Hullo all! The Author's Note will be located at the bottom; just going to warn you, one more time, that there are SO MANY SPOILERS for those who only follow the anime, or for those who are not up to date with the manga. Either read up to Chapter 453, or be very happy I tried my best to keep the spoilers to a minimum, only what I felt Levy would think about.
Disclaimer: I never have and never will own Fairy Tail or its characters... But I still can have my fun with 'em!
Stars winked against the cobalt sky that hung above Fiore. The streets of every city were silent but for the occasional passing of a guild member or a stray animal, and tension was thick in the air.
It was this somber atmosphere Levy McGarden was trying to escape, her nose in a book. But try as she might, no story was able to alleviate the worry gripping her heart… Not adventure, not fantasy; not romance, not suspense.
Even Fairy Tail's usually jovial air, men and women laughing and boasting as though they had never been apart for a year, did nothing to dispel the weight of impending doom. Not to say that some hadn't stayed in contact, of course, but right now, with war on their doorstep, Levy just couldn't find it in her to seek out any companionship. Or, she mused as her eyes flew over the words, maybe she did, but after thought she had decided to face this gloom alone in her room.
Lucy had been her first choice, of course; the girls had a lot in common, and the prospect of spending the evening laughing over their favorite books and, maybe, if Levy was lucky, discuss the young novelist's work in progress, definitely tickled the bluette's fancy. But where the Celestial Spirit mage was, Natsu was sure to follow, and Levy definitely did not want to insert herself between those two… Any more chemistry between the best friends and all of Fiore would combust; not something you needed when the Alvarez Empire was already waiting to burn the nation to the ground.
Jet and Droy could have been a possibility, too, but the two other Shadow Gear members had been… mopey, recently. Levy sighed, brows furrowing, the stars outside catching her eye for a moment. The boys had always been eager to spend time with her; clingy, even. They had been more than distraught when she decided to go her own way when Fairy Tail split up, to try and become stronger. And when they were reunited, the thought of things going back to how they had been flew right out the window as soon as they learned that she had been spying on Avatar, working for the Magic Council… all while remaining in close contact with Gajeel, not with them. They'd given her space, then, or found any excuse to leave as soon as the Iron Dragonslayer approached. Otherwise, they seemed to be feeding off of the same energy everyone else in Fairy Tail was radiating; only when near the third Shadow Gear member or Gajeel did they become sullen.
It was sad, and strange; usually, Jet would be the first to offer to help Levy, only for Droy to insist that it was his turn to do so. They were even more vocal when it came to protesting against Gajeel's very presence, no matter his intentions… But for some reason, when the stakes were this high, they decided to back off.
Levy sighed softly, watching as a cloud shadowed Magnolia and cast a curtain over the pinpricks of light so, so far away. It was strange to know a battle was looming; usually, danger found the girl and her guildmates without warning.
Unbidden, dark memories of a brutal beating and waking, cotton-mouthed, to stark white sheets and worried faces made the book tremble in her hands. Breathing carefully, she set the tome down at her bedside and nestled deeper into her bed. Just because the broken bones had mended, just because the bruises had faded… it didn't mean she had forgotten what Gajeel did to her team. She knew Jet and Droy's worry was founded in truth; he had never been ordered to hurt them, or anyone, and he had done it with a sick grin on his face and a gleam in his crimson eyes. The image still haunted her from time to time, but scarcely now. His gruff voice was now a reassurance; his teasing a promise that he genuinely cared. Gajeel was not the man he once was; just as Juvia had found the will within her to love Fairy Tail –and a certain Ice mage in it, the Iron Dragonslayer had grown protective of the rag-tag bunch and counted himself among their number.
Gajeel had never apologized to her, but he never had to; she had seen his regret consistently in his ruddy gaze for months on end, only dissipating after the events on Tenrou island nearly killed them both.
Levy smiled, stifling a yawn with her hand; he was a brave and determined man, unafraid of the challenges that lay ahead… Maybe he could teach her to be courageous, too; after all, hadn't he promised he'd make her big?
A heavy clout echoed in her apartment, and Levy muffled her squeak of fright in her comforter. Hazel eyes wide, she tore her gaze away from her bedroom door to catch a glimpse of the world outside; Magnolia was still, no sign of danger… but maybe it was an assassin?
Her fears were firmly put to rest when another knock shook the door. And then a few more for good measure as a growl could be heard through the walls and wood, even from the other end of the apartment: "Open the hell up, shrimp! We didn't walk this entire fuckin' way just to be left out in the hallway!"
