Hello all!

Thank you so much for being patient. This semester was really a challenge and I just didn't have the time to do this chapter justice. But over winter break I plan on writing as much as I can to keep the updates more consistent next semester.

I wanted to quickly thank everyone who is following this story and especially those of you who reviewed. You guys push me to make this the best I can and I am indebted to you. Thanks, and I hope you guys like this chapter :3

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did, I wouldn't be such a troll when it came to shipping. And I don't own the song Gravity.

~Here I am

And I stand

So tall

Just the way I'm supposed to be~

The sound of the tap running brought him back to consciousness. He hated when Lily would do that. Damn cat knew it woke him up so easily. Still, it was best he get up and get ready for the day, not wanting to repeat the shit storm that was the previous day.

Gajeel thought back to the train ride. He had passed out for a bit, and when he woke up, he had a better control over his motion sickness. But that's the only good that came from his nap. Reaching up to cover his face, Gajeel remembered, in vivid detail, the dream he had, staring a certain little mage. In it, she had been too scared to go home alone that night, asking him to keep her company, and he, like the creep he was, agreed. Even his dream self was a pig. Shit, but it had been worth it. He thought on how dream Shrimp curled up against him, pressed herself to him as if the closer she got the safer she was. Like she had forgotten just how fucked up that thinking was. Her little dream hands traveling all over him, light little dream touches stirring his blood. He had said 'fuck it' to the consequences and indulged himself in her, letting himself grope and squeeze her soft curves. And those cute fucking moans his mind supplied him with…Shit, he could get hard just imagining those. And that was the problem.

When he woke, Gajeel had been surprised to find his two partners asleep on the bench across from him. Scratch that-he had been surprised to find Shorty asleep. Lily was always taking naps. But he was relieved they were out and would remain forever in the dark to his very uncomfortable problem. His dream had been too good, making him harden in his sleep, aching for release.

He checked again to make sure she was really asleep, glad the shrimp managed to get some rest since he knew she probably didn't after that nightmare of hers. God, she looked so damn cute like that, her mouth slightly opened as she slept, using her books as a pillow. But he couldn't focus on that, needing to take care of his issue.

There was no telling when they would wake up, and there was no shower on the train, so Gajeel made his way to the bathroom. Supplied with plenty of material from his dream, the iron dragon slayer pictured the blue haired beauty moaning at his touch, arching that tight body towards him as he teased her with his hands, his tongue, and finally his dick. He could almost see the sweet blush coloring her face as he told her to watch as he entered her tight heat. "S-shit." His imagination was going wild as his hand tried to keep up. His tanned hips began thrusting into his fist, wishing it was Levy's delicate hand around him, imagining how fucking amazing she would feel. The thought pushed him faster, his hand squeezing tighter. "Levy…" he had moaned, coming hard into his fist.

Finished, he washed himself off and returned to the car and waited for the other two to wake up. It was sick, to get himself off on thoughts of her only to go back into his seat and try like hell not to stare at her as she slept. He knew in the pit of his stomach though that's all he would ever get, and even though it was sick, he couldn't deny himself that tiny morsel of pleasure anymore. And dream Levy always sounded so god damn happy with him…Fuck he was going to drive himself crazy with all this!

Gajeel pushed himself out of the bed, forcing every inappropriate thought about the Shrimp from his mind. He wouldn't get anything done on this mission because of that girl. Look at how well the rest of the day went yesterday! Fucking avoiding her like the plague cause he couldn't look at her without getting a hard on. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, the dragon slayer made his way to the bathroom.

"Good morning, Gajeel." Lily greeted as he passed.

"Mornin'." he rumbled back. Good thing he wasn't too talkative in the mornings anyway, so he could get away with the silent treatment until it was time to leave.

"While you get ready, I'll go get breakfast. We'll want to start moving as soon as possible, you know." Lily said. "Should I go wake Levy on my way out?"

Gajeel looked over at him. "Nah, let the shrimp sleep a bit." Actually, waking her would be better, but his gut was telling him to let her rest, and Gajeel was a man who trusted his gut more than logic.

