Hello there! I recently got into Fairy Tale and had to write this. It shouldn't be too long of a story, but I wanted to delve a bit deeper into Levy's past and both her and Gajeel's feelings.

I will be updating this as regularly as I can, about once a week since I already have the next few chapters outlined. And I'm so sorry to anyone who found this after starting Choices, I promise I have the next chapter almost done, but my writing style changed a lot since starting that story. and I'm trying my best to get it to match what's in my head.

Warning: Levy's nightmares start vague, but they're going to get more detailed and they're not pretty. If blood, gore, ect. upsets you, then I suggest skipping over the italicized paragraphs, since those are the dreams. Also, there will be suggestions of mature adult themes that may get a little intense, so, consider yourself warned. I'll let you know at the beginning of the chapter if that's the case.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! So sad T_T

~Something always brings me back to you,

It never takes too long

No matter what I say or do

I still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone~

Air painfully rushed in and out of her tiny lungs, burning them, but despite how hard she tried to regain her breath, Levy felt as if she was being choked. Sweat clung to her skin and clothes, making her feel heavy and disgusting. But more than her physical discomfort, her mental unrest was beginning to reach new heights. It had been months, years if she counted the time spent on Tenrou Island, and yet she could not stop the nightly terror. The same dream plagued her night after night, robbing her of her sleep, and lately, her sanity.

Looking beyond the relatively small pile of books on her nightstand, the small mage saw her alarm clock dutifully inform her that it was 6:13 in the morning. Knowing any further attempt at falling asleep would be in vain, Levy decided that it was a reasonable enough time to start her day.

Unlike the nights that were full of despair, the days she spent with her friends at Fairy Tail were wonderful, exactly like the fairy tale she always dreamed she would have. So, she knew no matter how bad she may feel in her bed, once she reached the guild all those dark feelings would evaporate. The promise of safety among her friend's encouraged Levy and lifted her thoughts away from her nightmare.

Pulling the heavy comforter off her body, Levy lithely jumped from her overly large bed and headed for her bathroom. The other girls questioned why she had such a large bed since she was so tiny and she always told them it was for her beloved books. And while that was true, since she would often fall asleep before placing them on the nightstand, it was only half the answer. It truth, Levy liked the feeling of being swallowed by the mattress and blankets that were far bigger than she was. It was comforting, though she would never admit it, cause that would only emphasize to the others just how small she was.

'Small in size but not it spunk' she reminded herself with a cocked smile.

Levy shut the bathroom door behind her and ran the tap on her shower before stripping off her pajamas and tossing them in the hamper. Once she deemed the water warm enough, she gratefully stepped under the spray, sighing in relief as her muscles responded to the warmth. Slowly, they unwound from a night of sudden tensing, leaving Levy feeling relief all over.

After allowing herself time to soak and wash herself off, Levy reluctantly stepped out of the shower, the tile on her bare feet feeling much colder than earlier. Before her sleepy mind could consider going back to the wonderful shower, she forced herself into her bedroom to change for the day. Levy mulled through her wardrobe, made mostly of cute dresses and the like. She couldn't decide between her favorite orange sleeveless dress, or her more practical white shorts when she noticed the outfit Lucy had made her buy on their most recent girl's day out. It was a very light purple, almost like a tinted white, fitted lace top with a sweetheart neckline paired with midnight blue shorts with silver studs along the seams. While the shirt was too princess-y for Levy's usual taste, she had to admit it was nice, especially with the dark shorts. And it would make Lucy happy to see it on her outside of the store.

With a roll of her brown eyes, Levy pulled the clothing in question off the hanger and slipped them onto her small body. Looking to the mirror, she was actually quite surprised to find she liked the new style. The neckline made her bust look larger, something she sorely needed when surrounded by the likes of Erza and Lucy, and the high shorts accented her already tiny waist dramatically. Best of all, they made her legs look like they were miles long.

'Good call, Lu. I actually look taller in this. I might have to listen to your advice more often.'

Though realistically, Levy never took her friend's advice without a grain of salt. Oh, Lucy meant well, but her excitement about certain things overshadowed her good intentions. More so as of late concerning a certain issue. Just the thought of it brought a slight blush to Levy's pale cheeks. She shook her head as if to shake away the embarrassment, and then reached to the top of her mirror for a black headband to tie back her uneven hair in her usual style.

