It was nearly nightfall before Luke finally made it to town, and boy were his dogs barking. He may have been used to walking to places in town and being part of a sport's team kept him in decent shape, but walking all day long, for several hours straight, was another experience entirely. Even with his new, stronger body.

Day one and he already missed modern technology. That wasn't something he considered when choosing this world. But they had things similar to cars if he remembered correctly. Magic Mobiles, like the one Erza used to chase down Eisenwald, or that one guy from Oracion Seis with all the motorcycles.

He needed to get one asap. Not only was it almost a necessity in his mind, but it would also be plain cool.

Amaranth Town was a pretty small place, all things considered. Rural in every meaning of the word. Most of the shops he could see were closed, which made sense considering it was evening already, and even if they were open, Luke didn't have the energy to go shopping anyway.

He continued walking through town until he came across an inn. It wasn't anything fancy, which suited him just fine. He didn't have the funds for something like that anyway. Walking through the doors of the Lost Age Inn, he was immediately assaulted by the sound of merrymaking.

Looks like it also doubled as a tavern. Several boisterous patrons were laughing, eating and drinking happily as they made small talk. Some of them appeared to be a bit rowdier than he would like, but as long as he steered clear of them, he should be fine.

Standing there amongst the raucous laughter, Luke was unsure of what to do. This was his first time checking into a hotel by himself, let alone entering a bar.

"Hey there hun, you need somethin?" asked a voice with a surprising southern drawl. Luke shifted his gaze towards the shockingly busty woman in her mid thirties. Honestly, he shouldn't have been so surprised, considering he knew just how ample a bosom several characters had. He just didn't expect to see them here for some random tavern worker.

"Uh, yeah, I-" Luke started, but a loud rumble from his stomach answered for him. He blushed as the busty woman let out a laugh.

"Ah see somebody's hankerin fer somethin to fill their belly. There's a nice table right there in the back, I'll be by to take yer order shortly," she said, pointing to an empty table by the far wall.

"Oh, thanks. I appreciate it, uh…" Luke said, unsure of what to call her. She seemed to understand his predicament as she flashed him a smile..

"Name's Nyssa and don't think nothin' of it sugar. Now you go on and get yerself settled," she said, returning to her work. Shrugging, Luke made his way towards the table, avoiding the rambunctious crowd as best he could. Once he was settled in, he picked up the menu and began to read.

It definitely had a southern feel to it, with just about every item being some kind of comfort food. In the end he settled for something simple, fried chicken with some mashed potatoes.

Once he figured that out, he settled in to wait for the waiter, taking this moment to people watch. After listening for several minutes, he gathered that this town's primary source of revenue was tourism brought on by some ruins they uncovered recently.

Guess people far and wide came to see some kind of painting there, which supposedly brought good luck. Luke wasn't so sure about that, but with magic, anything was possible.

After a while, the busty barmaid returned, giving him a big grin as she approached. However, she wasn't alone, there were three people behind her, two men and a petite, blue haired woman, giving him a curious look.

Well the girl was. The men were giving him bored, suspicious looks. But that wasn't what caught his attention about them. It was the fact that he recognized them.

One was a young man about his age with orange hair covered by a large, brown top hat, with three rings of beige fur going around it. He wore a purple dress shirt with a brown jacket over top with fur trimmings along the edge, the same color as the hat. He wore baggy black pants over his legs with the bottoms tucked inside his boots.

The other man was also close to Luke in age, with dark hair that pointed straight up in the back, then curved toward the front, looking like a bad Majin Buu cosplay. He wore a long sleeved white shirt, along with yellow belts crossing his chest like bandoliers, with rectangular pouches lining them. His pants were dark green and checkered.

But it was the last individual that truly caught Luke's attention.

She was a beautiful young woman with light blue hair, held back by a yellow sash running along the top. She wore a blue, short sleeved shirt with white highlights, and yellow strings crisscrossing up the middle. The shirt was on the short side, showing off the bottom of her toned stomach, and cut low enough to emphasize her modest bust. Her white pants were so tight they looked painted on, showing off her curvy figure, defiant of her petite frame. A brown, leather belt was wrapped around her waist, and she had reddish brown boots on her feet.

