicated if both best friends, Chipmunk and Bunny, shared the same man as a lover. Just seeing Loke twirling Chipmunk’s hair irked him.
“You’re lucky,” Bunny whined, “I had to live on campus for the entirety of my undergraduate years while you lived together with Loke in his snazzy little bachelor pad since you were a first year.”
“Lucy is right," Loke confirmed. Giving both women a teasing smile, he added, “Do you know just how many women and some men, too, in Magnolia would love for the chance to live with yours truly?”
Lucy rolled her eyes, “Whatever, Mr. Loverman, who cares! I just want the rent-free townhouse that you’ve inherited; I actually don’t want to be with you.”
“Ouch, that’s got to hurt,” Chipmunk chimed in, “I mean, she’s got a point…If you didn’t come with free housing, I would have just stayed on campus instead.”
“Hey, don’t be mean,” Loke pouted, “I am more than just my fabulous looks and immense wealth.”
“Sure, sure,” Chipmunk waved him off.
Lucy giggled, “Levy and Loke, you two really are indeed a proper pair of siblings, you act like one and look like one too.”
“Do you really mean that?” Folding her arms across her chest, Levy shook her head from side to side. She then pointed at Loke. “I can not believe you would dare say that I look like The Lion King over here.”
“Excuse me, Kitten, but I dare say that you’re not quite a looker yourself,” Loke retorted.
Lucy giggled once more, gesturing to the two of them. “See, you two prove my point.”
After learning their names, Gajeel concluded that Lucy, the blonde cheerleader, was right. Levy and Loke could pass off as brother and sister with their spiked yet wavy hair, nose shape, and taste in spectacles. Even without their glasses, they had similar patterns of eyelash clusters, with Levy’s being thinner and Loke’s being curlier. Additionally, one prominent physical attribute shared between them was their smile. While Loke gave many charming, winsome smiles to the women he was interested in, when it came to Levy and Lucy, he revealed another sort of smile. It was a shy but kind, genuine sort of smile that only appeared when Loke was with Levy and Lucy. Levy had the same smile, even if she was grinning from ear to ear, she still possessed the same cutesy quality to her as her brother. They had boyish and girlish smiles, respectively, and their smiles kept them looking youthful. While Gajeel did pay close attention to the people sitting at the picnic table, Lucy’s words were the catalyst that made him realize just how intimate and familial Loke and Levy were with one another. Why didn’t he realize this sooner?
“I hate how greasy my hair has become as of late,” Levy complained, running her fingers through her hair as she sighed in exasperation.
“Is that why you’ve been tying it up more?” Lucy asked, gesturing to how Levy’s hair, which normally fell on her shoulders, was now placed into a ponytail.
“Yes, it is…I wish Botaniana didn’t have to reformulate everything. The shampoo and conditioner set that Loke and I use is the best! I’ve found another set from another brand, sure, but it’s not the same! I’ve had to buy more hair accessories recently since I need to put and tie my hair up more often, but my stubborn hair can never be tamed, I suppose. In the end, I have lost hair once more.”
Hearing this revelation from Levy, an idea just popped into Gajeel’s mind. Waiting until the three of them were too engrossed in his conversation to hear him leave, he decided to run home immediately. He’s finally found out what exactly he is going to do with all of the hairpins he’s forged over the years.
Levy McGarden came to the picnic table earlier than usual today. She wanted to have several extra minutes all to herself to catch up on her current children’s book. While she was not embarrassed to be seen reading children’s books in public, she’d much rather not have to deal with the comments she’s received for enjoying content made for the youth. Levy planned on becoming a preschool teacher, and so she wanted to be as connected to the children as possible. However, she was not expecting a large blue gift bag, the color of a robin's egg, to be placed in front of her seconds after she finished reading her book. The gift bag had a hastily tied orange ribbon bow to it, and Levy found it endearing how imperfect it was since the bow was uneven.
She looked up and saw that it was the man who was always underneath the giant magnolia tree. Levy could obviously tell that he was a larger man, but he was much taller in person. Levy did not believe in judging a person based on their looks alone, but since he was always by himself, it never occurred to Levy that they’d ever one day have to interact.
“What’s this?” She asked him, gesturing to the gift bag he had given her.
“Why don’t you open it and see for yourself?” he responded.
Levy shrugged. “All right, I will do just that.”
What could possibly go wrong with this? Loosening the ribbon, she was able to open the bag and see what contents were inside. She pulled out several hairpins of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She could tell that some of them were made out of copper, silver, titanium, and other materials.
“Oh my,” she gasped.
Gajeel scratched the back of his neck. “Do you not like them?”
Shaking her head furiously, she told him, “No, no! I like them just fine…No, I don’t like them, I love them, actually!” Pondering for a moment to recollect her thoughts, she continued, “To be honest with you, I just never expected this, that’s all. These hairpins are beautiful, and obviously, they’re well-made since you would need to use quality materials to forge them…I’m just wondering why you’d give me such wonderful things. These definitely would have cost you a fortune!”