Levy startled. "Oh! C-coming!" she called, hastily sliding out of bed and stumbling in her drowsiness. She swallowed a yawn as heavy steps lead her through the shadowed room to unlock the door. When she did, she couldn't help but smile at the pair that greeted her. Pantherlily, a recurved blade nearly twice his size clutched in his dainty paws, gave her a firm nod as he strode past while Gajeel simply stood there, seeming to debate if it would be wise to stay when she looked so bedraggled. When he seemed to sense that Levy noticed his unease, he crossed his arms over his nightshirt gruffly, drawing attention to the fact his usual badboy attire was nowhere to be found. As the Dragonslayer opened his mouth to talk, however, Pantherlily spoke up from behind Levy.
"We decided you might like some company; everyone's head is reeling from what we've learned today, and with war on the horizon there was a possibility our presence would reassure you." The Exceed's words were smooth and confident, and without another he set about strutting from room to room, presumably making good on the unspoken third reason for their presence being that they knew the Solid Script mage would worry about becoming the first casualty. Levy and Gajeel, however, continued to awkwardly study eachother from the doorway until the cat pointedly coughed.
Gajeel huffed as the bluenette stepped aside. "Yeah, what he said; we're spending the night here." A burly hand silenced Levy before she could so much as protest, crimson eyes narrowing almost playfully. "And no buts about it, shrimp; we're closer to the guild hall here, too, so it's a win-win."
Too bemused and weary to argue, Levy waved him in and only barely glared at the dirt his heavy boots spread as he kicked them off, her mind far too occupied to take note. "Sure, fine… make yourselves at home," she said, watching the pair snoop about her home for a few moments before turning tail to resume her drowsy reading… not that she would be able to fall asleep with these two inevitably making a ruckus. So instead she plucked a worn hardcover from one of her numerous shelves and nestled herself into a plush chair. Realizing a moment too late she had forgotten any sort of blanket, and that neither Gajeel or Lily would have any sort of comfortable place to sleep she beckoned the pair over.
"Solid script; blanket!" Without its usual zest, the quick movement of her hands made rather oddly-shaped comforters appear in the air, each a rich blue speckled with yellow stars. Pantherlily thanked Levy politely as he picked up the 'a', shoving Gajeel lightly when the man continued to stare blankly at the quilts. Levy fidgeted as her magic underwent his silent examination, instead throwing a length of woolen cloth over her lap and leafing through the pages of her chosen volume.
The girl filled the gaping silence with a gentle murmur: "I know they look a bit girly, Gajeel, but this place can get really drafty… And with all the letters in 'mattress' I think we'd need to have a yard sale!"
Her attempt at lightening the mood only earned her a snort. "Thanks, but no thanks; I ain't gonna be sleeping on the job. Everyone in the guild is spendin' the night talkin' away to get their minds off of this Alvarez empire shit." Still, he flung one of the longer blankets over a shoulder and roughly grabbed a random book that had been laying around... a tome that Levy quickly slapped out of his hands before he could read the cover.
"N-not that one!" she stammered, tossing it somewhere behind her chair. Oh, sweet Mavis, why oh why did she have to leave an example of the steamier literature she read out in plain sight the night he came barging in? It wasn't as though reading erotic novels was the norm for her; she had just been having trouble sleeping, that's all!
Gajeel merely quirked a studded brow as she bashfully handed him a tamer book, feeling heat spreading over her cheeks like wildfire. He continued as if she had never interrupted, absentmindedly eyeing the hardcover he held.
"… And knowing you, squirt, ya wouldn't be able to get your mind off of this. You'd worry yourself sick and spend the entire night overthinking things."
Levy nodded, leaning back tentatively, the flaring blush spreading to her neck as she became conscious of just how close Gajeel was. Her gaze darted away from his, her voice coming out shrill and squeaky. "Y-Yeah, you're right… "
With that, a comfortable silence bloomed in the drafty living room as the night wore on. To Levy's surprise, both the Dragonslayer and the Exceed were tranquil at night, seeming at ease in the flickering candlelight they read by. They would rotate shifts of sort, with one reading on the couch while the other would peer out through the window, or stalk the shelves in search of a new story to read. Given neither had been avid readers before finding themselves branded as members of Fairy Tail, and still did not greatly fancy literature, one or the other would often cautiously ask the bookworm what a certain word meant, and found themselves awed by even the most well-known of tales. Pantherlily in particular was fond of the story of a booted, sword-wielding feline, while Gajeel occasionally snickered whilst struggling through a story of dwarves and a greedy dragon.