They were Jet, Droy, and Levy, also known as Team Shadow Gear. Luke couldn't help but gawk at them a bit, though his face had a bit of red on his face as he looked at Levy. She was way cuter in person then in the show.

"Sorry about this hun, but all our other tables are full up. You don't mind if they share, do ya?" asked Nyssa, for which he was thankful. It snapped him out of the awe he felt staring at her.

At them! He meant at them!

Coughing a bit into his hand, he gave the woman a smile. "Not at all. The more the merrier," he said, getting a grateful smile from her and Levy.

"Well that's mighty kind of you. I'll be back right quick to take yer orders," she said, leaving as the other three sat down.

"Hi, I'm Levy. Thanks so much for letting us sit here," said the blue haired girl, sitting right next to Luke, making her friends frown in anger.

"Oh, it's no problem. Food is always better with company, right? I'm Luke, nice to meet you," he said, holding out his hand to shake, which Levy happily did.

"Jet," said the one wearing the top hat.

"Droy," introduced the other. The two sat down across from him with a grumpy expression on their faces. Luke knew why, they had a thing for the beautiful girl sitting next to him, but the animosity he could feel emanating from them was a bit much.

"Nice to meet you. So, what brings you guys to town?" Luke asked, trying to ignore the way Jet and Droy were looking at him. Levy seemed to take notice of this, as she sent her own glare their way, which made them look away nervously.

"We're here on a job, investigating the ruins. Our client wants us to translate some writing on the wall from the recently uncovered chamber," Levy explained with a giddiness, giving Luke a beaming smile.

He could understand just why the two across from him fell for the girl. She was just too darn cute!

"I see. Are you guy's archaeologists or something?" he asked, pretending not to know. The guys snorted, giving him a condescending look.

"Do we look like archaeologists to you? We're wizards," Jet said with pride, as he and Droy made a pose. Levy rolled her eyes at the grandstanding of her childhood friends.

"Just ignore them. So what about you? What brings you to this town?" Levy asked, making her two companions deflate.

"What makes you think I don't live here?" Luke asked, giving her a raised brow. Levy, however, just smirked at him, pointing to the rucksack on the floor.

"For one, I doubt anyone who lives here would be carrying around something like that to a bar. Secondly, you don't look like any of the people here," she said, voice tinged with confidence.

"Oh, so what do I look like then?" Luke asked with a cocky smirk. Since he looked like a bad boy, might as well act like it. Judging from the blush on her face, he must have pulled it off.

"Oh, um… You look, I mean, you're…" Levy stuttered, but when she noticed him snickering at her, she leveled him with a light hearted glare. "You jerk!" she yelled, smacking him jokingly on the arm.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist. You just looked so cute with your face all red like that," he said, smiling. Levy's face turned even redder at the compliment, as she grabbed the menu, using it to hide her blushing face.

Jet and Droy looked like they wanted to pull their hair out or strangle Luke, but they couldn't make a scene in front of Levy. So for now, they settled for trying to kill him with their stares.

"Anyway, to answer your question, I'm just passing through," Luke said, getting her attention again. She looked over the top of the menu, narrowing her eyes at him, not trusting that he wouldn't tease her again. Though she had to admit, being flirted with by such a handsome guy was nice.

"I see. And where do you plan to go after this," she asked, glancing from the menu to him shyly. Times like these she wished she had Cana's confidence. But she had a theory that her confidence came from the literal barrels of booze she consumed on the regular, and Levy didn't think her liver could handle it.

"Hmm, I was thinking of Magnolia, to join Fairy Tail, you know. I wasn't sure, but knowing the guild has a girl as cute as you in it kind of sealed the deal," he commented, staring directly into her eyes.

Levy didn't think it was very healthy for her face to be this red. Honestly, if it got any hotter, she could probably use it to start a fire. She opened her mouth to respond, but she was beaten to the punch by her companions.

"And just how did you know we're from Fairy Tail, huh? You been spying on us?" accused Jet, narrowing his eyes at Luke. That caught her attention as she turned to look at him with curiosity.

"Yeah, spill it pal. Who are you?" demanded Droy.