He smirked, “Nope, they’re free if you forge them yourself.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? You forged these yourself?” She gasped once more, “Truly? You’ve gone through all the time and effort to make each and every single one of these?”
“Do I look like I’m joking with you?”
“I suppose not.” She bit her lip, “I know that we see each other practically almost on an all almost daily basis, but we’re still strangers."
"I know that...but I didn't want to see my creations collect dust and go to waste. So, when I heard that you started tying your hair up more, I assumed you might find a good use for them."
"Well, it looks like you were correct in your assumptions." Glancing at the assortment of hairpins in front of her, she picked out a black steel hairpin that had the shape of a black cat sitting on the moon. This particular hairpin stood out to her because of the gleaming red rubies that made for the cat's pair of eyes. "I really am fond of this one the best. They're all so lovely to look at, but there is something about this one...It's probably because of the cat design you have to it. I love cats! I really do!"
"You don't say."
"It's true! I am absolutely crazy about them!" Pulling out her phone from her dress pocket, she swiped through the photos showcasing her with an assortment of cats. She explained, "I volunteer at the local cat charity twice a month, and I always take a photo of the cats that I am with!"
"Damn, that's a lot of cats."
She nodded her head in agreement. "I do, but I love them all nonetheless. Once, my older brother and I fostered a pair of lion cub twins, but that's another story for another day."
"You did what? Now, I want to hear the entirety of this story. How could a teeny-tiny, delicate person like you possibly foster two lion cubs?"
"You'd be surprised. She shrugged, continuing, "My older brother actually cried on the last day we had them all to ourselves, but those little boys deserved to be living free and in the wild."
"Since you've already told me the details, you might as well finish what you've started."
"I suppose so," glancing up at him, she fluttered her eyelashes shyly at him before popping the question, "I am not busy tomorrow if you're going to be here at this time. My older brother is picking me and my friend up once all three of us are all here, but if you're not doing anything tomorrow, I'd be more than delighted to tell you the entire story about the lion cubs that were with us for six months!"
"Are you actually being serious about this?"
"Yes, I am." Pointing to the hairpins, she told him, "Consider it a little thank you for the gifts you've given me." She placed all but the black steel hairpin inside the bag. Taking the black steel hairpin, she placed it into her attempt at an updo. "I wish as good as Lucykins; she's better at hairstyles than I am. I hope you don't think I am disgracing your hairpins with my messy buns."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. It's fine like that. Besides, you're not as bad as Erza Scarlet...Do you know her?"
Upon hearing the all too familiar name, Levy let out a light-hearted soft giggle, "Do I know her? She's basically family at this point! But I do know what you're trying to say...She does manage to have the craziest hairstyles, but she always pulls them off flawlessly...I'd give up my nonexistent love life to have hair like hers...Actually, I think I'd give up eating meat for the rest of my life if I had her face, too!"
"It's a great thing you don't have her face or hair then, because I'm planning on treating you to dinner soon."
"Huh?" She blinked rapidly and repeatedly before letting out a high-pitched squeal. "Ah, you can't possibly mean that!"
"No, I am serious about this, Shrimp."
"But, why me? There are plenty of other women on campus for you to take your pick."
"That's true, but none of them surprise their blonde best friends with their favorite cookies, red velvet sugar cookies, to be more precise, just because they wanted to do that for them. And, sure, there are other good-looking women here on campus, but I much prefer someone who reads children's books, argues with their skirt-chasing older brother, and wears the most hideous shade of orange in the world."
"Well, wearing my favorite color all the time can't be that hideous if you're asking me out...You are asking me out, right?"
Before Gajeel could say another word, they were quickly interrupted by two new voices.
"Oh my celestial heavens, did I just witness my precious little sister, Levyoryca Sloan Blaire McGarden, getting asked out on her very first date?" Loke cheered out, his beaming smile seeming to have gotten bigger and bigger with every second.'
"Oh my stars, Levy! I can't believe this," Lucy cried out, wiping away a few tears of joy. After a few shrieks, she teased Levy by saying, "Cana predicted that there would be a change in your love life coming very soon, and you said that it was all hocus pocus! Well, it seems like Cana was saying the truth after all! You owe her a favor now, and I have to tell Erza about this now! Hey, if all goes well, you and Gajeel get married after Erza and Gray's wedding happens!"
"How do you know my name?" Gajeel questioned.
Lucy shrugged, "I always knew. Your Metalicana's grandson, aren't you? I've seen you in pictures at Igneel's house and Grandeeney's house, and they told me who you were. Also, you're Erza's milk brother; she's mentioned you a bunch of times before."