After many hours had passed and the wicks had grown short, Levy found herself drifting off as the intrigue of her chosen story began to still. She was startled awake as Gajeel's hand landed on her shoulder; she had not even heard him leave his seat. The man bared his fangs in a gaping yawn before speaking.
"Why didn't ya give either of us a pair of those whirlwind reading glasses, shrimp?"
Given the contagious nature of yawns, Levy stifled one of her own, closing her book to peer up at him. Even with him leaning heavily on her seat, he still towered over her with ease. "Because the whole point of reading a story is to get wrapped up in the adventure, Gajeel. If you're flying through it too fast to actually feel the ups and downs the characters are going through, what's the point?"
He huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of Levy's face. "Then why use 'em at all?"
She grinned, her lethargy temporarily forgotten thanks to the topic at hand. "Because sometimes you don't have the luxury of taking your time with a book; remember when I decrypted Freed's enchantment on the guild hall?" As the dragonslayer tilted his head in thought, the mage took a chance and poked him in the chest. "Imagine what a mess Magnolia would have been if I didn't get you and Nastu out of there fast enough!"
Without warning, Gajeel's huge hand enveloped hers in a firm grip, his eyes pinning her to the chair. "Damn straight I've thought about it," he growled, softening his voice when Levy shied away from his tone, "and thought about it a lot, actually. I don't care what ya think I think, shrimp; you ain't no weakling. Not the strongest, sure, but you've saved a lot of our asses."
Unbidden, a memory of inky water and hammering heartbeats slid to the forefront of her mind. Of a kiss, a gift of air.
Levy yelped and shrank back. Judging by Gajeel's faint blush and how he pointedly cleared his throat, he seemed to have had a similar trail of thought.
"So… why do you girls like all these mushy sort of romantic books?"
… And he also appeared to have no idea how to change the subject. Oh well. Levy sighed, willing her flush to disappear as she glanced back down at the cover of the novel; a tragic couple was displayed, the woman reaching down from a balcony as she beckoned her lover in the moonlight. Gajeel's words struck a chord in her, her heartbeat skyrocketing. "Well… Most girls don't find their perfect match until they're well in their twenties. Until then, we go through disappointment after disappointment, heartbreak after heartbreak. These tales of romance keep us hanging on, hoping true love will find us someday."
Gajeel snatched the book from her grasp, examining it crossly. "Gi-hi; sounds to me like these things are just setting you up to get hurt."
"Hey!"
"I don't mean it like that, shrimp! Just sayin' that these sorts of things make guys out to be either perfect prince charmings or obstacles before getting' to 'em; it's not like the perfect guy is just gonna sweep a girl off 'er feet." He placed his chin in his hand, thumb flicking over the studs there as he stared at the depiction of teen romance. "So girlies just walk right into every relationship, hopes high that this'll be the one, and the crash and burn when he ain't as perfect as they thought, 'cause the idea that he wasn't perfect in the first place never crossed their minds."
He smiled, then, a heavy hand patting the Solid Script mage's head gently. "There ain't no such thing as love at first sight; whoever thought up that bullshit should be arrested, then taken' out and shot. Those feelings take time to grow as ya get to know the person, to the point where the fact they ain't perfect doesn't matter at all anymore, 'cause they're perfect for you."
Levy stared at him, bemused at such, and he stared back, hazel meeting crimson as flickering candlelight made the hues shift and dance.
"Well… I'm going to go guard outside… it's a bit too warm in here for me."
Levy and Gajeel practically leapt apart, the later nearly stumbling over a pile of books as he turned to snarl at the wide-eyed Exceed. Nonetheless, Pantherlily bore a pleased grin as he sauntered off, using his Aera magic to open the door and leave, thus giving the pair alone time neither was sure they wanted.
It was at this moment that the flame Levy had been reading by was snuffed out, no longer having a wick to consume. As Gajeel fumbled with the volumes he had knocked over, grumbling and cursing under his breath, Levy was left to frantically consider this situation. Really, something straight out of one of those romance books Gajeel seemed to hate so… She was sure that, if similar circumstances occurred in Lucy's novel, such a speech about romance and the departure of a third party would surely be followed by declarations of undying love… right?
