A/N: I'm just gonna... leave this here. *backs away slowly*

I know I should be updating Dress Code… I'm sorry!

This was inspired by the recent chapters (453… AHH) and it's my take on what happened during Gajeel and Levy's Council days. It's mostly unedited, so please tell me if there's some glaring mistakes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Honestly, it was bound to happen.

They were drawn toward each other like magnets. The more they resisted, intentionally or otherwise, just made the pull harder.

It had been one month after Fairy Tail disbanded.

The day after Master made the announcement, Levy took the A train out of Magnolia. It didn't matter where she went, she had to get out of Magnolia. There were too many memories and it would hurt less if she distanced herself. Just for a few months, she repeated, Just until I can get over Fairy Tail being disbanded. She rode the train for three days.

There was nowhere she could think of to stop.

Finally, at the end of the tracks, she was forced to disembark. For the first week, she was in a haze, sleeping at an inn and staring at the walls. Soon, her money began to run out. She was looking pretty bad at this point, her blue hair unruly and dark circles under her eyes. Levy hadn't even recognized her reflection. So, she forced herself to take a shower and stepped outside, for the first time in a week. The town she had disembarked at was Era, the headquarters of the Magic Council. The town was actually lovely, with quaint shops and fresh produce at every corner. Yet all Levy could feel was sadness.

This wasn't home.

She managed to get a job at a bookstore, working long hours to get her mind off of Fairy Tail. Every day she hoped vainly that she would run into one of her nakama. Every time she saw a flash of long black hair or a cat with round ears her breath hitched.

One day, Levy was working in the shop when a uniformed man ducked in. She didn't pay any attention to him. Era was crawling with Councilmen and Rune Knights, and one stopping in to look at the wares wasn't an abnormality here. It was only when the man came to buy a tome she gasped.

"Warrod Sequen?!" Sure enough, the Emperor of Ishgal himself was in the tiny store, buying a book on gardening.

"Hello, miss." The man smiled at her kindly, handing her the tome. "I would like to buy this one, if you would."

Levy's jaw dropped.

"I-um, yes, of course." Levy was stunned. She rang up the book. "Can I just say it's an honor to meet one of the founders of Fairy T-" A pang of sadness rushed through her. "Fairy Tail."

The tree-like man's eyes crinkled. "It's been so long since anyone has called me that. Were you in the guild?"

She lowered her eyes. "Yes." Already she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Pull yourself together! she scolded herself, to no avail.

"Ah, yes, it's truly a shame." The man shook his head, causing a slew of leaves to fall down. "Oh dear, I'm shedding. You know that time of year… my leaves are all going to fall out!"

Levy stared at him. …do guys like him do that?

"It was a joke!" he cackled suddenly. She offered him his book with a shaky smile. "Say… are you Miss Levy?"

She blinked. "Yes… How do you know my name?"

The man's (tree's?) eyes twinkled conspiratorially. "One of my trainees was one of your nakama."

For the second time that day, her jaw fell to the floor. "Really?! They were in the guild?!"

"Yes," Warrod said, "He's training to become a Council Member."

"C-Can I see him?" Levy asked excitedly, leaning over the counter. "Who is it?"

"It's that pink haired fellow!"

What? REALLY?

"It was a joke!" Warrod doubled over in laughter. When he recovered, he spoke again.

"Actually, why don't we meet up tomorrow? I'll bring him to the Forest Café at noon."

"Uh- okay!"

He left in a flurry of stray leaves, and she sat in a stupor. Was this really happening? No, it definitely was. She picked up a leaf Warrod had left behind. This wasn't a dream.

After the haze wore off, excitement set in. She was actually going to see one of her nakama again! After… days? Weeks?

Who was it? The day after her fateful encounter, she wondered all through her morning shift. Not Natsu, Warrod confirmed that. Not Jet or Droy, because they headed off to Harugeon. Guildarts wouldn't be able to stay in one place to do training, and Laxus definitely wouldn't abandon the Ranjinshuu to join the Council after the scare with the poison. It's probably Gray.

Gray, she decided, was the logical choice. He was hardworking and didn't have too big a grudge against the Council.

An hour before noon, she rushed to the inn to change into the one dress she brought from Magnolia and redo her hair. After patting the loose strands into place, she headed to the café. She was greeted outside by Warrod, who gave her a sly smile. "Your guildmate is inside. He's under the reservation Sequen. Enjoy your lunch!"

"Wha-" before she had time to respond, he was gone. "Wait!" Levy sighed. Too late now. She was led to her table, spikes of black hair showing over the booth. Levy nodded. It was definitely Gray.