"Wait, you're Gajeel Redfox?" Levy gasped, covering her mouth due to the sudden shock before uncovering her mouth. "Erza was telling us just last night that she wanted to introduce you to us before the engagement party happens because Lucy and I are her two maids of honor! You and Natsu Dragneel are Gray's two best men!"
"What a small world this is," Loke commented. Smirking at Levy and Gajeel, whose eyes held many untold questions, he took Lucy's hand. "Let's go, Lucy, my lovely lady, these two obviously have a few things to work out before their date tomorrow. Why don't you and I have a little date of our own, huh? What do you say to that?"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right! I'll go out on a date with you when you start manifesting magical powers like that of a lion, since you're a Leo and you're the lion king with your lion mane. And I much prefer bunnies to lions."
"That's because you're so adorable, like a bunny! You're so cute; I think I could just gobble you up myself." For a dramatic measure, he twirled both of Lucy's pigtails, which she adorned with golden-colored ribbons tied into a bow.
"Whatever!"
The two of them waved to Levy before they headed off to where Loke parked his car. This left Gajeel and Levy all by themselves. Finally, they were truly alone without the presence of anyone else teasing them or attempting to play matchmaker for them.
"I am so sorry about them, Loke and Lucy...Well, they're rather..."
"Nosy," Gajeel suggested.
"Yes, they are," she giggled once more, "I don't blame them. I am always teasing Loke and Lucy, asking them when they'll finally realize their feelings and get together already. If I can finally talk to the drop-dead-gorgeous hunk who's always sitting underneath the magnolia tree, then Lucy and Loke can finally find the right moment to work out everything that's been going on between them."
"Did you call me a drop-dead-gorgeous hunk?"
"Yes, I did."
Gajeel smirked, "I guess it's time that I make a confession, then. Since I first laid eyes on you, I've been calling you the Chipmunk Cutie. Your friend was the Blondie Bunny, and your brother was the womanizer."
"I much prefer being called a chipmunk than a shrimp."
"Sorry, but I would rather enjoy calling you shrimp instead. You're so tiny and pretty as a picture that I could just eat you. I've never had a chipmunk before, and I don't ever plan on eating one anytime soon, but I love shrimp, and you certainly look delicious."
While she ought to be appalled, all Levy could do was roll her eyes before snorting out in laughter. "Shrimp is the best seafood, so I don't blame you for loving them. Maybe we ought to have that for dinner? There's a seafood boil place not too far from campus...We could double date with Loke and Lucy. Lucy never says no to free food, and Loke never says no to eating out with his favorite women."
"Consider that a done deal then."
"Yipee," Levy cried out. She then extended her hand out, "We never formally introduced ourselves...So, we might as well do it now! Hi there, it's nice to see you! I'm Levy McGarden, and I'm a first-year PhD student double majoring in child development and early childhood education. I love seafood boils a lot! I've never worn my hair up with hairpins before, so I'm excited to start doing that because I've always seen Erza and her mother, Irene, with their hair in the best updos ever."
Taking her hand, he gave her a strong, firm handshake. "Consider it a pleasure on my end. The name's Gajeel Redfox, and I'm a transfer student getting my bachelor's in industrial technology and a minor in metalworking. Seafood boil is great to have all, but grilled seafood is more up my alley. I love blacksmithing, and I've never given anyone my creations before, but I am glad that I decided to follow my heart and give the hairpins to you."
"Aww, I'm the first? Well, you're the first person I've ever asked out...Maybe, if you like me enough, we could actually have that double date the next time we meet again after we hang out tomorrow?"
"What's stopping us from having that double date tomorrow?"
She pondered for a moment before answering, "Nothing, actually...I suppose I don't need to do any buttering up on my end...Lucy loves Mealtime with Minerva far too much for her to ever deny having seafood boil there, and Loke's well-received by the waiters and waitresses there...However, he'll be too busy flirting with Lucy to ever pay attention to them."
"So, is it a date then?"
"I guess it is!" She clapped their hands together and grinned at the physical contact between them. "Aww, I hate to cut this short, but we're supposed to be at Erza's house by now. I guess I will see you here tomorrow, then? I've got my bike for Lucy and me to share, so you can just sit back and relax with Loke in his car."
"I've walked to Minerva's place before; I'll just do that instead. Besides, I bet I can get faster by walking than your bike and his car."
"You're on!" With that, Levy took her things from the bench. "Now, I can't wait for tomorrow! Bye-bye! I will see you later, alligator!"
"In a while, crocodile."
Gajeel waved back until Levy was out of his line of sight. Once he was certain she was gone, he walked to where he had parked his motorcycle. After putting on his helmet and starting the vehicle, he drove his way to his home. He knew his parents and grandfather were expecting him to be there for dinner.
