Disclaimer: I own nothing…


Chapter One:

Sins in the Dark


Levy had long been aware of her position in life. That, if reality was twisted about into a story put to page, she would play the best-friend counterpart to the leading lady. After all, that was her current position in life.

"What do you think about this one?" Where Levy was 'best-friend' material, Lucy, her sister in all matter except for blood, was unquestionably the aforementioned leading lady. Turning about, so Levy to see her outfit at every possible angle, there was as much to hate in blind jealousy about the blonde as there was to adore.

Propping herself up on her elbows from where she was sprawled on Lucy's bed, Levy contemplated the question with serious contemplation. "What's the occasion?" She rolled the question about as she did a mental analysis of social standard of 'seductive' and the line it danced with 'meaningless-sex-object.'

"Tips." Lucy clarified, turning her attention back to the full-length vanity mirror, smoothing her hands down the pleated material of her red-and-black plaid skirt and experimented with undoing another button of her mock-corset top. It was almost a nod towards the generic fantasy of naughty school-girls.

Lucy did love her cosplay.

"Tips?"

Moving over to her dresser, Lucy began meticulously choosing accessories. "Put on Your War Paint is playing again tonight, and I'm going to take amble advantage of the horny masses."

Levy rolled her eyes, flopping back onto the mattress. "That is the worst band name in the history of rock."

"What do you know about rock?"

"What I've read in magazines."

"Better question: why are you so against the guys?"

"It's 'the guys' now?"

"They've played at Gildart's three times now, and you begged out working two of those and, during the first and only performance you were present at, you spent the majority of the night cowering in the kitchen."

"Unlike you, I don't like crowds of sloppy drunks."

Lucy smirked, no point in denying the truth from the person who knew her best. "It's what keeps us living free in this apartment rather than home."

"It's what keeps you living free in this apartment. I'm eighteen now, your father doesn't care where I go as long as his former ward is not trouncing about shaming his charitable name."

"The guys are actually quite sweet."

"I don't doubt that." That they were sweet to the likes of Lucy and Mirajane, who could not only banter and flirt with ease but knew how to use their physical assets like some would wield muscles. Presenting a softness but having iron cores.

Levy wasn't as blessed.

She was an innately as timid in nature as she was perceivably frail in appearance. Aspects of herself that she had tried to change, or at least conceal, throughout her life but never mastered the art of deception enough to convincingly convey.

Marking her as prey to those like the man at the counter the first night of the band's performance. Who she later understood—from giggled conversations amongst the staff members who did enjoy social interaction—to indeed be the elder brother of the dark-haired guitarist and one-man-roadie for the general loading and unloading.

After giving herself a final look, Lucy went over to join Levy on the puffed comforter styled to represent an antique quilt that was stretched across her mattress. "You should at least come out and listen to their music, I think you really would enjoy."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, library called me in to work the late shift." Which normally equated stocking the materials the other student-librarians couldn't be bothered with. This suiting Levy just fine. While working for Cana paid better, Levy preferred the tranquility her second job provided along with the add bonus of being surrounded by literature.

Lucy, though a fellow bibliophile, rolled her brown eyes at what she saw as a weak excuse but, graciously, allowed the matter to die.


"Excuse me, miss, where would I find a copy of Kemu Zaelon's Daybreak?" The Frat boy, Levy had been working long enough to campus to identify the sort at a glance, smiled up at where she was perched on the ladder's middle rung. It was a nice enough smile, a flash of white teeth against tan skin that spoke of outdoor parties and/or sporting events.

"Um…" Carefully hopping back down to the marble floor, Levy steady her rickety fall while trying to keep the flowing dress she was using as a shirt over tight-fitting jeans from flouncing up to display naked midriff. "Zaelon…" She muttered under her breath, going over her mental map of the library's contents. "He would be on the third floor fiction section, but I'm certain that we're currently out of copies. Think Professor Locke assigned it as a part of a study in modern allegories and symbolism."

"Damn it, yeah, I know." He gave her an apologetic smile at his word choice. "That's exactly why I needed it. Know this was going to happen."

"Yet you still procrastinated." Levy couldn't help but chastise.

"Any luck, Jet?" A heavier-set student, obviously the ginger's Frat boy's 'brother'...going by the sweatshirt stretched across his considerable stomach, popped his head into the room. Beady eyes noting Levy's presence and the cart overflowing with books she still had yet to properly shelf.

"Nope. Turns out we're shit out of luck."

"I could put you on the waiting list, let you know when a copy comes in." Levy felt the professional obligation to convey. After all, she was working towards a degree in the library arts. Might as well get life experience with handling such problems. "I think a few are due back this week and your assignment's deadline isn't until the end of the month, right?"

"How do you know that?" The chubby Frat boy stepped in further, squinting at Levy. She could almost see the gears turning about in his mind. "Are you in our class?"

"No, but a friend of mine is. Lucy Heartfilia."

The ginger's, Jet, face lightened at the name. Of course. "Oh, right, do you work at Gildart's as well?"

"Part-time."