Giving herself one last look, Levy was pleased with her appearance for the day, though she wished for the first time that she had makeup of her own to hide the darkness under her eyes. Usually, she didn't need any unless she was going out, and in those cases she just borrowed from Lucy. She pulled at the bags this way and that, trying to coerce them into disappearing, but to no avail. She sighed in defeat before pulling away from the looking glass.

Next on her to do list was make her bed, not a seemingly difficult task, but in this case, Levy needed to have stealth-like precision in order to avoid the minefield of books on her floor and to prevent herself from knocking into one of the shelves. When finished, taking longer than even she thought it would, Levy jumped back on top of her poofy comforter and picked up her current book. It was almost 7:30 am, so she figured she had a good hour or so to read before heading out to the guild.

But, as it so often happens with Levy, she was enraptured by the world in her book, needed to know more about the characters and their trials. Her sole focus and care was on the protagonist as he raced to the secret cavern under the city, desperately hoping he reached his adversary in time to stop her. Just as the climactic confrontation was about to commence, a grumble was heard. Lifting her head from the pages, Levy looked around curiously. Usually nothing could pull her attention away like that, and she didn't see anyone or anything in her room that could have made the noise. Hesitantly, she returned her gaze to her story, only to hear the same grumble once again, but this time she laughed at it.

"Only I could be dense enough to not even hear my own stomach.'

Placing a hand over her displeased midsection in order to placate it momentarily, Levy let out another small laugh before checking to see if it was late enough to go to the guild. What she saw made her shoot up, so that she was standing atop her bed. Oh, it was late enough all right. Levy was unsure if Mira would have any breakfast left for her, though since it was 12:30! Knowing who her guild mates were, she'd be lucky if there was any lunch left by the time she got there, despite the very short distance from Fairy Hills to the guild hall.

Shoving her book into a bag and grabbing her keys, Levy made a mad dash out of her room and down the stairs.

'Jet and Droy must be worried.' The thought passed through her mind as she left the dorm. 'I never get in so late. Sorry, guys, I'm coming!'

Levy grew too winded halfway to the guild and slowed to a quick walk, trying to catch her breath for the second time that day. Ten minutes later, she stood in front of the large guild doors and took a moment to compose herself. Just because she was late and ran there didn't mean she had to look like it. Pushing open the doors, Levy was greeted with the normal anarchy of her beloved guild. Already, Natsu was fighting with a half naked Gray, debris left in their wake. Levy was actually impressed. It looked like they'd been going at it for a while and there were only three broken tables and Gray wasn't indecent yet. She laughed to herself, thinking her standards for a good day were in serious danger of falling too low.

Moving past the fire and ice mages' path of destruction, Levy scanned the rest of the first floor. Lucy and Wendy sat closest to her, both sets of eyes focused on the fight, monitoring it. Erza sat a ways behind them, her customary cake on the table before her and a small paperbound book in her lap. Levy's smile turned impish as she recognized the cover. It was a teen romance novel, one that Levy used to pass time and escape when she was desperate enough. Those happened to be Erza's favorite, and Levy could only assume it was because the Titania would substitute the characters with herself and a certain blue haired criminal.

Beyond the girls were the usual suspects. Gajeel was brooding in a dark corner, his eyes tracking the fight as Lily looked over the jobs board. Elfman was yelling something about being a man, though Levy couldn't tell if it was in favor of the fight or not. Cana and Wakaba were drinking by themselves since Makao was off on a father/son mission with Romeo, though Cana was eagerly trying to convince Lisanna to try a drink. Over at the bar, Mira was eyeing the brunette with scrutiny, making sure her baby sister wasn't convinced into doing anything unseemly.

Everything appeared to be as it should, but there was something out of place. Her two teammates were missing. Usually Jet and Droy were the first to notice Levy and call out to her, asking about missions or dates, or both in some cases. While sometimes she did find their level of admiration towards her to be too intense, she did appreciate that they truly cared for her. And this morning, or afternoon as she reminded herself, Levy felt like she could use a healthy dose of friendly companionship. But since neither was around, she settled for going over to the bar where Mira busied herself cleaning glasses in order to get food and answers.