Levy shook her head and clutched her blanket tightly. No, she shouldn't even consider this possibility, it was unfair to even think of it; Gajeel was the polar opposite of any brave knight in any tale, and not just because he would eat the sword instead of wielding it. No flowery language, just blunt statements; no meaningful looks, just pointed glares; no grand gestures, just… Well, come to think of it, Gajeel had been letting his actions speak for him, and awfully loudly too… And he had been keeping a close eye on her… And just today, he had said something that had definitely caught Levy's attention. Something that had piqued her curiosity and tormented her thoughts nearly as much as the looming threat of an attack.
"Hey, Gajeel?" When he replied with a grunt mildly louder than his rumbled curses, she asked, "What did you mean when you said it wasn't a sin to fall in love?"
She brought her knees up to rest under her chin as she regarded the man, noting how his grumbling halted. Instead he looked at her, sat on a stack of old grimoires… and ridded himself of his shirt.
Levy could almost feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and neck as she screeched, throwing her blanket over her head. Gajeel's acute hearing suffered for every second of the high-pitched cry, and with a snarl he stomped over and removed her impromptu hiding place, tossing it to crumple where his shirt lay.
"WHAT THE FLYING FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" Gajeel roared, both arms braced against the back of the chair, caging Levy in. She shut her eyes tightly, and he groaned in exasperation. Though she was blissfully unaware of exactly how he looked right now, shirtless in her living room, she had a good idea as to the look on his face. "That fuckin' hurt, especially after all that whispering and mumbling! Seriously, shrimp, what's the big idea?"
"But- your shirt-"
"Bullshit, woman! Like Lily said, it's hot as hell in here; I don't have a clue why you think it's chilly. You said to make yourself at home-"
"It's a figure of speech!"
Gajeel huffed, leaning in closer. "So what? I ain't not stripper, but it's late at night and I ain't in public. I've never needed to arrest someone for that, except maybe bunny girl and the stripper because they overdo it. Point is, a man's allowed to sleep in his shorts…" The Dragonslayer slowly balked, his presence shifting away from her face and the heat of his stare moving elsewhere, though his arms remained where they were. "And, well… It's not like ya haven't seen this before, shrimp."
This statement had the immediate effect of making Levy squeak, hiding her face in her hands. Her memory and imagination collaborated to form a barrage of mental images that made heat flare under her fingertips. "Gajeeeeeeeeel, please stop."
"Stop what? I'm not doing anything!"
"I-I mean, this is absolutely indecent and really, really out of place because this still isn't your house!" She continued rambling, voice shaky and wavering as she fought the urge to open her eyes for even a simple peak and the muscled chest surely just inches away. "I mean I know I brought up the whole Zeref and Mavis thing, but-but what does that have to do with us? Or taking your shirt off? We have absolutely nothing in common with that tragic fairy tale… And you said yourself that you weren't sleeping here…" She drank in a gulp of air, eyes sliding open to peer at him timidly.
"…Right?"
Gajeel grunted, leaning back to run a finger through his mane of hair and making a point of not looking directly at her. Levy tentatively rested her head against the hand that had lingered, steadying him against the chair, and the contact made him startle. "Well, it's gettin' really damn late, and I'm pretty sure everyone else's fallin' asleep by now, so there's no point in staying up. Yeah, guess I'd better hit the hay."
He then proceeded to pull off the fakest yawn ever seen, stretching languidly. "See? I'm dead on my feet! Can't imagine how tired you are, shrimp; better get you to bed." Without allowing for further protest, Gajeel easily scooped the petite woman up and threw her over his shoulder like a bag of flour, boasting a grin like he was the cat who caught the canary. As an afterthought, he blew out one of the remaining candles before marching towards her bedroom, ignoring how Levy feebly protested and pounded her fists against his back. Soon, though, her outrage morphed into hilarity.
"Put me down, you iron lug!" she laughed, blushing like mad at the feel of his bare back under her hands, "I'm not a kid, I don't need to be carried around in my own apartment!" Gajeel snickered, the sound leaping in his throat when his toe caught a particularly sturdy tome.
His growl died as a timid knock resonated against the door; both froze as a voice carried in the heavy air. "Levy? Are you okay in there? I heard your scream…"
The aforementioned mage gulped, struggling to stifle her giggles. "Oh, everything's fine, Lisanna! I fell asleep reading up on the Alvarez Empire; I guess my nightmare was scarier than I thought."