With a shrug of his tiny shoulders, Lily was off, leaving the dragon slayer alone. Gajeel ground his teeth, slipping into his clothes before gathering the few items that had scattered around the room into his bag. He needed a distraction, and he needed one now. Blue hair and tawny eyes were all that filled his head and he was having none of it. A dream here or there was one thing, but he was on a mission god dammit and he needed to focus! Distractions like this were enough to get him killed.

Despite knowing this, it was not enough to make him regret asking her to tag along. How could he? Just yesterday, she slept peacefully, looking more content than anyone had a right to. He knew that the shrimp couldn't have had that in weeks, and if the mission were the cause, he couldn't regret it. But he did need to get his ass in gear. Taking the first step, he packed up his bags and started mapping out the quickest route through the mountain to get to the village.

In the next room over, Levy wrestled with her own mind. She sat up in a tangle of the stark white hotel sheets, trying to forcibly push the image of Gajeel out of her mind. Through her ragged breathing Levy recalled each and every gruesome sight her brain had forced at her throughout the night. Gajeel's eyes full of malice and bloodlust, only to become dull and lifeless. His body torn, mutilated in ways that would make her vomit. The worst was that now, the dream blamed her. She was the one to do it, to not only kill him, but decimate him. Her hands shook as tears mixed with sweat on her face.

This could not continue! She couldn't allow it anymore. If she went through this again, Levy wasn't sure she would be able to handle it. It would plague her until there was nothing left besides fear and pain. Throwing the sheets off her slight frame, Levy made her shaking legs carry her across the room to her bag, searching almost desperately for the book she read on the train yesterday. Even if dream magic wasn't real, there had to be something in that inscription that could help her. Dreams were apart of the subconscious, so all this was just mind over matter, right? All she needed was to find some way to directly influence her mind, to stop the dreams.

A loud bang shocked her, snapping her attention away from her book to the door.

"Oi, Shorty! You up? C'mon, we gotta get movin.'" The gruff voice called from behind the closed door.

While the knock jarred her, the voice that followed filled her with mild relief, reaffirming that her dream was just that, only a dream. It was silly how much she needed to hear that voice, and without even realizing it, her body started to relax.

"Did'ja hear me? Are ya awake in there?"

"S-sorry, Gajeel! I'll be out in a bit!" Levy stammered, jumping up. Rushing now, she changed out of her thin pajama set and into her standard dress and sandals, shoving the book back into her bag with much less care than she normally would have. They were late, and she had work to do. It wasn't her normal procedure to ignore her problems, but the mission gave her a much-needed distraction, a way to preoccupy her mind and wash the horrors away. And she reason that she wasn't ignoring her problems, not really. She would handle them eventually, on her own.

Hastily, Levy pulled her hair back into her headband, not bothering to brush it since it wouldn't make a difference. Pausing, she took a moment to look at her reflection. Her eyes were dark, and there were lines creasing her forehead where before there had only been laugh lines. But these were small, almost unnoticeable changes. At a glance, she looked much the same as always, tiny and cute. Her appearance should pass without a second thought.

'Damn it to hell. What's takin' her so long?'

Gajeel stood impatiently in the hallway. Lily had returned a while ago with some fruit for breakfast, leaving the two of them to wait for Shorty to get ready.

Looking down at the apple in his hand, the dragon slayer grimaced before begrudgingly bringing it up to his mouth. Goddamned fruit! There had been no expectations for a good day before, but now he couldn't even have a decent breakfast? Screw it. This mission was going ta hell in a hand basket and they hadn't even gotten to the village yet.

"Damn it Levy, we ain't got all day!" he called again, pounding hard enough on the door for the wood to splinter.

"Alright, you don't have to yell!" Levy huffed, finally emerging from the room. The moment she did Gajeel knew something was off. Salt and sweat permeated her scent, skewing her usually light aroma. She was breathless, though she tried not to show it by breathing deep through her nose. Her eyes looked darker than yesterday, if that was even possible, and her shoulders and arms were covered in goose bumps.

"Well? I thought we were late. Let's go, then!" she said with forced energy before turning and walking off with more pride than someone her size should be able to contain.

