Abyss

by Tessryne

Gajeel and Levy both come to the realization that it is time to move past their dark history, but before they can begin to move forward together Levy embarks on what she thought would be a quick job with Team Shadow Gear, but things go awry and Levy ends up in danger. Gajeel puts aside his initial hesitation to go after her, and races to rescue the one light in his dark world.

2. Chapter 2

Abyss: Chapter 2

Levy sighed as she stood and stretched from her desk, a small moan escaping her lips as her eyes drifted back down to the old tome she'd been studying all morning. Her brows furrowed slightly as she mulled over the subject she'd been reading about, not any closer to the answers she had been hoping to find in its old musty pages. She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully as she turned towards her bedroom window. Just then her stomach growled in a ferocious manner and she sighed heavily, shoulders dropping as she walked away from her desk. She'd skipped breakfast that morning in her race to tackle that tome and had been glued to it while the morning waned into early afternoon. Guess it was time to eat.

Levy sat outside the bakery in Magnolia, chewing blissfully on the warm apple fritter she decided that she could not live without when she saw it as she passed by the shop window. The townsfolk were bustling about and the air within the city was cheery. She smiled to herself as she watched the people go about their business. The breeze whipped up around her and she closed her eyes, lifting her chin towards the warm sun beams that shined down on her, warming her skin. She released her breath in a contented sigh. It was good to get away from her books every now and again, she thought a bit guiltily. She hadn't really let herself relax over the last few weeks since finding that Master Makarov had allowed Gajeel to join the guild. She knew the Masters heart was in the right place, and in knowing and trusting him, she trusted his decision. He saw something in Gajeel that the rest of them had not. Levy subconsciously started to curl in, her arms and legs tucking close to her body and her brows puckered in a frown as her thoughts continued on the Iron Dragon Slayer. She forced herself not to dwell on the day that he had attacked her, although that was where her mind instinctively went whenever she saw him. At least, her mind did until that day.

Gajeel watched her from the shadows where he leaned against a building.

After his run in with the brat he had meandered around a while longer, stopping by the local blacksmith to secure a load of scrap metal before begrudgingly deciding it was time to get to the guild. He knew he had been stalling himself in going there, not really in the mood to deal with his recently acquired guild mates today. That was when he caught her scent on the breeze. Like a starving man trained on the scent of food, he followed where the scent trail led. He ducked between buildings and stayed in the shadows and realized as he hunted that he was grinning. That gave him pause for a second, and then a flashback to his recurring dream appeared in his mind's eye; the warmth in the darkness and how he hungered to bask in it. Grunting to himself as his grin faded, he blinked and refocused on her scent, following it until finally laying his constricted crimson eyes on her form. He leaned close against the nearest building, ducking back into the shadows of the ally. He let his eyes drink their fill of the blue haired girl. There she sat, nibbling contently on….Gajeel breathed in through his nose… and grinned. An apple fritter. He was secretly kind of partial to that treat himself. He continued to watch as she smiled to herself and tilted her head back with her eyes closed, letting the sun's rays trace over her exposed skin. His mouth and throat went dry as he thought, she's fucking beautiful. It was wonderful to see a genuine smile on her face. He had not seen one grace her lips since the day he had first showed up in the guild hall. He felt his innards constrict in guilt. He had to make it up to her. He had to do more. He had hoped that allowing her sissy Shadow Gear partners to vent their frustrations on him that day would show that he was trying; he was willing to do what was needed to gain their forgiveness. He had met them there knowing that that was their plan, and he had accepted it. He had watched Levy cower behind the tree, trying to convince her team mates that they shouldn't do it. It gave him hope that she, out of all of them; at least she just might come to forgive him down the road. Then there was Laxus. That bastard stung, Gajeel growled in his thoughts. When he rushed to block that lightning bolt that was hell bent to strike the blue-haired girl cowering against the tree he hadn't hesitated. No hidden agenda had caused that instinctual reaction to protect her. He'd never moved so fast in his life.

His thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly watched her features cloud over and her body curled in on itself. He panicked and seeing this sudden change in her behavior made his stomach drop. Did she see him? Before his panic took full hold he watched as her features grew soft again, albeit slightly reserved. Still not the beaming smile he had been spellbound by moments before. Sighing, he pushed himself off of the building and stood straight, running his hands down his attire in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the dirt of his past. Swallowing hard, he stepped out from the shadows and started making his way to the table where she sat. If he wanted her to see him in a different light, he was going to have to start somewhere. Also, he admitted to himself, he wanted to be the reason behind those dazzling smiles.