"Shrimp?!"

"Gajeel?!" The man who sat behind the table was definitely not Gray. No, her unrequited love sat on the red leather, gaping at her. He hadn't changed a bit, from his long black hair to his deep red eyes and piercings in every imaginable place.

"You joined the Council?!" Levy was stunned.

Gajeel looked at her. Really looked at her. "Uh- yeah."

They stared at each other for a beat before the said, "Have a seat."

Levy sat and took in his appearance. He was wearing a tight black turtleneck with brown cargo pants and heavy boots. Next to him, who was undoubtedly wearing a uniform of some kind, she felt overdressed.

"So… you're training for a Council position?" she asked timidly. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Since most of the Council members are either dead or scared shitless, someone's gotta take the job. I'm taking a crash course to go straight to the top." He grinned, no, smirked, and her heart twisted. She had missed him so much.

"I, um, it's strange I didn't hear about you." The waiter placed two glasses of water on the table along with menus. She fiddled with the paper. Why was she so nervous?

"I've been working at a book shop around here." she looked away from his barely concealed look of surprise. "It's really different."

"You haven't changed at all." he said suddenly. Levy glanced at him, but he was taking a gulp of his water. You haven't changed, either.

They talked for a few hours, and Levy felt like a balloon with too much helium. She was afraid of bursting.

Apparently Lily had already petitioned to become an officer and because of his military background he was highly likely to get selected. Neither she nor Gajeel had heard anything from the other guild members, but there was a rumor that a red-headed mage went berserk in a pastry shop east of Era. Gajeel was training with a handful of other Council candidates. He invited her to try too.

"I'm weak. There's no way I'd be able to get a spot on the Council."

"I told you I'd make you big, didn't I?" She nodded.

"Now's your chance."

And a tiny idea wormed its way into her head.

When they finally left, they exchanged promises. Gajeel might not have known it, but he gave Levy a tiny bit of hope.

The next day was the same as all before, except Levy couldn't unwrap her mind from the idea Gajeel planted yesterday. Join the Council? There's no way. She paused in the middle of her task. What do I have to lose? Besides, a tiny voice piped up, you'll be able to see Gajeel every day.

That afternoon, Gajeel and Lily stopped by the bookshop. They'd done a lot of training that first month, and Lily said he was able to stay in his large form for longer periods of time now. Levy secretly missed his chibi form. She missed a lot of things, really.

"Gajeel.

"Shrimp." She ignored the nickname and continued.

"I'd like to join the training camp." Lily looked taken back, but Gajeel just ruffled her hair.

"Alright." he grunted, "I'll pick you up at seven."

That night, she drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Gajeel and… home. Her pillow was wet.

When Gajeel finally picked her up, the sky was lined with blazing clouds. He looked more put together than the other days, and his hair was slicked back into a tight ponytail. Today she chose a pair of pants and a tank top. Who knows what the day would bring?

They exited the inn and fell into step together, silent. Levy was the first one to speak. "Where are we going?"

"The camp is near HQ." he replied. "We need to register you first, though."

When they arrived, Warrod was standing outside. "Miss Levy, it's lovely to see you again."

"Mr. Sequen." They had her photographed and fingerprinted, and asked her some questions. It wasn't like anything she had done before. Of course, being a mage, she had never been interviewed for an actual "job" before. Everything was so different.

At the end of it, she was given a uniform: two black turtleneck shirts, brown cargo pants, a thick blue jacket emblazoned with the Rune Knight symbol and tough leather boots. "You will be required to wear this while you take the courses." Warrod informed her, patting the stack of clothing. "No jewelry, purses, or different clothing should be worn with this."

"Is my headband okay?"

She was brought to the dorms, and met the other women who were taking the course. One was very fierce and Levy could tell she had a high magic skill. The other was graceful, more like a dancer than a mage. Other than them, there were about fifteen men. Levy didn't see them much during that day.

Just before dinnertime, she and Gajeel went to move her (meager) things to the dormitories. It was shocking how few possessions she had. Most of her belongings were clothes, random things she grabbed from Fairy Hills before escaping. She packed those underneath her bunk. Then there were her books, ranging from tall tales to a thick book on the study of runes. She placed those under her bunk, too. The last things left were her magic quill (even though she could make Solid Script without it), a Lily plushie, a few drawings Reedus made for her, and Gajeel's torn headband from the GMG. Blushing, she shoved those into her satchel and placed them under her tiny bed stand. There was a small mirror on the door of their shared dorms, and she peeked at her reflection. Warrod insisted she wear a plain headband, and so a black one that tied on the side was holding her hair back. She looked healthier than she had in weeks, and that pesky blush from before was still staining her cheeks. Levy smiled. She felt ready for action.