Luke raised a brow at them. "They aren't serious, are they? I mean, I know they have a thing for her and all, and I can't blame them for that, but to try and start something here? Guess I shouldn't be surprised, they are from Fairy Tail after all," he thought.

Luke let out a sigh, "I already told you my name, it's Luke. And as for how I knew she's from Fairy Tail, well…" he paused for dramatic effect. "I could see her Guild Mark. It's right there," he said, pointing to her shoulder blade.

The three of them followed his finger, and realized exactly where he was pointing. Levy was wearing a sleeveless shirt, so her Guild Mark was on full display. Levy turned to give them an unimpressed look, as their faces started to turn red.

"So, does that answer your question, or would you like to accuse me of something else?" Luke asked. Between his smug look and her annoyed one, Jet and Droy had no choice but to mutter apologies.

"So what made you want to join Fairy Tail?" Levy asked, happy that her guild might be getting a new member. Luke's expression turned somber at that, and Levy felt like she may have crossed a line. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Luke's voice stopped her.

"I guess… I'm just looking for somewhere to belong," he said quietly. Levy gave him a sad look, being reminded of so many of her friends and their own troubled past. Looks like they were getting another one.

"Well, you've come to the right place. Everyone in Fairy Tail is like one, big family," Levy said, placing her hand over his and giving him a comforting squeeze. Even Jet and Droy's eyes softened a bit at that.

Luke gave her a smile, twisting his hand so he could grasp her own. "Thanks. I'm looking forward to it."

The table was silent for a moment, caught up in the mood, before a new voice distracted them.

"Well, don't you move fast. Didn't know you were such a smooth operator," said Nyssa, appearing from seemingly nowhere. The group turned to see her grinning face, confused by her statement, before they all looked down at Luke and Levy's hands, which were still connected.

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They pulled them away, as if they were burned, bright red blushes on their faces. "Nononononono, you got it all wrong, we were just, um… It's not what it looks like!" Luke stuttered rapid fire, his bad boy persona cracking under the smallest pressure. He did his best to ignore the burning in his cheeks and the angry glares being cast his way by Jet and Droy.

"Right, he was just saying how he might be joining our guild is all, and I was just showing how excited I was to get a new member, right?" Levy quickly spit out, looking towards Luke for confirmation.

"Yeah! I mean, it's not like I minded holding hands with such a cute girl or anything, but it's not like that!" Luke said. But the table went quiet again, and Levy's face turned redder than ever before. The waitress let out a boisterous laugh, getting a real kick out of them.

"Whatever you say, killer. Now, do y'all know what yer a hankerin' for?" she asked, ready to take down their orders in a small notepad.

The atmosphere took an awkward turn, but Nyssa just stood there, grinning like a madwoman, waiting to take their orders. Nothing she liked more than watching awkwards teenagers trying to figure out their feelings.

"I, uh… the fried chicken and mashed potatoes, please," Luke said after a minute. She wrote it down before turning to Levy, "And what about the missus?"

"T-t-t-t-t-t-the what!?" she stuttered out, face burning so hot it could heat the whole town.

"Hahaha, sorry about that. You guys are just to darn adorable. Now, what'll ya have?"

Levy mumbled something about nosy waitresses before she managed to order a pasta dish.

"Alright, and you two?" the waitress asked, turning towards Jet and Droy.

"The fish, and bring lots of beer!" shouted Droy.

"Yea, what he said!" shouted Jet.

"You got it. I'll be back quick as a flash," she said with a grin before leaving to fulfill their orders. An awkward silence once more filled the table, but Luke was able to feel the anger coming from the other two men at the table.

"Um, I need to use the restroom," Levy said, getting up and practically sprinting away. Luke watched her go, definitely not staring at her backside while he did. Nope, not him, he would never.

Once she was out of sight, the two rounded on poor Luke, fire in their eyes. "Alright pal, just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Jey demanded. Luke tilted his head in confusion, wondering if they were talking about him checking her out just then.

"Um, eating at a restaurant? What else would I be doing here?" he asked. But that was apparently not the correct answer.

"Cut the crap you know exactly what I'm talking about! How dare you flirt with Levy like that!" Jet shouted, his voice drowned out by the noise in the bar. Luke stared at him for a moment, before his eyes narrowed into bored slits.

