Well here we are. Chapter 4 of the Gajeel/Levy fic. 12th chapter in the Fairy Tail project. And we're going full steam ahead... or behind, whatever.

To my reviewers, I am glad you liked the fun and fluff. I figured that they needed the break from being all angsty. The first two chapters had some drama but I wanted a lighter one for chapter three.

The chibi Gajeels? Where do I begin? Like I said, this idea came from a doujinshi. It was either a digimon or a naruto one. I can't remember. It's been like six years but I still remember the scene. Hilarious. If anyone wants to draw that scene, you're welcome to. Just tell me because I'd want to see it as well.

To luvr4fantanim, Levy's powers of persuasion are greater than that of a Jedi. Gajeel should be afraid.

Anyways, as always, reviews make me happy so reading the feedback is like giving spinach to Popeye, an awesome high. (I am pretty sure that damn spinach is drug-laced.

Three points to dorac, LovelyAnimeLover and Mathqueen2 for guessing the word.

Now our feature presentation.

D is for Denial

Denial is the most predictable of all human responses ~ The Architect, The Matrix Reloaded

Levy McGarden is a smart girl. Give her any language and she can translate it in a day. Give her puzzles and she can solve them in an hour. Give her riddles and she can figure it out in a minute.

But there is one problem that she can't solve. Like an itch that you can't scratch, the blue-haired woman felt frustrated. Why was she agonizing over this? She is intelligent. So why can't she resolve this?

It all came back to a certain Iron Dragon Slayer. Levy refused to believe it at first. This was the man who attacked her, who crucified her, who marked her body with another guild's brand. How the hell did it come about that she had a crush on Gajeel?

Levy groaned loudly. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. However where she decided to groan was a problem. Why is that? Well, it's because she groaned at the Fairy Tail bar. And at the bar is where Mirajane Strauss, Fairy Tail's barmaid and "Problem Solver", is currently working. (I say Problem Solver because busybody just seems too strong of a word for such a sweet woman.)

If anyone could say anything bad about the Takeover mage, it would be that she gets a bit "involved" in her fellow guildmates lives. Notice the quotation marks on the word involved. You see, Mirajane loved to play matchmaker. It was one of her favorite activities. She loves the people in the guild and wants to see them happy. There is no greater happiness than when two people fall in love and become a couple. Hooking up two people, in turn, makes her happy.

Now the level of involvement that she displays is based on a case by case matter. With Alzack and Bisca, it was simple. She would send them on the same missions together. The foundation for a relationship was already there. They just needed a little push. And it worked. The only regret that Mira had was that she didn't get to see the wedding due to the events of Tenrou Island.

Mirajane had offhandedly mentioned Lucy sometime after the Phantom Lord incident that she and Natsu would make a cute couple. The white-haired woman knew that with her overactive mind, the Stellar Spirit mage would imagine herself in a relationship with the Fire Dragon Slayer. And although they did not get together at the time, Mira had effectively planted the seed of a relationship between the two. Every now and then, the barmaid would ask Lucy how her relationship with Natsu was going, causing her to blush.

For Juvia, who was madly in love with Gray, the barmaid had told the water mage to make him jealous by going out with another guy. At first, Juvia was apprehensive. She didn't want to go out with anyone but the Ice Mage. However, Mira and Cana had convinced her that if she did, it would make Gray jealous of the attention that the guy was receiving from her and he'd react by sweeping her off her feet. It didn't work out like that. It turned out that not only was Gray not jealous, he was truly happy for Juvia when he learned that Juvia was "dating" this guy. Afterwards, the guy left her because he was looking for something more serious and she didn't oblige. He said some hurtful things to the water mage. This got a response from Gray who was enraged that this man hurt one of his friends. To this day, Mira had no idea what happened to the guy, whatshisname.

And so it came to pass that when Mirajane Strauss saw Levy McGarden sighing and banging her head against the bar, she had to intervene.

"What's the matter, Levy?" Mira asked, absently cleaning a dirty mug.

Levy stopped banging her head against the bar. "Oh, Mira. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking." She answered.

"What are you thinking about? It helps to talk about it." She smiled.

Levy's response was another groan. "I'd rather not talk about it." Levy mumbled.

"Come on." The white-haired woman coaxed. "No problem is that bad that you can't talk about it."

Levy wasn't willing to share. "I think that this is a problem that only I can solve."

Mira sighed. "I understand." She said. "Let me get you something to drink, at least."

