My first fanfiction for Fairy Tail and the first one I've written in a while. This story relies on a little imagination (as does a few fics). When I was doing a little research for this the Fairy Tail Wiki says that Gajeel branded Levy during the Phantom Lord arc but I'm not sure if this meant magically or in a way that would scar. For this please just imagine that there is a scar.

Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me in anyway.

Levy perched in Gajeel's lap in the cold, almost metal like bedroom. A thick book in her hands, which had her completely engrossed. Gajeel looked down at her in a lazy manner. He thought to himself about how silky her hair was on his rough fingers as he stroked her head, how adorable her face was as she concentrated on the mammoth book in front of her and how lucky he really was. Her shirt had lifted slightly from the way she had settle in his lap, he doubted that she noticed it. He did, he always does. He could see the faint outline of that godforsaken symbol on the pale skin of her stomach. The one he had branded her with almost a year ago. Yet here she was, laying in his lap content with the way he stroked her hair. He was glad, ecstatic even, that they were in a relationship but he couldn't understand why. It bothered him late at night sometimes. He would stare at her face as she slept beside him and think about the horrible things he did to her and her teammates.

He had been in his own little world and hadn't noticed that Levy was now staring at him and not at the book. He was still looking at her stomach and she briefly thought about pulling down her shirt. She didn't want him to think that it bothered her when he so obviously was. She pulled down the soft fabric and this snapped Gajeel back to reality. He looked into the bright eyes looking at him and she could see his brain whirring behind those red eyes.

"Gajeel?"

He replied as if his brain had just had enough of the question and needed to know answers.

"Why Levy? Why are you here? Why have you stayed with me day after day knowing that I was the man who hurt you and your friends so badly?" The questions were asked so quickly and they were so full of fear that Levy was taken aback. He moved away from her, pushing her off his lap and sat at the end of the bed. Levy looked at the man and shook her head.

"Gajeel?" Nothing. "Gajeel look at me." Still nothing. She sighed heavily. "The man who attacked me and the dragon slayer that came to the guild that he knew would be hard to fit into but protected it nonetheless from a powerful mage are two very different people." Gajeel turned his head slightly so he could just see Levy who was smiling at him with her sweet smile. A smile that could melt butter in a blizzard. "You are no longer a man powered by a murderous ferocity. You are still scary and intimidating but to the people who know you this is not to be feared anymore. I know who you are. I saw what you were willing to do to prove your loyalty and I know that you are devoted to Fairy Tail. You have shown me a completely different side to you and I know how special that is. You became part of the guild and part of my life. I don't care about the scar because you have more than made up for it with the countless times you have saved my life. I stay with you Gajeel because I love you and nothing will change that."

Gajeel turned all the way round, looking the small woman in the eyes and only seeing love and sincerity. He smiled at her and she beamed back at him knowing she had eased his mind of the insecurities. She had been waiting for these questions and had been ready to help him. She always noticed him glancing at the light scar if it was showing. She didn't care about it, only that it caused Gajeel pain. If that happens again it's her job to make Gajeel happy again.

All done. I've had this written down for months but lost my book. Finally I have found it and managed to type this story up. Hope you enjoyed this.