"Hello Mira." She greeted, seating herself in front of the white haired girl.

"Oh, Levy! You're in late today." Mira replied, smiling kindly.

"Oh, you know me, I got caught up reading." A small blush appeared on Levy's pale cheeks as she confessed the reason for her tardiness. Mira laughed in response, but it wasn't mean. "Got anything good to eat?"

"Well, I'm sorry to say you missed breakfast…"

Even though she expected as much, Levy still showed her disappointment with a curl of her bottom lip.

"But I could whip you up a sandwich for lunch. That way you can read while you eat."

Levy laughed in good humor at Mira's offer. To be honest, it was what she was planning on doing, but still, she wished some of her guild mates thought more of her outside of her bookish ways. After all, she wasn't a one trick pony.

"Thanks, Mira." She called as the pretty girl already started collecting ingredients for Levy's order. Turning towards the tables littering the rest of the first floor, Levy made her way over and sat next to Lucy, who was currently cradling her head in her hands.

"How…how can someone go from passionate mage to complete nimrod in three seconds flat?" she mumbled to herself, but both Wendy and Levy heard her.

"Natsu?" Levy asked, though the answer was obvious. She was allowing her friend a way to vent about her dense partner.

"Yes, Natsu! He's too much sometimes! Like this morning he…ugh!" Lucy cried, dropping her head from her hands so that it banged onto the table. "Ow."

Now Levy was curious. It was no secret that Natsu broke into Lucy's apartment regularly and often would sleep in her bed. And as much as the blonde girl protested, it was usually halfhearted. All Levy's reading taught her how to read between the lines, and what she was picking up was major attraction between the partners.

"Oh? What did he do this morning?" she asked lightly, egging Lucy on.

"When I woke up, he was in my bed again! But was that enough? No! That dense idiot decided to strip down to his underwear and use me as his personal teddy bear! I nearly had a heart attack!"

Levy put her hand over her mouth, hiding her smile. She knew that her best friend didn't really mind being cuddled by Natsu, but until Lucy admitted it to her, Levy wouldn't push.

"B-but that's just how Natsu is." Wendy offered meekly, a noticeable red tinting the tips of her ears.

"Very true, Lu. I think you'd rather his overzealous affection than nothing at all." Levy chided with a clandestine wink just as Mira brought over her lunch and a glass of water.

Lucy had nothing to say to the other two, nothing that wouldn't condemn her further that is, so she just returned to mumbling against the table.

Wendy turned to chat with Carla, the white exceed lecturing the young girl yet again, leaving Levy with nothing to entertain her besides her book. With her sandwich between her teeth, she reached into her bag and flipped open to her marked page, picking up right at the climax of the action. There wasn't much left of the book, and she was sure by the time she finished that Jet and Droy would appear, then Team Shadow Gear would head out for mission. They hadn't had one in a while, and it was about time to start a new one.

But as Levy approached the last chapter, she slowed her pace, subconsciously giving her friends more time. It didn't matter, though. As she closed her book, happy with the ending since it was a pleasant wrap up without being cliché, Levy couldn't help but feel let down. Neither Jet nor Droy had shown, and she was beginning to worry.

Lucy still sat beside her, though now she had a pad of paper in front of her. Levy recognized it as the novel the celestial mage was working on and leaned over, jokingly trying to read over the other girl's shoulder as she wrote.

"L-Levy!" Lucy jumped, surprised by the blue haired fairy's sudden proximity. "Come on! You know I'll show you when it's ready."

"I know. I was just messing with you." Levy answered, slipping back into her seat.

"Well, congrats, you succeeded." Lucy grumbled, looking back down at her paper and erasing a stray pencil mark caused by her previous shock. "By the way, nice outfit."

"Ah, thanks. Some girl thought I should get it even though it was her style, not mine."

"I'd say you should thank her, then, since it happens to look great on you."

Levy laughed out an honest thank you before letting her thoughts go down a more serious path.

"Hey, Lu, have you seen Jet or Droy today? I was thinking of looking for a new mission, but I wanted to wait for them."

