Summary: Gajeel, Gajeel, Gajeel- Ever the contradiction.

In-f(r)o: This is AU :) Its not really important, but it just came out that way. I also think its kinda sad, kinda corny, and kinda hopeful- but y'know, I'm bias cause i wrote it :)

Dark/Light

It wasn't one of those moments that stuck out; it was a month, a week, a year, that blurred together and reminded me while looking back that abuse was constant and I couldn't even differentiate between good days and bad days anymore back then.

It's not like one day Levy was in my life and I was saved. Many saved me, and she was just among them- at first. At first she was among the friends that saved me from bad choices, but then she became the person that saved me from myself. And I think that's a little part of what love is. I'm not the smartest guy, or the nicest, but when Levy looks at me, all olive eyes and toothy smiles, a part of me not only accepts my past, but also myself, and the guy I could be.

She makes me like myself more. I acted confident for a long time, i still do, but I think deep down, every ones of us has a bundle of insecurities. Levy sorted mine out, placed them aside, and took me out into the sunshine for a break from my shadowy nightmares with just a look, just one conversation.

I'm comfortable around her; I can be all myself, all the time. To me, this was a phenomenon for a long time. I'm gruff, but sweet. I'm mean but nice. At least, that's what the Shrimp said. She once called me "the walking contradiction". I had to look up "contradiction" and Lily teased me for weeks that I even bothered, but I found out what it meant: "direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency. "

The only memory I have of my mother is an image of her, red eyes and all, staring down at me from above my crib with a long, agonizing bruise across her face. After I found the definition of contradiction, i wondered that if people lived the life i lived, if they'd always be consistent, or like me. Or if it was just me that was this way.

I didn't tell Levy about my father until recently and it was when we were in the hallway in front of her apartment after leaving her advanced university class. I was walking her back to the dorms. I said, as a retort to a comment in our conversation about parents: "Yeah, well at least you dad didn't beat the shit out of you on a daily basis."

So, it really just slipped out. It wasn't intentional, but looking back, I think it just kinda built up, y'know? Like, I've wanted to tell her for so long, and we've been going out for three months now and I've known her for years and... I just really wanted someone else but me to know, and I wanted that somebody to be her. It was on the tip of my tongue all the time, and it slipped out on the walk back to her room... Levy was shocked for a minute and then...

She started crying.

That's the thing about Levy. She's the strongest, bravest, best person I know. And crying doesn't symbolize weakness or anything, but the way she cries, it makes me feel like she's bearing her soul, strengthens and weaknesses- she looked vulnerable when she cried. She didn't pity me, I could tell. Her tears weren't pitiful because if they were that would mean detachment and if anything, Levy feels everything for everyone all the time, as if she was them. As if she held their heart as it crumbled. So, she held mine and as she saw the bits and pieces fall, she saw herself, and she cried big gobs of tears and she clung to me. She fisted her hand in my black shirt and hiccupped and sobbed and called my name, over and over: "Gajeel, Gajeel, Gajeel."

I unlocked her door, guided her to bed and held in my tears. I wasn't gunna cry right then, I don't like cryin. It may not make her feel weak, but it made me and I always thought it was a waste to cry over my pops. He was an ass, he's gone now, and even if he was still around I'm strong enough now to kick (even kill) his ass.

I put her to bed, but she latched onto me. So, I kicked my shoes off and joined her. I held her close, and even though it was the middle of the day and Levy had homework to do, we slept. Just slept, all innocent and everything. I held her, and watched her tears decrease to minor sniffles, then to soft, heavy breaths. I watched her for a while, and I felt like a creepy vampire for it, but I did it anyway. I saw the blinds were open and I reached across her to shut them.

I wanted to be in the darkness with her for a while. For once, the light just hurt. It was taunting, and I wondered it Levy would get upset with the adjustment of light, but all she did was hold me closer so I didn't get away and mumbled my name in her sleepiest voice ever: "Gajeel..." I blushed slightly (no one saw) and snuggled her closer, only to laugh quietly a minute later.

Her bright, vibrant, blue hair was something I could still see clearly in the dark.

I smiled, snuggled into her small embrace and let a sad expression cross my face. For a while, I just let myself feel pained. I didn't cry, but I know Levy what would say, dramatically, like she always reads: "It looked like his soul was weeping out from his face. There were no tears...(dramatic pause) but it looked like he was being ripped apart, and agonizingly put together at the same time."