Lily trotted off after her, offering her some fruit, which she of course accepted with a bright smile. His exceed bathed in her gratitude before resting on her shoulder. Gajeel wasn't sure what pissed him off more; the fact that she was faking being okay, or the fact that he was jealous of his partner. All he had done was offered her fruit and she smiled at him like that. Gajeel on the other hand got yelled at.

With a grumble, he pushed past the other two and led the way through the town to the forest on the other side. It shouldn't be a difficult trek, but with Shorty, he had no idea how long it would take. His stride was purposely shortened and pace slowed so she would be able to keep up without getting tired. But he still made sure he was a few lengths ahead of her, keeping her downwind and her scent away from him. He needed a clear head and the fresh air would give him that. There were moments when the dragon slayer would look around at the bright greens and murky browns of the terrain and almost be able to forget his troubles. But then her voice would reach him, reminding him of what he was and what he couldn't have. He must be some sort of damned masochist for putting himself in this position.

Levy followed behind Gajeel for hours with Lily perched on her shoulder. The exceed watched as his partner stalked off through the forest, never saying anything other then to give a brief direction. Levy tried asking a few times if he was sure of where they were going, but after receiving only grunts as answers, she stopped, clearly affected by his bad mood. Lily's amusement at the situation was wearing thin when he noticed how put off the bookworm was by Gajeel's ill treatment. If his partner didn't shape up soon, then he would have to do something. Gajeel would hate him for it, but the warrior could handle that. What he couldn't handle was the state Levy was in, and the fact that his partner, who should be helping, seemed to only be making it worse. The exceed struck up conversation with the girl, bantering about books to get her mind away from distressing thoughts.

What was meant to help Levy was only pissing the fuck out of Gajeel. He could hear every word, and each one dug into him. Gah, the conversation wasn't even that interesting, to him at least, but hearing the false cheer in her voice and Pantherlily's cool acceptance of it grated on his already thin nerves. Worse was that because of their slow pace, they wouldn't reach the village until the next day.

Throughout the day, Gajeel found himself slowing more and more, but no matter how much he adjusted, Shorty still seemed to always be falling behind. He could hear her panting, struggling to catch her breath. The sun was already low in the sky, and he figured it was as good a time as any to stop. Levy didn't seem like she had much endurance left and if they didn't set up camp now they would have to do it in the dark. Not normally a problem for Gajeel, but Levy wouldn't be able to do much. Stopping suddenly, he dropped his bag.

"We're stoppin' here for the night." He declared. Turning, he looked to the pair behind him. "I'll go get firewood and set up a perimeter. Lil, you and Shrimp can make camp."

Gajeel could see she was about to protest, but he stalked off without waiting to hear what it was. He needed a break. And to punch something. Making a circle around the sight where he left the others, the dragon slayer used his heightened senses to make sure there was nothing lurking hidden in the woods. Once he was satisfied that nothing was gonna sneak up on them, he focused his anger, letting all his frustrations out on the trees around him until there was nothing left but scraps for the fire. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding, but he didn't care.

"Why the fuck does she have ta make everythin' difficult?" he spat. And the worst part was she wasn't even doing it on purpose. It was all on him. If he wasn't so fucking hopeless then he would be able to do something other than sulk like a brat. He wanted to help her, needed to make her better and he had thought this mission would be the answer. But hell if that worked. She seemed worse today than she did the night he followed her to the park. With a frustrated growl, he collected the wood and walked back up towards Levy and Lily.

As he neared the campsite, the dragon slayer was greeted by a warm fire. The shrimp used her magic, conjuring 'wood' and 'fire'. He looked down at the bundle of wood in his arms and scoffed. Fucking bookworm just had to show him up. He figured that's what she was about to say earlier. He was ticked off, but when she looked up at him and coolly welcomed him back, Gajeel caught a spark in her eye that had been missing for too long. She had enough energy to challenge him, and that calmed him down.

"Che, always gotta be one step ahead." He grumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.

"If you hadn't been so thick earlier, I could have saved you all that work." She told him, acting all high and mighty about it. Levy didn't look at him, keeping her eyes on the food she was carefully roasting.