"Oh! That's right! I'm so sorry, Levy, I forgot to tell you." Lucy put down her pencil to look at her friend. "Jet and Droy took a mission early this morning. It was a guy only mission, so they told me to let you know they'd be back in a few days."

'Well that's unexpected.' Levy thought, a little put off. Not that her partners weren't allowed to do anything without her, but it was rare than they wanted to. Even less so after going seven years without her. And she had been really looking forward to testing out her new solid script skills she had worked so hard practicing. Not to mention she needed a distraction. The only time she got a reprieve from her nightmares was when her mind was focused on work. 'I could always spend a night learning a new magic.'

"Oh, okay. No problem, I'll just wait for them to come back." She did try to sound normal, but the pessimistic tone in her voice wouldn't leave. She hoped that Lucy would be too distracted by her novel to notice, not really feeling up to explaining why she felt down. But no such luck was ever had by Levy.

"Why don't you ask someone else to go with you?" the blonde suggested helpfully. It sounded innocent enough, but Levy saw her friend's eyes look meaningfully to the back of the guild where a certain dragon slayer sat by alone.

Before Levy could gather a reason to refuse, Lucy was pulled away by Fairy Tail's pink haired menace, claiming his partner should have his back in the fight. With a deep breath, Levy sighed in relief and focused the others' crazy antics, wishing Lucy would become braver and Natsu wouldn't be so dense. Lucy would say she was being hypocritical, but their situations were completely different. Levy and Gajeel weren't even partners, and the petite woman was certain she could not confess until she was able to stand even with the iron dragon slayer. Lucy and Natsu, though, were thick as thieves. The only thing thicker was the romantic and sexual tension between them. It was driving everyone in the guild absolutely crazy, most of all Mira. She could see the white haired beauty eyeing the couple with a dangerous glint, her mind no doubt concocting another plan to force them together. 'Poor Mira. Someone should let her know flies are caught with honey, not brute demonic force.'

Levy sat in the guild a while longer, amusing herself with teasing Lucy a bit once the girl was able to return to the table. Though that led Lucy teasing her right back before noticing the dark circles under Levy's eyes. The smaller mage brushed her off, saying that she had stayed up late reading again. After Lucy seemed convinced, Levy busied herself by watching the budding fight. While she usually ignored the tussles that the boys started, she found this one to be pretty funny. At least, they're half thought insults were. But without her team and the promise of a mission, the merriment quickly wore off. Levy picked up her bags and wished everyone a goodnight. She stopped in the archives before leaving, picking up a book on silent magic and hoping to heaven that it got her mind tired enough to avoid it's night time terrors.

Taking her time on the way home, Levy walked through the park, enjoying the late afternoon breeze. Her hair was light and tousled easily in the wind, making her feel lighter, like she could fly if she wanted to. No one was around, so Levy laughed out loud at the thought. Even though Erza was nicknamed Titania, many people told the small mage that she was the one who looked like a fairy.

'It would be cool to fly though. Like Peter Pan.'

Ah, her favorite fairy tale of all. No frills, no princesses, just plain fun. After the fifth time she read the book when she was little, Levy tried to fly, jumping off the top of a gazebo that was in her backyard. Now that was painful! She had broken her arm and needed a few stitches on her head. Nearly scared her parents to death. She smiled sadly as she remembered her parents, their faces twisted with worry when she cried, relaxed with relief when they got home from the hospital.

Pulling away from the past, Levy took a look around to make sure once again that she was alone. Confirming her solitude, she jumped onto a large rock on the edge of the park, and leaped from rock to rock, pretending to fly. It was a guilty pleasure, one she indulged in vary rarely since it was rare that she walked home alone. She would never live it down if anyone, particularly from the guild, saw her acting like a kid the way she was. She was a grown woman, though she didn't always look it, so she definitely had to act like it.

After taking as much time in the park as possible, Levy turned down the street to Fairy Hills. The sun was setting behind her, casting a distortedly long shadow in front of her. She walked in her shadow until she reached the front of the dorms and stepped inside. Levy dropped her bag on the floor once she got to her room, promising herself to put everything away or at least get it off the floor in the morning. She set up on her bed with a glass of water and the archive book propped open, ready to tire herself out. Levy began reading, instantly intrigued by the appeal of silent spells.