Mira made Levy one of her favorites, a chocolate milkshake with a dollop of whip cream. The bookworm accepted the drink gratefully and proceeded to drink it. As the last of the concoction was finished, Levy felt slightly better.

"Thanks, Mira." Levy told her.

"No problem." She smiled back. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm right here and I don't judge."

Levy's eyes were downcast. She sighed. "I just don't know myself anymore." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" Mira asked.

Levy looked at Mira with her hazel eyes. "Mira, have you ever had a crush before?" She asked hesitantly.

Although Mira's face was stoic, inside she was smiling radiantly. Oh how she loved talking about love. It was her favorite subject. "I have, a couple of times." She admitted.

Levy averted her eyes, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Has a crush turned into ..." She trailed off.

"Turned into..." Mira repeated. Although she knew where Levy was going, Mira wanted the blue-haired mage to admit it out loud.

"Love, okay, love." She raised her voice unintentionally. When she realized what she did, Levy's blush became more pronounced.

"Ahh, love." Mira smiled softly. "Maybe once." Mira confided. "I had a crush on a guy and it turned serious."

"What did you do?" Levy asked.

"I went up to him and confessed." The barmaid said simply.

"What happened?" The blue haired woman inquired.

Mira giggled a bit. "Well, turned out he was already involved."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I was hurt a bit but I got over it the next day." Mira explained. "It felt good to confess."

"Does it feel good to confess?" Levy wondered, her voice sounding so glum.

"Absolutely." Mira smiled. "It's like a weight lifted off of your shoulders."

The Solid Script mage sighed. She didn't say anymore.

"So who's the lucky guy who has the attention of Levy McGarden?" Mira asked mirthfully.

Levy looked away. "It's someone who I shouldn't be in love with."

The white-haired woman furrowed her eyebrows. "Shouldn't be in love with him?" She repeated, not sure how to take this.

"Yeah." Levy slumped her head against the bar.

"Is it Jet or Droy?" Mira asked. "Is it because you don't want to make one jealous over the other?"

"It's not either of them." Levy answered. "I mean it's been seven years. I wasn't in love with them before we left for Tenrou Island and I'm not in love with them now."

"So it's someone who went with us on Tenrou Island." Mira deduced.

Levy gasped. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Mira, though she gave of the aura of a ditzy girl, was very intuitive and would eventually guess who it was.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Levy blurted. "I'd rather figure this out on my own."

Mira smiled. "Don't worry. What you say stays between you and me. You know that, Levy."

"It's not that I don't trust you to keep quiet about this." Levy acknowledged. "I just don't want you to try and set us up."

Mira didn't let up her smile. "Now when have I ever done that?" She asked.

"With Juvia before we left for Tenrou Island." Levy answered.

"Ohh, that." The barmaid said flippantly. "That was at her request."

"That's not how I remember it." Levy said.

Mira changed the subject. "Anyways, back to who you like."

"No, Mira." She whined. "Please don't say anymore."

Mira patted Levy on the shoulders. "Don't worry. You have nothing to be ashamed about."

Mira held out her hand. "Let's see. It can't be Gray." She checked of the name with her finger. "If it was then Juvia would be glaring at you right now. It's not Natsu. I don't see him as your type."

"Mira please." Levy begged. "This is too embarrassing. What if someone overhears?"

The barmaid ignored her pleas. "I don't think it's Elfman." She mused. "It's not Elfman, is it?"

Levy, this time, decided to be quiet. But Mira gave the small mage one look and saw the answer she was looking for. "I mean who else could it be? The Raijinshu? Laxus?"

The blue-haired mage squirmed in her barstool. Eventually she would say his name and then...

"I mean all who's left is Gildarts and Gajeel."

At the mention of Gajeel's name, Levy's ears turned red. The observant barmaid picked up on it immediately.

"Gajeel? For real?" Mira asked, shocked. Now this one she didn't see coming.

Levy knew she couldn't lie her way out of it. "You promised not to say anything." She reminded the white-haired woman.

"I mean I'm surprised it's Gajeel. Never struck you for falling for the badboy type." Mira giggled girlishly.

Levy's answer was putting her head on the bar, covering her head and groaning loudly. Her groan was muffled by her arms.

"What's wrong? There's nothing wrong with having a crush on Gajeel." Mira patted the small woman. Then the patting stopped. "Unless..."

"Mira, please don't finish that thought." Levy beseeched, hands clasped together. However, there was a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Well, that answers that question." Mira teased lightly. "It's good to know that you're in love."

"I shouldn't be."

Mira was confused. "Why shouldn't you be in love with Gajeel?" She asked.