The next few months were rough. They did sparring, endurance training, and magical stamina training. They spent hours memorizing and reciting whole chapters from the rulebook and took countless tests on the codes and on Fiore in general. Levy excelled at the writing and reading but usually got beaten when she sparred. She remembered during one intense fight she was pitted against the most ruthless fighter, and she felt helpless against him. His fists felt like… well, they didn't bring back any good memories.

She was constantly sore and tired, but seeing Gajeel every day was what got her through it. His presence was calming to her, whether they were sitting and eating or he was teasing her about her height. Besides… it was really, really nice to see him.

Was it possible to lose something you never had?

Four months passed. It was brutal.

Yet, no matter what, Gajeel was always there.

The remaining officials were tracking their progress, and at the end of their training they were graded. Levy was glad training was over, but… what about Gajeel? It had gotten to the point where they became attached at the hip. Lily would joke they acted like a married couple.

The real reason they stayed so close?

Fear of abandonment. They clung to each other like lifesavers and, in a sense, they were. After Fairy Tail disbanded, they were orphans.

Levy was assigned head of the Linguistics Department of Council Affairs and Gajeel became leader of the Strategic Division, his troops often fighting on the front line. He was also given a title in the Council.

She graduated from cargo pants to crisp white uniforms.

It was… liberating. Finally, after all these months, she had something that was stable. She had income, and was around books all day. She got to see Gajeel and, though it wasn't Fairy Tail, it was something.

It wasn't long before they got an apartment together. They were sick of the dorms and so Lily arranged for the three of them to live together.

And it was only six months after they moved in together that they were seemingly torn apart.

Gajeel was losing his mind. The Council was trying to bring down Avatar, but they needed someone on the inside. They couldn't use anyone on the Rune Knights, for fear Avatar would recognize their magic. Levy was making dinner when she hear him talking to Lily.

"We need someone there but we can't use any of the goddamn Rune Knights!" he slammed his palm against the wall. "We're stuck between a rock and a fucking bomb."

"Let me do it." She stepped out of the shadows.

"What- no." he directed his scowl at her.

"Come on, Gajeel. It's the most logical choice."

"No fucking way." was his gruff response.

"Levy, it's far too dangerous." Lily stepped in, "you could be killed, or tortured."

Again. The word hung between her and Gajeel.

"No. We'll find somebody." And that was all he said about it.

But the next day she thought about it, and she was the logical choice. The barely know head of a department that was very rarely in the news. She could hold her own in a fight and was smart. Levy pitched the idea the next day. Gajeel was not present.

When he got home, though, he was a thundercloud. "I told you not to do it."

She had been reading, and she dropped her book in surprise. Gajeel stormed towards her and pinned her against the wall. "I told you not to do it! I told you! Why?! WHY?!" An edge of hysteria crept into his voice.

"I have to." He stared down at her stonily. "G-Gajeel, the Council is my home now. Fairy Tail isn't coming back. If I can help them, I should."

"But-"

"Gajeel." He folded in on himself, resting his head above hers. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his midsection. "It's what a Fairy Tail mage would do." She spoke into his chest.

"I can't let you go." He placed his arms around her gently.

"Please. Just…try?" Levy looked up at him, but his gaze was somewhere else. "I signed up for this fully knowing the risks. I'm capable."

He sighed. "Don't screw this up."

"I'll try my best."

The world is a fickle place, especially for mages.

They never talked about it at home, even though Levy was constantly being called to the Council to confer about it.

Their dinners became more somber.

Soon the date was set. In two weeks, Levy would go and infiltrate Avatar.

Gajeel began to have nightmares. He denied them, but Levy heard. One night it was so bad he was yelling and thrashing in his bed. Levy, in the bedroom next door, was lying wide-eyed in the dark.

"Levy! Stop! What are you doing to her?!" he was screaming himself hoarse. Levy marched into his room. His blankets were on the floor and his hair was everywhere. "Stop it! You motherfuckers!"

"Gajeel!" she rushed over to his side. He stilled.

"L-" His voice broke.

"Shh, just sleep."

"Don't-"

"I won't."

She sat on the bed next to him and watched his face. When would she ever get another chance like this? His face was so peaceful. She'd never seen him like this before.

His hand shot out and he pulled her under the covers. "Stay."

"Ah- okay."

Gajeel's arms wrapped around her. He smelled like sweat (in a good way) and his skin felt warm and soft.