The darkness was so thick it blinded her, but Levy didn't need to see. She knew this scene better than any memory. She ran aimlessly, knowing that it was no use. Sure enough, a large hand closed over her shoulder, pulling her back painfully before it wrapped around her tiny side. It's partner joined on the opposite side, lifting her up over her attacker's shoulder.

"Gi hi. Nice try, little fairy."

She was carried over to a tree, the same tree she passed in the park nearly every day. Red eyes, eyes that she had feared before coming to trust, and even care for, stared mercilessly at her. They were devoid of sympathy, but they were also lacking the malice that she was sure she would see in her memory. The dark haired man pushed her hard into the tree so that she hit her head. Pain lanced through her skull, and the pull of unconsciousness began to drag her away. She vaguely felt her arms being lifted and pinned to the tree.

Before she could drift away into a deeper darkness, the dream changed. Dark gave way to light, and the area around her morphed from the grassy park to a paved city street. Pieces of rubble littered the ground, and dark red flowed through the cracks. Following the trail of red, Levy's eyes settled on a large mass bent awkwardly over some debris. A wave of foreboding told her not to look, not to go over to the poor creature, but something unknown propelled her, compelled her to see what she knew would be a terrible sight.

She didn't know when she started crying, only that the salty tang of tears filled her slightly open mouth as she drew closer and closer, unsure why she would cry, and yet feeling the compelling need to. She both knew everything, and yet was ignorant to all.

Finally, she could see the details the distance had denied her. Skin was dirty and bloody, clothes were ripped beyond repair, dark hair lay matted and clotted with dried blood and the tips were singed. Worst was the splintered spear of wood that stuck out of the man's chest. The blood was lighter on the wood, staining it a rich red. Pieces of torn flesh hung from splinters that stuck out from the main spike. 'He must have fallen on it.' Levy's mind reasoned. Looking up his body to his face, Levy was met with lifeless red eyes. She screamed.

Like so many nights before, Levy awoke, her body trying to scream but her throat was too raw and dry to comply. She barely managed a mangled screech. Tears streamed down her face, a physical reminder of her dream pain. She put her head in her hands and folded her body in on itself, leaving her in a tight little ball on her bed, hoping that the position would force her body to stay together since it felt like she was going to break at any moment. Tiny hands pushed through uneven blue locks, curling into fists and pulling until physical pain replaced mental anguish. It had always been easier for her to deal with a burning scalp or raw skin than emotional distress.

Once her scalp was red and raw and the tears on her face had dried up, Levy stood from her bed, the archive book falling from her lap. She had fallen asleep in the middle of a chapter, not even bothering to change into pajamas or get under the covers. Though her breathing was still heavy, Levy couldn't stay in that room a moment longer, feeling like the dream lingered there. Slipping on a pair of shoes, Levy grabbed her keys and fled the dorms, heading for the park.

In truth, she wanted to go to the fields outside of Magnolia, but it was too risky so late at night all by herself, so she settled for the small oasis inside the city limits. She needed the open space to think, to just feel free. Sitting on the rock she had climbed the just a few hours before, Levy wrapped her tiny arms around her waist and rocked slowly back and forth, unconsciously trying to calm herself down. She lifted her face to the fresh wind, wishing it would blow away her fears, though it would probably be more helpful to decode the dream in order to pinpoint what it was she was afraid of.

When the dream first started, the answer to that was pretty obvious. But Levy held no fear or contempt toward Gajeel now. In fact, she trusted him immensely, as much as anyone else in the guild, and more than some of them, in fact. She found herself wanting his approval, his acknowledgement of her abilities, and something else she couldn't admit even to herself. But this damned dream stopped her from thinking about him or it any further, forcing fear to rack through her slight body once again.

'Stop. Please, this has to stop.'

She was so enclosed in her own mind that Levy was oblivious to the approaching figure until it was right beside her.

"Hey."

Okay! So that's the first chapter of Gravity. Let me know what you think, and I'll be back next Friday with chapter 2. Thanks for reading!