Securities and Insecurities

Summary: Gajeel left his singing gig to go and comfort his insecure backup dancer. I mean come onnn... we know Gajeel and levy didn't return in THAT CHAPTER. Ohohoho~! (naughty grin)

This wasn't fair. It wasn't even supposed to be like this!

She shook her head as the first streak of tear finally fell out of her eyes and she ran. This skimpy piece of suit was supposed to make him notice her but she had fled the stage all wretched and insecure than ever before. A sick heavy feeling settled inside her gut. She dropped her gaze to the cold, hard ground unable to bear the awful sensation of knowing she would never ever par with her buxom beautiful friends in fairytail. Tears have blurred her vision as she ran faster, eager to escape the humiliation.

After a lot of pleading from Lu-chan, Levy agreed to wear a bunny suit complete with stiletto heels in hopes she could make a few heads turn at her direction – with a certain dragon slayer in her mind.

Her desperation to make him notice her was kind of incredible if not ridiculously absurd.

Oh she did attract a lot of men, but "he" never turn his head to look at her.Was it so wrong to want a fragment of his attention?

"Oi, it's the mini bunny-chan from Gajeel's show!" a slurred voice came from the alley way. Levy took a fighting stance and cursed herself for not bringing her pen. "What's a pretty girl like you crying?"From the low ambience provided by a post lamp, a drunken man emerged. He may not look like a mage but Levy wasn't taking any chances. If this man thought she was helpless, he had another thing coming -

"YOU BASTAAAARDDD! Touch her and you die!" A familiar guitar suddenly sailed over her head and straight to her supposed-to-be assailant. Momentarily, she was caught off guard as she looked at the scene with her jaw dropped in shock.

The twang of the poor broken instrument confirmed he had successfully, brutally hit his target.

However, not a minute has passed and the smug feeling was instantly replaced with a scowl as the man behind her regretted his action a little too late.

"Why, you punk! I oughta beat you - Look at what you just did to my favourite guitar!"

Levy looked at the wretched mugger – sprawled in a pathetic heap with a part of that broken guitar embedded in his head. Then she looked at her saviour in aghast.

"GAJEEL! YOU'RE the one who threw your instrument at him!"

It was then his red obsidian orbs looked at her with such vehemence she froze on the spot. "AND YOU!" he pointed an accusing finger levy.

"Y-you little~! Do you have any idea how vulnerably enticing you look right now?!"

Levy blinked... before a furious blush invaded her cheeks. "E-EEEH?"

NEVER in her simple, boring life had she heard someone call her enticing. Cute, yes. Adorable - she heard it once or twice in her life. Beautiful – well if some buxom beauty like Cana or Lucy was beside her...

But enticing? She must be dreaming! and to hear it from the only man he wanted to -

"Darn it!" Oblivious of how his blunt words affected the woman, he continued. " Wearing nothing but that bunny suit and those smokin' high heels while you ran out of my show crying? "

It took another full stride to reach out before he faced the tear stricken girl and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Tch. I thought you're smarter than that!" He half growled, half snarled while he removed his white suit. " Running freakin' straight to a dim hallway with nothing to cover you? Are you out of your mind, woman?!"

Golden eyes widened at the realization. But then Levy remembered how she was dragged into this mess in the first place. To think this man has the audacity to question her intellect was like a silent slap to her. Levy McGarden can stand being called small or underdeveloped but she will never let any man ridicule her intelligence!

Her eyes blazed with righteous fury and she felt livid. And Gajeel though she couldn't look more beautiful all riled up and-

"If running away from a betting game in which I wasn't even a part of wasn't smart – then I don't know what it is!" She snapped back, her glare fierce.

He would never admit it, but damn... he found himself loving the way she defiantly tilt her chin – how those alluring cheeks of her would flush in an interesting shade of red, how the intensity in those maddening, golden eyes would darkened more in a richer hue whenever they fought like this.

He swallowed hard. As much as he refused to accept the truth, this little hellion fascinated him in more ways than one.

"I- I could take care of myself, if that's what bugging you!" She raised her voice, her expression stern. " I'm not some simple minded weakling –"

" I NEVER SAID YOU'RE INCAPABLE OF FIGHTING THESE THUGS!" He roared frustrated of where this talk was heading. When he saw her flinched, he sighed. "What I'm saying is you shouldn't run off because it's darn hard finding someone so small–"

There it was again. She felt insulted, furious even. Why couldn't this man get it in his thick skull she was tired of being describe as undersized?!

" You always called me small! I know I don't have the right curves; I don't have the ideal height! " the poor girl confessed as she finally broke into a fit of tears. She hugged her small curves, insecure and anxious of her underdeveloped features."AND THROUGH OUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL, I FELT I WAS THE ONE BEING PUNISHED, GAJEEL!"

His eyes widened at her outburst, and he angrily clenched his first. How did he easily miss it?

"So why..." her lips quivered in distressed, her voice beginning to crack.

Couldn't you see I'm already this insecure?

She didn't say the words but it rang loud and clear … he can't bear to look at those molten eyes now brimming with tears because of him.

From the way she bit her lips, the way she blinked back her tears and adamantly refused to meet his eyes... It was evident. He had – in fact, been the source of her grief again.