"And what's wrong with that? She's a beautiful woman, why wouldn't I flirt with her?" he asked.

"Aha, I knew it! But don't think for a second you can get away with it. We called dibs on Levy years ago, so you can't just show up out of nowhere and think you can hit on her!" Droy yelled.

Luke rolled his eyes, resting his head in his hand, "Dibs, huh? What are you, 5? You can't call dibs on a person, asshole. They have their own thoughts and feelings, you know, and treating them like they're some kind of object you can claim for yourself is pretty messed up. Especially if you claim to care about her. Grow up."

The two stared at him opening and closing their mouths, trying to say something back, but were unable to. But that just seemed to make them angrier.

"Don't think you can get inside our heads with your words. We're just looking out for her, that's all," claimed Jet, with Droy nodding along. But Luke looked unimpressed.

"Sure you are. Let me ask you this, how many years have you known her for? And you've yet to make a move? As far as I'm concerned, you had your shot, and you couldn't even pull the trigger. So you have no right to tell me or her what we can and can't do."

The two of them looked absolutely livid, and for a second, Luke thought it would come to blows, but that's when Levy made her timely return.

"Whew, I feel much better. So, what were you guys talking about?" she asked as she sat back down next to Luke.

"Oh, just guy stuff. Things no lady should ever hear," Luke told her in a dramatic fashion, making her roll her eyes, giving him a playful look.

"Oh, now I'm curious. Come on, you can tell me," she urged.

"Nope, sorry. The unwritten rules of the bro code forbid it," he proclaimed. Even if he didn't really care about Jet and Droy getting in trouble with Levy, he didn't feel the need to strain whatever friendship they had. At least while they were on a job.

Well, strain it on her end, because he's pretty sure that ship has sailed on theirs. He'd have to sleep with one eye open tonight.

"If it's unwritten, then it isn't official," Levy tried one more time, but his lips were sealed.

"Ugh, fine. Then tell me about yourself," she said, giving him a curious look. Luke gave her a roguish grin, "Well, what do you want to know? For you I'm an open book."

Levy blushed, grabbing a glass of water on the table and taking a big sip through the straw, even as the other two seethed from across them.

"Well, what about your magic? You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, right? So that means you've got to be a wizard," Levy asked, a bit too quickly. But if Luke noticed, he didn't say a word.

"My magic, huh? Sure, I don't mind showing you," he said, holding out his hand. After a few seconds, a ball of golden light appeared above his hand, getting a bit of attention from the patrons in the bar.

"Oh wow, that's Light Magic, isn't it?" Levy asked, staring at the ball curiously. Honestly it wasn't that rare of a magic, all things considered. Their Guild Master was pretty adept at it, but for some reason, she felt drawn to it. It wasn't the magic itself that impressed her, it was the feeling the magic gave off.

Every magic was imbued with a bit of the wielder's personality, their emotions. Most people weren't very attuned to it, but Levy was. She was a naturally empathetic individual and that translated into her ability to sense the emotions coming off of people's magic.

And his gave off the feeling of warmth and safety. It reminded her a lot of the master's actually, as well as several members of the guild. But there was something else she could feel pulsing from it, something that made her heart pound against her chest.

Desire, that's what it was. But not just any desire, it was one centered on her. Sure she got a bit hot and bothered by his flirting earlier, but being able to feel his genuine feelings toward her was something else entirely.

It wasn't love or anything close to it, which would have sent her running for the hills. Anyone who falls in love that fast was needy with a capital N. It also wasn't pure lust either. Sure there was some, so she knew he found her attractive, but it was more than that. It was a yearning to get closer to her, to get to know her, and that was what made her pulse quicken.

He genuinely wanted to get to know her as a person, and that made all the difference.

"Got it right in one. Nothing better than a woman who's as smart as she is beautiful," Luke said, canceling the magic. Levy was a bit disappointed by the loss of the magic and the feelings it gave off, when his words registered in her mind.

"I-I'm not. I mean, there are so many prettier girls in Fairy Tail. Way more than me," she stuttered, her own words causing her to feel depressed, even if they were true. Not like she could compete with someone like Mira or Erza. Hell, even Cana was an absolute bombshell.