It was the best sleep they'd had in weeks.

The next morning was a tangle of sheets and limbs and embarrassment. Levy quickly left his room to make breakfast. Breakfast was… tense. Lily was out because he had an early meeting, so Gajeel and Levy were left by themselves. The meal was silent, to say the least. Levy ate silently and Gajeel scarfed down the food quickly. He muttered a "thanks" before leaving.

They didn't have a meeting about Avatar, so they were spared seeing each other at work. Levy soon became engrossed in her work. When she came home Gajeel was already in his room. She headed to hers to freshen up and change out of her stuffy uniform. At dinner, Gajeel pushed his food around on his plate. Levy pretended to go through the motions, but her heart wasn't in it. A heavy atmosphere settled over the table.

"Can you pass the pepper?" Lily asked carefully. The awkwardness was almost tangible.

Both Levy and Gajeel reached for the shaker, and Gajeel pulled away as if scalded. Levy narrowed her eyes and handed the item to Lily.

"Never mind, I'm going to retire now." Lily gave the two looks and scooted out of the dining room. "Good night."

Levy and Gajeel mumbled something at him and resumed eating. "Okay, what is your problem?" Levy shattered the silence first.

"What?" Gajeel glared at her.

"What's up with you? If this is about last night, I was just helping a friend out!" Levy said. "But you act like I'm- I'm poisonous!"

"It's none of your business." Gajeel said tonelessly.

"It's plenty of my business!" Levy's voice was rising along with her anger. "We share a goddamn apartment! We're nakama. You're obviously not okay, so why don't you say anything?!"

Gajeel slammed his fist against the table, making the plates jump. "Why are you so worried? You're going on a suicide mission! Fuck, you'll be lucky if you make it out in one piece!"

"Oh, don't you dare make this about me!" Levy yelled, "I signed up for this! Last night was the first night you've slept well this week!"

"You want to know why?!" Gajeel roared, leaning towards her. "Phantom Lord! Phantom, okay? Fuck- it's going to happen again! You're going to die and I'll be powerless against it. I-" he crumpled.

"Gajeel…" Levy rushed to his side, comforting him.

"I- I can't lose you." They sank to the floor together.

"I know." It was a whisper. "I'm sorry."

"I really, really…" his voice trailed off.

She cupped his cheek. "I really like you." His expression of shock was not disguised and Levy looked away. "Before I go, I thought I should tell you. Just in case."

"Yeah." And he kissed her.

That night he crawled into her bed and they slept together. Their bodies melded together like they were two puzzle pieces.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of kisses and just-in-case goodbyes. Every night, Gajeel would be in her bed and they would talk and fall asleep together. That day was approaching.

The last night, before she went to Avatar, they made love. It was awkward and slightly painful, but at the same time Levy enjoyed it.

The sex was... not the best decision to make. The next day they were sore and exhausted. Levy regretted it, but the pain was forgotten when she put on her Avatar robes. Gajeel frowned when she emerged.

"I don't like it." Gajeel crossed his arms.

"It's only for a month."

"It's a month too long."

"Gajeel."

"Levy."

"We can't do anything about it now."

"Don't die, okay?" Gajeel smirked at her, ruffling her hair.

"Don't steal my lines."

"C'mon, love birds. We gotta go." One of Gajeel's soldiers said. Levy blushed. Gajeel pulled her in for one last kiss and the troops broke out in raucous chatter.

"Hurry up, Captain!"

"You owe me a thousand Jewels!"

"I thought you forgot about that!"

"Shut up!" Gajeel yelled, and Levy could see his ears were turning red. "Let's go!"

The month at Avatar was stressful and Levy worked hard to maintain her cover. It was hard, though, especially when she found out that Gray was part of the guild.

She had a mere week of peace when her world was turned upside down again.

She was over joyed to see Lucy and the others, yet…

There went her Council life. After finally adjusting to life with Gajeel, it was ripped apart. Again.

But, in true Fairy Tail nature, she plowed on.

The night before they went to war, they cuddled in Gajeel's bed. (They learned the hard way that sex before battle was not the best option.)

"I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too, Gaj."

"When should we tell them?"

"After. Give us something to look forward to. L-Lucy will be so mad…"

"Don't cry. Sleep."

"Okay."

"I'll always be by your side."

"O-okay." She hiccupped. "Stop stealing my lines."

"Goodnight Lev."

"Goodnight."

And soon she was asleep.

A/N: Well.

That was long. Sorry for the weird ending, I was rushing to put this out before the chapter tomorrow.

So... did you like? Think it was horrible? Leave a review!

MQW