"Whatever."

She and Lily had set up the tents, so Gajeel retreated into his. "Call me when the grub is ready."

From where he lay inside the tent, he could hear the hushed conversation of his teammates and he knew they were talking about him. He didn't care. Gajeel just needed the day to be over. Tomorrow they would get to the village, beat up the bad guys, and shit would make sense again.

He came out when called, the smell of dinner letting him know just how hungry he was. They ate in relative silence, broken only by Levy thinking out loud about the types of multi-faucet magic that could plague the town. Gajeel only understood about half of what she was saying, but as long as she was in her own world and feeling better, he didn't care. Just hearing her rambling like normal was a gift.

"I don't care what kind of magic they're usin'. Just point me to 'em and I'll punch 'em into the next city. Then we get our money an' go home."

Levy looked up at him, seeming surprised that he spoke without being angry.

"Well, I guess that could be the basic plan. I just think it'll be better to know what we're up against. I'm not fond of surprises when fighting. And I really do want to learn about the kind of magic they're using."

Gajeel snorted. Of course she would think of learning rather than fighting. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they can speak when I'm done. Then ya can ask 'em as much as ya want." He promised, smirking at her. Even though he was making fun of her, he could easily picture himself avoiding his opponent's face so they could talk. Che, he really was going soft.

Shorty didn't say anything to that, just finished off her food with a weird smile on her face. He didn't know what it meant and he wanted to. The hell was she thinking about now?

Before he could think to ask, Lily announced that he was turning in for the night, leaving the two of them alone. They sat in silence for a bit, and Gajeel was sure Shorty could feel the tension just the same as he could. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. The whole point of asking her to come on this mission was so he could keep an eye on her, make her feel better, and all day he had been too wrapped up in his own problems, mostly caused by her but still, to do what he had set out to. He had been selfish. When wasn't he? But he couldn't be now. She deserved so much more than that. More than he could ever give. That wouldn't stop him from trying, though. Starting now that is. If he could get the words out.

"Look…" he started, getting her attention. He could see the shrimp's head turn towards him, that questioning look in her eyes. "I'm…I had a lot on my mind earlier. I didn't mean ta be so…"

"Rude?" she supplied. "Short, curt, snappy, belligerent?"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her. "You ain't gonna make this easy on me, are ya?"

"No." The bookworm looked way to happy with herself. Smug. Ah, shit. It wasn't like apologizing was hard enough for him. Hell, he couldn't even get the words themselves out, and there she was just rubbing it in.

"Well, I didn't mean ta be and…and I'm…sorry if it bothered ya." He ground out. This is what she did to him, making him care about other people's feelings, enough to fucking apologize. He never apologized for his actions. But he knew he wouldn't feel right until he did for her.

"Apology accepted." She declared happily. "And you know, talking about problems is usually helpful for everyone."

"Yeah, that so? So how's about you tell me what's botherin' you?"

The second the words left his mouth he regretted them. Instantly, Levy seemed to wilt, her shoulders slumping forward as she brought her knees up, her entire body crying out for help.

"That's different." She said quietly. After taking a deep breath, she looked at him dead on. "Besides, I'm fixing it, so there's nothing to worry about."

She looked sure, and Gajeel respected the bookworm enough to trust her. She wasn't weak, and if she said she had it under control now, then fine. Great. But if he got a hint that she was lying, he would force it out of her. Wouldn't that be just like her to lie so people wouldn't worry? Stupid, and it would end up just causing more problems.

"Fine. I can tell when I ain't needed. But just know the offer stands, Shrimp."

The smile she threw his way at that floored him. If he had been a weaker man, he would have fallen to his knees. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah. No need to get choked up over it." He answered gruffly. "Anyways, you should get ta bed. We'll leave early so we'll be able to get to the village by noon."

For once Shorty did what he said without protest or lip. She helped him snuff out the fire and clear up the trash before going into her tent. Gajeel followed suit, settling into his own tent, careful not to wake Lily, and quickly falling asleep.