And then there was her. Plain, boring, bookish Levy. She couldn't compete against women like that. Each of those girls were playing with two full decks, and she didn't even have one! The odds were totally stacked against her.

"I assume you mean Mirajane?" Luke asked, watching as she flinched at the name. Her eyes were downcast and there was an palpable aura of depression around her.

"Well that won't do. Let's see if I can boost her self esteem a bit," Luke thought, hating the fact that such a lovely young woman couldn't see just how beautiful she really was.

"Well it's true that she's rather pretty, but you know what?" he asked. He placed a finger under her chin, gently lifting it up so he could look her in the eyes. "You're just as beautiful as she is."

Levy's eyes widened and her face once more went scarlet. Did he really just say that? And with such sincerity too? Her heartbeat started to beat rapidly as she felt herself being drawn into his silvery eyes.

Luke was feeling the same, drawn to her hazel eyes shimmering with emotion and need. She was a girl constantly comparing herself to the beauties around her and found herself lacking. Luke could see that plain as day.

Of course, their moment would be ruined by a pair of jealous twats across the table.

"Oi, get your hands off Levy!" Jet shouted, banging his hands against the table. The unexpected noise dragged them out of their trance, shooting away from each other with massive blushes on their faces.

"Just who do you think you are, putting your hand on Levy like that! Apologize!" Droy demanded. This, of course, earned them Levy's ire, as she hated being coddled by them.

"He doesn't have anything to apologize for! I can take care of myself, you know!" she said back, voice raised. She was normally pretty quiet, but she was still a member of the most rambunctious guild in all of Fiore, so she knew how to get loud.

"But Levy, he's clearly up to something! He's been acting suspicious this whole time!" Jet shot back, pointing an accusing finger at Luke, who narrowed his eyes at them. Since when is flirting with a girl suspicious behavior? Maybe if she was hideous or something, but Levy was anything but. Was their jealousy really that bad?

"Ugh, you're just imagining things. You always do this! Anytime a guy so much as looks at me, you freak out and attack him. Newsflash, I don't belong to you!" Levy shouted, frustrated tears forming in her eyes.

After saying this she got up and ran out of the bar, Jet and Droy yelling after her. But she ignored them, and they slumped over in their chairs, feeling frustrated and angry. But not at themselves, at the asshole sitting across from them.

"This is all your fault," Droy ground out, giving Luke a look of loathing. But he just raised an eyebrow, feeling irritation rising up from within him.

"How was that my fault?" he asked.

"If you hadn't been getting all flirty with her, none of this would have happened," Jet answered, with Droy nodding in agreement. But Luke was having none of it.

"You're the ones who can't control your jealousy, not me. Do you really think Levy is unaware of your feelings for her? The fact that she hasn't asked either of you out is pretty telling that she isn't into either of you. There's a fine line between love and obsession, and the two of you have crossed it. If you don't get your shit together, you won't even be able to call her a friend," Luke said, standing up, grabbing his rucksack as he did so.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked Droy, glaring at the man. Luke sighed at this. Looks like his words went in one ear and out the other.

"After Levy, what else?" he responded.

"What, you in love with her now?" sneered Jet. Luke stopped and gave him an incredulous look.

"Love? Dude, I just met her like, ten minutes ago. I just want to make sure she's ok," he said, before leaving, not wanting to spend any more time around them. They were so insecure it was nauseating.

Luke quickly made his way through the throngs of people. For a bar in a small town, there sure were a lot of people, but regardless of that fact, he made it through and to the outside. Once he was there, it didn't take him long to find the upset girl.

Levy was sitting on the steps, sniffling, glaring out at the town. Luke carefully approached before sitting down next to her, not saying a word. Eventually, it was her who started the conversation.

"Sorry about them. They can be real jerks sometimes," she said, whipping her eyes, giving him a watery, apologetic look.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. They're the ones who are at fault here," Luke said.

"They were just looking out for me," she responded quietly. Luke wasn't sure which one of them she was trying to convince.

"Really? Kind of looked like they were looking out for themselves to me," he said.