Abruptly, he crouched down and covered her form with his white tux. He wouldn't hear any of her protest, refusing to let any man see her so exposed and defenseless like this. He vowed to never hurt her in any way possible and here she was, crying again because of some stupid betting game she wasn't even a part of.

"... I know I'm a bastard for making you cry numerous times" he began. "the thing is... I don't... I don't want – I didn't mean to - "

Shit.

He was never good with words.

Large calloused hands abruptly held her face close to his while he drew in a deep breathe. Much to her surprise, his hands were warm and inviting – contradicting her perception of him being as cold and cruel as his iron component. Slowly, with all the gentleness he could muster, his thumb ghosted over the corner of her eyes in an attempt to wipe the tears that threatened to escape.

"Stop... D-Don't cry anymore." It should suppose to come out as an order yet it came out as the weakest of pleas.

"I hate seeing you like this." This was the closest thing she'll ever get as an apology; she knew that much.

But despite through it all, how long could she stay mad to this man she has secretly grown to love? Her eyes softened at the sight of him making an effort to console her. She smiled through her tears and rested her forehead against his.

They don't need words to communicate. It was through these simple gestures she had proven to him that actions speak louder than words. A simple smile, a simple nod and he was already forgiven.

He looked at her, studied her tear streaked face bathe in the dim luminescent light.

This crying angel was his saving grace.

Letting his emotion reign over his rational thinking, Gajeel captured her face and kissed away her tears without thinking of the consequence.

The sudden contact of his lips brushing against her petal-like skin made her yelp and he found himself cursing for his lack of control.

"W-wah! G-gajeel! I- ah... "the poor girl couldn't even form a single word without stuttering. He would have found the act endearing if he wasn't experiencing the same dilemma.

"I - I... oh damn. It's just t-that... " He ran a large hand over his face, frustrated at his own actions.

"Ughhh... Never mind." He was about to get up from his crouching position eager to escape the humiliation before he remember WHY he was even THERE in the first place.

"Damn it! How many times do I have to tell you TO NEVER LEAVE MY SIDE!?"

Levy tensed as she remembered those exact words he had uttered back in Tenrou island. (Her mind didn't even register the fact that his large ego refused to accept the fact that HE was the one chickening out.)

Instead, she focused on those words he had promised her. She remembered the time when he grabbed her by the hands and grudgingly danced with her much to the dismay of her teammates. She remembered the times when he accompanied her inside the oceanarium and how he tucked her head under his chin when they accidentally landed on the slide. She remembered fighting side by side with him facing off the dragons just like how they had fought the Grimoire Hearts in the island.

After all these years, all these times being inseparable with him... Was he keeping his promise all along?

Blood rushed through her face – a mixture of disbelief and happiness had rendered her speechless.A small smile made its way at the corner of her lips before a small twinkling laughter rumbled out of her throat. "Gajeel... You idiot..."

A foreign sensation went through the course of her body as she audaciously removed his glasses and hat. With him crouching in this position, Levy reached down to his face, tracing the contour of his metal studded brow and down to his well defined nose.

"O-oi , What da heck are you-" his protest died in his throat as this angel hovered over him and caressed his scars with the lightest of touch.

This is her prince. Her dragon in shining armor – complete with metal studs and wounds and battle scars.

"Thank you..." her voice was just above a whisper. Dainty fingers lost themselves into the expanse of his thick wild mane and she pulled her dragon close to her chest."Thank you for being always there for me."

And this time, without giving a shit of what the consequence might be, Levy Mc garden bent down and kissed him for all he was worth.

The moment her lips touched his, all form of coherent logical thinking flew straight out of the window. Gajeel Redfox – smooth singer extraordinaire – stood rigid without knowing what to do. His mind ceased to function as he let this blue haired angel caressed him with the lightest of kisses.

So much for being smooth.

The lack of response didn't bother her. In fact, she didn't notice the poor dragon had actually stiffened in their compromising position considering they were in a dark alley with nothing but thugs as their audience.

When the initial shock wore down, his strong powerful arms carefully made its way to her back pressing her closer to him. Her mouth slanted over his it elicited a deep groan from him. Levy smiled between their kiss and she prolonged it even more eager to hear him moan. Each kiss was longer and more gratifying than the last.

Being an avid reader, Levy McGarden had longed for adventure with a prince or a knight in shining armor by her side. However, in fairytail (or fairytale if you want the pun intended) she didn't expect she'd meet a steel clad dragon who would come charging in her rescue while scaring off thugs and wimpy princes alike.

Omake 1:

"G-gajeel... di-did you just run out of your gig?"

The way he arrogantly tilt his head as his mouth clamp shut confirmed it all.

"Wait..." then it dawned on her. " You left Lu-chan in the middle of the gaping crowd?! How could you be so mean!"

"Even I am NOT that ruthless!Of course I look out for her well being! "

He was actually outraged that this shrimp would think of him as insensible. When her expression told him she didn't' believe a word he said, he supplied helpfully. "I sent her to Barmaid. She's so ruthless with Titania. So I thought Bunny girl could help her out."

Now, THAT was just mean.