The night was thick and heavy when Gajeel woke with a sudden start. From inside the tent, he could see how dark it was out, and based on how shitty he felt, he couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour or two. What the hell? He strained his ears, but couldn't hear anything, nothing that shouldn't be there. There were no warning signs, no danger he could sense at all. Until he heard that.

It was the tiniest sound. Only a person that small could make such a pathetic sound. And yet it had the power to cut him down. Without thinking, Gajeel pushed out of his tent and into the next one over. Sweat and musk assaulted his sensitive nose, the heavy combination more potent from being trapped in the nylon tent. A light lacrima in the corner cast a faint glow inside, enough so that average eyes could see. It cast stark shadows across a small lump that shuddered under the sleeping bag. It let out another whimper.

The Iron Dragon Slayer's iron control was slipping. He needed to get her to stop. It wasn't just about making her feel better. He couldn't get that sound out of his head. He wouldn't settle until it stopped. Careful to keep some distance between them, he wrapped a large hand around her shoulder. It felt too tiny in his hand, too breakable, like it would snap with the slightest of pressure.

"Oi." He called, shaking her lightly. She didn't respond, but shook her head, mumbling something not even he could make out. "Hey, Shrimp. Wake up." When she still didn't respond, his voice got louder, letting the edge of worry seep in.

"Levy. Levy wake up."

With a sudden snap, the tiny girl shot up, startling them both. Her eyes were wild, like a deer's as she ran from a wolf. Deep tawny eyes locked onto his, the desperation and fear he saw there hitting him like a punch in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Gajeel."

She whispered his name like a question and an answer all at the same time, and he didn't dare move. Shorty stared at him for another moment, stared right through him, making him lean back, uncomfortable under her scrutiny. But then it was broken as she turned to look around the rest of the tent, adjusting to reality.

"You were dreamin'." Gajeel told her, trying to solve her confusion. The shrimp looked away from him and nodded.

"Ah, y-yeah. Sorry if I woke you." If he wasn't a dragon slayer, he never would have been able to hear her. Levy McGarden might be small, but she always made sure she was heard. He didn't like this Levy, the one who acted her size. It was much more annoying that the one who was too big for her britches.

"Same dream?"

Slowly, her head bobbed up and down. Her mouth remained closed, though. He knew she wasn't gonna tell him. It wasn't like he could really do anything if she did anyway. Feeling more useless than he ever had, Gajeel turned to leave.

"Go back ta sleep."

"W-wait!" A delicate hand landed on the scarred skin of his right forearm. There was no strength in the hold, and yet it bound him more securely than any chain.

"W-would you…I mean, this tent is just as big…so, um, if you could…" he could hear her fidget, and despite his back being turned, Gajeel could easily picture the unsure yet determined frown she wore.

"I don't want to be alone."

God, she sounded so helpless. He knew she was anything but, but damn it if that request in that little voice didn't render him useless. Pushing down whatever the hell this feeling was, Gajeel turned back to her and nodded.

"Alright. Lie down and go ta sleep. I'll stay." He told her. This night was going to be torture for him, lying next to her like this, her scent and body so close to his, relying on him for comfort, security, but leaving him unable to be as close as he wanted. He knew the lines, and knew they couldn't be crossed. It would be a bitch to control himself, but she needed him. And that thought alone was enough to cool him off.

Gajeel watched as the shrimp spread out another blanket for him, his own still in the other tent, and gently lowered herself back down on her own. He lay down next to her, refusing to look at her though still very aware of every move she made.

"Goodnight, Gajeel." She said softly, curling up on her side.

He stayed quiet, his jaw clenched, afraid he would say something he wasn't supposed to. By the time he got control, the tiny body next to him was breathing deeply. The dragon slayer looked over and saw the script mage completely relaxed. He smirked at the sight, glad she found some peace. That knowledge helped him drift back to sleep himself.

Okay, so that's chapter 4. It was mostly fluff and filler, but I felt that jumping right to the village wouldn't be right. You can see I like my exposition phase. But there will be more action in 5 and more mystery *ooooooh*

No but seriously we will get to hear a bit about this mysterious magic. See you next time dearies!