Too Late to Realize
By : keindahaha
A Fairy Tail One-Shot
Fairy Tail is now officially disbanded. The destruction caused by Tartaros is beyond everything they could imagine. Even Makarov decided to disband the guild there must be a major problem around here.
Gajeel felt empty in his heart. He found himself lost in thoughts and sat on the remains of the guild while chomping some iron from the rubble. Taste like Fairy Tail. The iron he just ate tasted like Fairy Tail in his opinion. Cheerish, sweet, and crisp just like Fairy Tail. He missed them all. Fun days. Brawling. Fighting on the side you can trust. And a certain girl, no, woman called Levy.
How many days since that day? The day when gramps announced disbandment of Fairy Tail. Gajeel hasn't move from his spot since then. Everybody has left Fairy Tail to various directions and own paths. Even he knew that Salamander and his blue cat have left before they announced it.
"Gajeel, let's go! We didn't have anything to do so let's go out and find one!" Pantherlily said to him back then.
He didn't move any muscle. Too shock to move. Too shock to talk. He just sat there with blank stare and started to take irons near him and munched them. Levy looked worried at him.
"Gajeel –"
"Leave him be, Levy. Let's go!" Lily cut her and dragged her somewhere not there. Gajeel assumed that they left, too.
Ah, he missed it. He never thought that he will felt this attached to the very guild he used to hate. In fact, he didn't hate this guild anymore. He loved this guild. Even he had hard times to blend in because of his sins for being responsible as the guild destroyer. Sometimes they were annoying as hell but he didn't care. In the end, he loved that atmosphere that he didn't have back when he still in Phantom Lord guild. He started to put his trust in this guild more and tried so bad to make the guild trust him. And there's her. A woman who didn't stood out much because of her size he think. He hurt her more than anyone else back when he was in Phantom Lord, yet she was the first on to forgive and trust him. She always saved him and last time he was saved by her from nearly death by giving him air. Giving him hope. But why? He was the least person she would save.
"Gajeel…" A female voice called him from behind. It's her.
"It's been one week, Gajeel. You should go. Everybody has left for their own adventures." She continued.
He still didn't move. One week? That long, huh? He could smell her closer. He knew she walked closer to him.
"Come on, Gajeel. Don't be like that. Be Gajeel who loves to fight for new adventures like you used to." She said again.
"Nee, Levy? Why did I always realizing something too late?" He started to talk.
She did not know the answer to be honest. So, she chose to keep silent and let him speak.
"Back then, I just realized how important Belno for me when she just died. She did try to guide me into the right path and yet, I was the one who didn't care and fell into the darkness of Phantom Lord. I was ignorant and stupid." He talked again.
Levy walked closer and closer to Gajeel.
"Then I joined Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail made me learn everything I didn't get in Phantom Lord. Happiness, trust, faith, they all comes from a strong bond. Yet, I realized that Fairy Tail is important to me just now. Why now? Why not back then so I did not have to do so many sins?" Levy could hear his voice started to tremble.
"You did do so many sins, Gajeel. But you changed. For good. And for me, it's enough to repay your sins." She said.
She sat in front of Gajeel. She could not see his face because most of his hair and shadows caused by them covered his face.
"Then, there's you, Levy." He said directly.
"Me?"
"Yes, Levy. Do you not remember? I did hurt you. Hurter then everyone else back then. It still haunted my dreams that I was the one who nailed you into that tree. And yet, you were the first one to forgive. Why?" Levy just sat there and didn't answer.
"For a second, I was ready to dead. Accept my fate as the darkness consumed me. And you were there giving me light to survive. Why you did that? You did not have any reason to do that, right?" He asked her.
Levy brought his right hand to reach Gajeel's face. She tried to make him face her directly. And that was it. She could see them all. Tears flowed unstoppable from his eyes. Fairy Tail disbandment must be a huge shock for him. She wiped his tears even she knew the tears won't stop any soon.
"I have a reason, Gajeel." She said to him while forming a small smile.
"What is it? Tell me." He insisted.
"Don't you ever remember? Tenrou Island? You made me promise to never leave your side." She said as she brought her other hand to his face.
"To make sure I don't break my promise, I have to make sure you never leave my side, too." She said.
"So, stop this. Let me keep my promise. Let me be on your side. I will never leave your side, right?" She continued.
Gajeel looked into Levy's eyes. He knew she was going to cry anytime soon and it was all because of Gajeel, Levy was going to cry. He forcefully pulled Levy and embraced her. Levy shocked but immediately returned his embrace. They kept like that for a long time. What was Gajeel feeling? Is it love? Like what Metalicana said to Gajeel?
"Levy? Could I ask something?" He said still embracing her.
"What is it, Gajeel?"
"Is it too late now? Is it too late if I just realize that I love you?" He asked.
"No, it isn't, Gajeel." She smiled. He pulled himself and looked into Levy's eyes.
"Then, I love you, Levy." He said.
"I love you, too, Gajeel. Let me keep my promise to never leave your side."
"Then let's go on an adventure together. Wherever I am going, you should be on my side." He smiled and kissed Levy.