"You're probably right," she said after a long silence. "They're always chasing guys away from me. Even in the guild. I've tried my best to ignore it, but they've only gotten worse. I don't know how much longer I can take it."

Having said that, she placed her head in her arms, her body shaking as she began to sob again. Luke wasn't sure what to do. Comforting a crying woman was not his area of expertise. He didn't even have an area of expertise! But he had to do something, right?

"Ignoring it was probably the worst thing you could have done," Luke said, as he started to rub her back. The contact made her freeze for a moment, before she relaxed under his ministrations.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She was barely audible, but Luke still managed to hear her.

"I'm sure you were just trying to spare their feelings, but by doing so you were kind of leading them on. Without outright rejecting them, you gave them hope that the feelings they were too chicken to express might be reciprocated. But they know, deep down, that you aren't interested in them beyond friendship, so they never asked you out, knowing that if they did, the fantasy would be over. They could no longer pretend they had a chance. By chasing away any guy that might be interested and keeping you single, it also allowed them to imagine they had a shot. Or maybe if you were single long enough, you'd give in and ask one of them out," Luke tried to explain.

"So it's my fault?" Levy asked, turning her head to look at him.

"If I'm being honest, partially, yes. Guys need to be told, flat out, you don't like them. Otherwise, we start to get stupid. But it's also their fault for letting their jealousy get the better of them. They're not in love with you, they're obsessed with the idea of being with you. If you want to have any hope of being friends with them, you're going to have to be brave and be honest. For all of your sakes"

"I'm not sure I can…" Levy said, thinking about what he said, uncertainty in her eyes. Luke leaned back, gazing at the night sky full of stars.

"Yeah, emotions are tough. And it's not like I'm an expert, so take my words with a grain of salt. I just don't think it's good living a lie. Maybe ask somebody a bit wiser than me, yeah?"

"Hmm, maybe…" she said quietly. The two sat in silence for a bit, before Levy asked another question.

"So what were you really talking about while I was in the restroom? Did they try and scare you off?"

"Ah, well…" Luke started, scratching his chin nervously. "They may have been a little upset with me flirting with you… Tried to claim dibs."

"Dibs, really? Ugh, why am I not surprised…" she groaned out. Luke patted her on the back again, unsure of what else to do.

"But just so you know, they have no chance of scaring me off. I'm not that easy to get rid of," he said, trying to make her feel better. And if the smile she gave him was any indication, he succeeded.

"Good. We wouldn't want that," she said. The two continued to sit there for a while, just enjoying the relative peace and quiet, when a loud, rumbling noise caught their attention.

Luke blushed while holding his stomach, looking away from Levy who gained a mischievous look on her face. "Oh, looks like someone's hungry," she teased.

"S-shut up. I've been walking all day, what do you expect?" he muttered, making her giggle at his embarrassed face. Just as she was about to suggest they go inside to eat, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Well don't you two look awfully cozy out here?"

Turning to see who it was, they were greeted to the busty visage Nyssa, holding up a couple of steaming plates. Their faces went red at her insinuation.

"It's-it's not what it looks like," Levy tried to say, but by the look on the older woman's face, she wasn't buying it.

"Now don't you two fret none. Those friends o' yours are mighty upset about you two bein' out here all on your lonesome. Bit of the jealous types if you ask me. So after giving them their food, I came out here to give you yours. Your welcome to eat it out here, iffin you want," she said, looking at the two with a knowing look on her face.

"Well, what do you say? Dinner for two, under the stars?" Luke asked, giving her a roguish grin. Levy's face turned even redder at that, but she eventually managed to agree.

The waitress gave them their food, winking at Levy as she did so, before heading back inside. Looking at her bowl, Levy had a contemplative look on her face, before it turned into one of determination.

"Hang on, I'll be right back," she said, placing her bowl down before healing back inside. Luke shrugged, eyes going back to the starry sky, content to wait a few minutes. Turns out he didn't have long to wait, as Levy returned about a minute later, her face awash with multiple emotions.

"You ok?" Luke asked, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes. Levy gave him a bright smile before sitting down next to him, their shoulders nearly touching.

"I'm great. Now, let's eat!"

With that said, the two of them dug in, savoring the meal, and more importantly, the company.