"Thought you looked familiar." His smile turned up in charm. "I'll have to look for you next time I'm in, but not for book reservations."

Levy, not use to such attentions being turned towards her even if the lines was less than creative, could feel a brush of heat feather her cheeks. Ducking her head, she politely excused herself and trudged her cart through the thick double doors.

Hours later, she was still at it. Finally making her way to the top story to shelf the fiction section, her favorite place within the building of mortar and stone…

A sanctuary commonly desecrated by fornicators.

Tonight was, unfortunately, no exception.

A massive man with snowy hair, scarred back turned towards where Levy had been peacefully rolling her cart, was currently aiding to hold up the limber legs wrapped about his narrow hips. Moans and grunts filled the air amongst the creaks of the shelves being heavily leaned upon.

"Harder…" A feminine voice demanded, perfectly manicured nails creating rivets of blood against the heavy ripples of muscle covering the man's shoulders. The man obliged—ducking his head to take one of the woman's breasts, which had popped free of her strapless dress, into his mouth and causing her to gasp out a scream, glasses nearly falling off as her hands searched the shelves she was braced upon for leverage.

Levy knew the two far too well and, where compliments made her blush and predatory patrons made her flee, the sight of this carnal coupling in the stocks—what she considered to be sacred—only sparked combustible rage in Levy's heart.

Everyone had his or her line that should never be crossed.

"Elfman!" Levy's normally passive voice snapped as she pulled out her phone to take a picture of the male offender's startled face when he turned at the sound of his name. Not looking up from the phone's screen, Levy began to flip through her contacts. "Didn't I warn you that next time you allowed Ever to con you into being intimate up here, I was going to send pictures to your sisters?"

Face paling, the normally gentle giant dropped his girlfriend to the ground and tried to make himself as decent in appearance as possible while gruff voice turned a different kind of pleading. "Levy—"

"Let her." Evergreen snapped, righting her dress and not concealing her scowl. How could Elfman not see that she was using their relationship to take away Levy's safe haven, the petty woman not being able to get over the slight of Cana hiring Levy over her. "What's the big deal with Mira and Lys find out that you're a bit wild."

Levy scoffed at Ever's words, marking that the brunette was a novice in the world of the Strausses, where the eldest reigned supreme in the love lives and daily on-goings of her siblings. When Mirajane was displeased, the heavens were known to quake.

As for Lysanna, Elfman's younger sister, there seemed to be nothing that wounded the man more than a look of disapproval in her innocent eyes.

"Please, Levy, I know that a man takes responsibility for his actions…but a man is also weak in the sight of love—"

"I think you mean sex," Levy countered. Phone returned to her back pocket, she gave him a non-apologetic shake of her head. "I would get back to the house if I were you, Mirajane should be getting home anytime now and Lysanna will already be there. Probably would be best if you don't allow them time to stew and think too deep into the matter."

For such a large man, Elfman was uncannily swift when properly motivated. Fleeing, with Ever in hand to be dragged along whether she liked it or not, before Levy could voice the entirety of her thought.

From there, it was just a simple matter of disinfecting the selves (with metal shudders and the desire that such could be so easy for her mind) before completing her assigned work and locking up with a clear conscious.

It was past three in the morning and the walk to the apartment was short…

Not short enough.

They had been waiting for her: the two Frat boys.

"Hey!" Jet called, pushing himself off the wall as Levy walked past. "I thought I would play the gentleman and walk you home."

Warning bells rang through Levy's mind, causing her to quicken her step and lower her head while clutching at the neck of her jacket. Fragile armor but all she had. "No thank-you, it's a short walk."

"Come on," his voice followed her, and gained with each syllable, "don't be like that."

Not taking the time to look over her shoulder, Levy walked as quickly as she could without all-out running. "Be like what?"

"Playing coy and innocent, everyone knows what kind of girls Cana hires." A hand grabbed her shoulder. "How much they like to have fun."

Swatting his hand away, Levy broke into run with the hope of breaking through the narrow alley between the library and the old administration building that was now used for extra classroom space. Once free, she would be off the understood campus and on the town's main street, where people would be milling about at all hours.

Her best chance of finding salvation from this situation.

She didn't make it.

Her shoulder was grabbed once more, forced used to crash her into smooth limestone of one of the bordering buildings. Knuckles struck her cheekbone, causing pain to flare through her mind in blinding color, while curse was growled at her for the whimper she made.

"Don't act so fucking childish. No one is buying it."

Struggling vainly against his hold, Levy couldn't keep tears from coursing down her face as she rambled off incoherent pleas to be let go.

A knee wedges her legs apart…

Hot breathing, stinking of alcohol, assaulted her nostrils.

Then there was a rush of air with the gratifying sound of flesh striking flesh so strong Levy thought she had been struck once more until she realized the lack of additional pain and the sudden freedom of her limbs.

A pair of broad shoulders slowly came into sight to her tear-swollen eyes as moonlight sliced through cloud to show the abrupt barrier between her and her assailants.

In no story that she ever read did she recall the savior being more frightening than the villains.


A/N: I know, I know...a cliffhanger. I was rushing to get this out before work.