I chuckled a little when I thought of that in bed, but the pain wouldn't leave. At least, not till Levy whispered in my ear: "I love you, Gajeel."

My red eyes went wide and I stared down at her in the darkness. I could see the outline of her body, her rear end curvier then the top, and I could still make out the color of her damn bright hair.

My eyes went wide because she said it. I never said it, and she hasn't said it till then, but.. She said it. And by her voice, by her shinning eyes I could practically see in the darkness, my whole being just knew she meant it. With all she had, she loved me anyways.

"I know you heard me, you big oaf. Say something."

That was my Levy, always demanding an answer. I pinched her hip, and she squeaked in my arms.

"I... I love you too, Levy."

I could feel her smile through my shirt when she nuzzled her face back into my arms. She just hums in her throat once before falling back asleep.

The next morning, we talked about my dad and my past. She didn't cry as much that time, only a few stray tears as I told her of the constant beatings, the trouble I got into after, and... Then I told her of them. Of my (our) friends, though I reluctantly call them that, okay? I told them how much they really meant, discretely and i kinda hid it in the end anyways, but i mentioned them, okay! I told Levy about herself. And she looks at me, and she's sitting against the beds side... And Levy smiles at me with such... Love I wonder if I chased away her demons too. I wonder if I tucked away her insecurities in a box, locked it up and threw away the key.

I, Gajeel Redfox, thought I might even be the man giving Levy sunshine with a ... smirk. Not a smile- that, I rarely do. But, I wondered if I was all she was to me. I didn't use fruitcake words like "sunshine" or "caresses my heart" because, really? Just, no. You don't say that shit out loud. You put it in a book, you keep it in your head. I ask her if i do that for her though, in my own words, but when I ask her that she looks confused.

"But.. Yes, of course, Gajeel. I love you, remember?"

So, that was the answer? Love? That drove away Satan and his friends from their playground in my head? No, it wasn't love alone. It was her love. Levy's love was different then the rest.

I smiled at her, and as it is a rarity, I relished in the effect I had on her. She blushed bright red. Brighter then her hair, or the sun, and I smiled at her with the sun peeking through the blinds. We hadn't really turned on the lights. I mean; I could see her perfectly still, even in the darkness. But she gets up, probably just as an excuse to push her blush down, and opens the blinds and the window.

The breeze felt nice, like it was refreshing me entirely. It flew through freely, it ran through my rave locks, and grazed my metal studs. The breeze ghosted around my tan, scarred skin, and i look back at Levy. Levy's hair was fanned around her from her kneeling position on the bed in front of me, and I almost tackled her from the appealing view that was her ass. I restrained myself, and when she turned back around I was glad I did.

Her hair waved with the freedom of a breeze, blue wavy locks almost looking like oceans waves, but more like the sky. Her eyes, round and innocent looked right at me, right through it all and she smiled. Levy's smiles are big and bright, and she doesn't focus on making her eyes look big as she lets her teeth show- she lets her eyes crinkle away under her skin, lets the crows feet of happiness dance around those beautiful eyes and her face is like sunshine personified.

It's amazing. She says to me, with that beautiful picturesque pose on those wrinkled sheets: "Gajeel, you forgot to open the blinds!"

Now, not the most amazing choice of words, or phrases, or anything special really...

But, you see... I intentionally didn't open the blinds.

What does that say?

Isn't that like a metaphor or something?

Doesn't that say that I let myself stay in the dark longer then needed and now I can go out into the sunlight, into happier thoughts and better futures?

Levy smiled at me, gently this time and patted the bed she sat on.

I gave her this looks that said, "Who gives a fuck, I love you so damn much" before I tackled her on the bed, rustled around in the sheets and... Well. We had sex. A lot of sex.

And it was amazing.

I woke up to her, in all her naked glory and the window was still open, but by then it was night.

Somehow, she glowed in the darkness.

I smiled, and the night stars were out that night and I glanced at them for a while.

I thought of my old man and though I forgave him a long time ago I forgave him all over again that night. I shifted from my view of the stars, to Levy, then to her lamp behind her head, behind her bed.

I switched the flip on and saw Levy groggily open her eyes. Rubbing the sleep away she looked up at me from my chest

"Gajeel?"

The bright, bright light.

A/N::: "Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."-Albus Dumbledore