She could almost imagine the pale-haired girl's shrug and delicate smile. "Alright then; it's been a while since one's woken you up screaming, though, so I thought it would be best to play it safe." Muffled footsteps implied Lisanna's departure, and her final words confirmed this: "I'm going to the guild hall to make sure Myra's not spending the night cleaning up or something; good night, Levy!"
"Night, Lisanna!"
When the dorms became silent once more, and once a few moments were granted to make sure things remained that way, Gajeel resumed his walk with far more caution.
"Nightmares?"
Levy offered him a meek nod once she was placed on the bed, her hands splaying over the blanket, a twin to those she had fashioned earlier. "You were really terrifying, at first; after the attack, I couldn't close my eyes without seeing it happen all over again. I was scared to leave the guild hall, and when you joined Fairy Tail? It felt like I would never be safe again."
Gajeel's gaze remained firmly anchored on the floor, his form stiff and harsh in the small room. When his crimson eyes found her own, they were pleading despite the rough timber of his voice. "Ya think I don't know that, shrimp? I was doin' my job, and I did it too well… All I was told to do was to rile you guys up; when the Guild hall didn't cut it, I went lookin' for trouble elsewhere… and the worst part is, I didn't damn care that I got the lot of you stuck in the infirmary. I'm a changed man, I ain't what I was; I didn't care who I hurt back then, so long as I got my pay at the end of the day, a hunk o' iron to eat and a good adrenaline rush from beatin' the crap out of someone," he said, shaking his head as he falteringly took a seat beside her on the bed. She watched him with gentle eyes all the while.
"But I didn't get no rush outta thrashing Shadow Gear, or breakin' bunny girl. It was wrong; there's no way to be proud about kicking asses that only want to get out alive. I tried to make things even for you guys, let ya get some revenge, but you ain't like that, you didn't wanna hear it… and I didn't get it. All I'd ever known was evening scores…" He opened and closed his hand repeatedly, eyeing the studs and scars on his forearm as they moved with the muscles. "Metalicana didn't teach me shit about forgivin'; he taught me to be an Iron Dragonslayer. Dangerous, tough, somethin' that would see the job through to the end."
Carefully, Levy took one of Gajeel's huge hands in hers, smiling up at him. "Even after all these years, Gajeel, you're still who your father raised you to be… Fairy Tail just refined you, and helped put you on the right path." She shrugged her shoulders bashfully, adding quietly, "I forgave you a long time ago, you big lug; it's just that sometimes dreams make monsters out of nothing. There's no one else I'd rather have at my back than you. You can scare away those monsters, beat them senseless, and keep doing it until you're sure I'm safe."
"Gi-hi-hi; since when does my life revolve around you, shrimp?" Despite the sarcastic tone, her words appeared to have cheered him up somewhat, something Levy was more than grateful for. She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.
"Since you decided you'd 'make me big'." She tilted her head, feeling her eyelids begin to drop; it really was late… "How are you going to make that happen, anyways?"
He smirked, another bellowing yawn baring his fangs as he slid under the covers. With his free hand, he patted at the space beside him in the small bed. "Not telling, gi-hi-hi; it's a secret."
Levy mirrored his movements, her blush returning to its former saturation when she was suddenly reminded of the Dragonslayer's lack of clothing. Nonetheless, she gave him a playfully cross look and deliberately nestled herself under his arm. "Keep your secrets, then," she mumbled, eyelids dropping. As consciousness began to escape her grasp, she planted a lazy kiss to their entwined fingers and added, "I know you'll show me someday… You're no prince charming, but you're just right for me… a dragon falling in love with a librarian makes for a far more interesting story, anyways…"
As the sky grew ever darker, Gajeel shifted away from the sleeping form, gently untangling himself from her to avoid disrupting her slumber, unable to join her in rest.
As the Alvarez Empire's surprise attack drew ever nearer, he found tearing his eyes from her sleeping form was only possible when he thought of the threats they would face in the near future, and how he desired to protect her from all harm.
And as the last candle flickered out, leaving only stars and moonlight to shine on the pair, he wondered if love could be considered a sin, maybe, if you ended up loving too much.
And that's that! My interpretation of the fact that Gajeel and Levy are CLEARLY sleeping under the same blanket, right before that grand reveal of the air fleet. Seriously, why else would Gajeel have a comforter studded with stars, hm? You tell me!
I really love both of these characters, so playing around with them and how I think they may feel deep down was a blast. Also, Pantherlily being a total bro, hehe. While we're at it, a shoutout to my own brother for reading this and spotting many a typo!
Hope you all enjoyed,
~Agryo