Gajeel looked down at his hands, just now realizing how calloused and scarred they were. He realized this was a nervous habit. He sat in the dark corner of the guild hall facing the front doors waiting for guild mates to come back from missions. He had heard that a certain guild team had some issues on their last job...that was three days ago and they still had yet to return.
Pantherlilly look at his anxious friend and sighed. "You know we could have taken a job to keep you preoccupied." the black cat firmly stated as he crossed his arms over his chest
"Shove off, I'm too tired from the last one that we took" Gajeel grumbled as he rubbed his sore neck.
Mirajane came over to their table and sat down across from Gajeel. She had a concerned look on her face. Gajeel glared at the shedevil. "What do you want?" He firmly stated making eye contact with her.
Mirajane had a sweet smile and sighed, "you know if you told her how you felt then maybe you would have been in the job with her, instead you are wallowing." The shedevil pointed out.
"And then there's that." Lily added. Gajeel glared at the both of them and kept his voice low "do you really think she has entirely forgiven me for what I did to her many years ago when I first got here?"
"Do you think she wouldn't talk to you and work previous jobs with you, or even train with you on occasion if she didn't" the black cat lashed back.
Gajeel shrugged. The bluenette with the brown eyes had him so wrapped around her tiny fingers and she didn't even know it. Now her and team, Shadow Gear were nowhere to be found.
Gajeel sighed heavily, "Maybe you are right, maybe I should stop being such an asshole and get off my high horse and just tell her."
Mirajane smiled at him "For being a big bad iron dragon slayer you actually have some brains, if I hear anything I'll let you know. Last I knew they weren't far away though. It's still early in the day they could make it back before nightfall."
Gajeel spent the entire day in the guild hall, he ate there he took a nap and he pulled a book out from his jacket pocket and started reading. Waiting as patiently as he could for the team to arrive.
It was almost midnight, he was getting ready to call it a night and just head back to his apartment when his ears perked up. Lily must have geared it too, because the cat stood up on the table next to his friend and looked at him. "You need to stay calm when they walk through that door-" he was cut off by the door violently swinging open.
Droy ran in, "WENDY! WE NEED WENDY" he screamed as he retreated back out the door to help Jey carry what appeared to be a lifeless Levy into the guild. Gajeel was immediately to his feet and started walking towards the door when the shedevil stepped in his way, "Gajeel go sit down and let Wendy do her job once we get her in the back, I'll come and get you when everyone is gone."
Gajeel looked past Mira to see Wendy running to the boys carrying Levy to the back where there was a medical area, he glared at Mira and sighed and sat back down.
Hours must have passed and he was the only one in the hall, he was pacing at this point until finally the back door swung open revealing Jet and Droy walking out looking exhausted. They went to walk by him when he stepped in their way, "Just what in the actual hell happened out there, I need a fucking answer" Gajeel sneered at them.
Jet and Droy both sighed and backed away, " We were attacked by a dark guild, we don't know who because we were not able to identify him. Levy hurt him pretty badly though but then he was able to get to her and here we are."
Gajeel stared at the two, "I TOLD BOTH OF YOU TO NEVER LET HER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT WHEN YOU WENT ON MISSONS" he yelled at them, "JUST GO, GET OUT OF HERE IF YOU CAN'T DO YOUR JOB CORRECTLY" he screamed.
Both Jet and Droy took off running to the front of the guild hall, just as Mira came out of the back. She looked at Gajeel and waved him to come to her.
"You know maybe if you weren't so mean to them you'd be able to be friends with them" the shedevil stated. Gajeel looked at her, "And then there's that. Is she alright?"
"She's sleeping but she will make a full recovery. Wendy have her some meds for pain and to sleep, you can go back there, there is a chair for you next to her bed" Mira told him she placed a hand in his shoulder as he walked past her and he stopped in his tracks "Be gentle with her and for the love of Mavis stop beating yourself up" she added.
Gajeel walked to the back, the sky dragon, Wendy nodded to him and he nodded back. He got to the room where the bluenette was and pulled the curtain back, a gasp escaped him before he could catch it. There she was the shrimp bookworm laying soundly asleep in the bed, he glanced down her arms and any visable body parts, she was bruised and had some scabs from the battle, her hands had bandages on them and there was dried blood in her hair.
Gajeel sat down in the chair next to her bed, "Damnit shrimp, if you would have gotten killed I'd never be able to live with myself" he whispered "You need to get better...you need to push through"
Gajeel put his elbows on the bed and cupped his face, his thoughts racing. It had been awhile, they were friends, they flirted, she would get mad when she would see another women flirting with him. She would pick on him about his musical taste and the way he ordered coffee, he was completely smitten and in love with her but was too scared to tell her.
He was afraid of rejection...And then there's that.