Normally, Gajeel came home on time, but after seeing that his grandson came an hour late, Metalicana knew that there was something amiss for the always-punctual young man. For starters, Gajeel had a Once Gajeel took off his outside shoes and put on his indoor slippers, Metalicana patiently placed a plate of hot food in front of Gajeel. Before Gajeel could dig in, Metalicana asked the one thing that was on everyone's mind when they noticed how Gajeel wasn't being his usual self.
"So, Gajee, my boy, who's got you so high?"
Gajeel frowned at his grandfather's choice of words. "Huh? What are you trying to say here, old man?"
"She's got you high, and you don't even know yet," was all that Metalicana mumbled before exiting the dining room.
This left Gajeel's mother and father, Wisenna and Anakin Redfox, to look at each other before looking back at their son, who glared at them.
"What's he trying to say?"
"I think he's trying to say that the woman who's gotten you to come home looking like you've just won the lottery must be one special woman," Takoda answered calmly.
Unlike Metalicana, Wisenna, and Gajeel, Takoda was the odd one out in the family. He was cool and collected, the voice of reason in a household where the rest were temperamental and their moods were easily swayed.
"That's nonsense! The shrimp and I just started talking this afternoon!"
"You say that, but you've already gotten a nickname for her," Takoda commented, "I got a nickname from your mother the day we met, too. I was called a teddy bear because bears have always had an affinity towards me...We met at a national park, and she caught me hugging a brown bear. Spooky Pie was always a shy one, so she left immediately after she saw your mother, but if that didn't happen, I don't think your mother would have struck up a conversation sooner. It might not have been love at first sight, but on that day, I knew that this woman was going to become someone important to me and have a major influence on my life. I was right about that because she became my wife and your mother shortly afterward."
Wisenna nodded her head. "Listen to your father, Jeelu. Besides, there's no denying it, young man...You've got it bad for her. You've got this look on your face; it's the same face your grandfather's got whenever he's thinking about his beloved. Trust me on this!"
"She doesn't bite, does she?" Takoda asked.
"No," Gajeel confessed, "but I want to do that to her. She's a pixie, alright, but she's got the biggest eyes, cheeks, and smile that shouldn't be possible. She's got a high forehead, too, which makes me want to flick it to see if I could get a reaction out of her."
Placing her hands on her hips, Wisenna declared firmly, "Well, that's all settled then! Now, Jeelu, if you don't invite this woman over for dinner anytime in the near future, let's say in a month's time, then you will suffer the consequences! I want to meet my future daughter-in-law. It's high time that we meet the recipient of the hairpins, don't you think, Koda?"
"You knew?"
Wisenna, "Of course, we all knew what you were up to. You just confirmed our suspicions tonight. Even though Metalicana may not be my biological father, you take after your grandfather in personality in more ways than I'd like to acknowledge. I'm not a fool to know that my son would never give away the hairpins he's painstakingly forged throughout the years to a mere stranger. It had to be someone special, and I was right. I bet she's a real beauty and a short one too."
"What makes you say that?"
"Yozakura was a shortie, and you called her a shrimp and a pixie, so it's confirmed that she's small as well. I swear, it's always the short ones that drive the giants crazy...I bet that's their tactic for snatching up a huge spouse. It's a good thing that Igneel and Grandeeney are a married couple who are the same size. Otherwise, Igneel's ego would be even bigger...Grandeeney keeps him in check."
Ruffling Gajeel's hair, Takoda then gave him a pat on the back. "I can't wait to meet her. Something tells me that there will be a lot more order and peace in this family with this brand-new addition to the family."
"I agree," Metalicana called out from a distance.
Holding his cell phone, a voice could be heard from the other line, "Her name is Levy McGarden! She's one of Erza's maids of honor, and you're assigned to be her partner for the wedding since both maids of honor will be paired off with the best men for the ceremony." It was Igneel, the grandfather of Natsu Dragneel, the other best man in Gray and Erza's wedding.
"You know, Iggy, I hate how much of a blabbermouth you can be, but for once, I'm grateful to know the name of my future granddaughter. It's not fair for you two to have Zeref, Natsu, and Wendy all to yourselves...You may have more grandchildren than me and a few great-grandchildren already, but just you watch, I will have more great-grandchildren than you two combined," Metalicana decreed.
Wisenna turned to her husband and the father of her child. "Well, Koda, you're going to have to bake an entire bakery's worth of strawberry cake if we want Erza to throw her bouquet to Levy...My women's intuition is telling me that the other maid of honor might be a fair competitor for the bridal luck. I want Gajeel's wedding to be next, so we might as well get started on bribing the beautiful, soon-to-be blush bride!"
Gajeel groaned at the sudden mess he was now placed into. He only hoped that Levy wouldn't be too scared off by his family once he did bring her to his house for dinner and introduce her to everyone. Perhaps on the other side of town, Levy was placed into an equally awkward and embarrassing situation as he was. Only time could tell.
The End.