Levy looked sad. "I'm okay with the idea of him being in our guild. I'm okay talking with him, even with the way he acts sometimes. I'm even okay with being friends with him." She could feel tears welling in her eyes.

Mira looked concerned. At first, she was just teasing Levy but now she realized that it was probably the worst thing she could have done. Levy was still struggling with her own emotions. She was being totally serious and Mira wasn't helping at all.

"I'm sorry. I'm making fun of you." Mira apologized. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you feel like you should be in love with Gajeel?"

Levy felt the tears stinging her eyes. "Because I still remember that night..." She whispered.

Mira's eyes widened. She didn't need any more clarification. That night... the night when Gajeel attacked Levy and Team Shadow Gear and crucified them in the public square. It's been a long time since that day.

Her glance softened. "But you've forgiven him of that, right?" She asked. Now she felt horrible. What was once a lighthearted talk about love became something much darker and deeper. Mira felt awful for making Levy remember that night.

"I did." Levy answered. "I do. But sometimes, when I'm asleep, I can't help but dream about it. That sadistic smile, that piercing stare, the mark that he put on me." Levy's tears fell of their own accord. "I can still feel it sometimes."

"Levy." Mira whispered in a soothing manner. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"I know that he's done a lot of good ever since he joined Fairy Tail." The Solid Script mage admitted. "He helped stop Laxus, he saved us in Edolas, he saved me twice. He's a nice guy once you get past his abrasiveness. I'm glad that he's a part of Fairy Tail. But..."

The tears started flowing more freely. Levy couldn't take it any more. Covering her eyes, she ran out of the guild.

"Levy, wait." Mira shouted as she chased after her.

What neither of them knew was that someone was unintentionally eavesdropping onto their conversation. On one of the far tables from the bar where he sat with his companion, a long haired man overheard the conversation between Levy and Mira. A beer glass in his hand, his usually dour face became grim as hell. To anyone else, no one would have thought twice about the look on his face. But to his companion, his look revealed a lot more.

"What's the matter, Gajeel?" The companion, Pantherlily, asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing." The aloof Gajeel bit out. He wished that he didn't hear that. Sometimes, being a Dragon Slayer was a pain in the ass.

Lily observed the Iron Dragon Slayer again. His posture was slumped, his eyes were narrowed to slits, and his face looked like the world had fallen down on him. The Exceed knew that it was probably not a good idea to delve any deeper than that. "If you say so." Said his companion

Gajeel didn't answer back. He just returned to his drink.

Levy had made it to her room and ran to the bed. Her tears stopped along the way. She knew she shouldn't think that way about Gajeel. He changed.

Before she could think more on this, Levy heard a knock on her door.

"May I come in?" A voice asked the Solid Script mage.

"Okay, Mira." Levy agreed.

Mira made her way to the bed where Levy was currently sitting. Smoothing out her dress first, the barmaid sat down "First, I want to say that I'm really sorry." Mira started.

"It's okay, Mira." Levy told her, but the small mage's eyes did not meet hers.

"No, it's not okay." Mira rebuked. "I made you talk about something you were clearly agonizing about and made light of it. It was very wrong of me." The white-haired woman sighed. "I should have taken your problems more seriously. For that, I apologize."

"Apology accepted." A small smile crept on Levy's face. "I guess I just needed that release, you know."

Mira returned the smile. "I know what you mean." Then she put a comforting hand on Levy's shoulder. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Levy responded, a bit calmer after her outburst.

"Have you truly forgiven Gajeel for what he's done?" The barmaid asked.

Levy didn't even hesitate. "Yes. I have."

"Do you think he's changed?" Mira continued.

"Yes. He used to be so sullen and withdrawn. But now he's opening up."

"Do you see the good in him?" Mira pressed.

"Well, he's not like not like he was before. I think he really cares about the guild." Levy spoke wistfully. "And he's saved me twice now, once against Laxus and once against Grimoire Heart."

"Now I ask you this. If you've acknowledged the fact that you've forgiven, if you've accepted the fact that he's changed, if you see the good in him, then why do you think it is still a bad thing to be in love with Gajeel?" Mira asked.

For once, Levy had nothing to say. Every argument that she could think of died on her lips.

The blue-haired woman let out a sigh. "I just want to know why I fell for Gajeel instead of someone else."

Mira gave Levy a knowing look. "Sometimes, people fall in love at first sight, just like Juvia. For others, it's based on a deep friendship that grows each day, like Alzack and Bisca. And for some people, there is no reason why."

Mira closed her eyes and gave Levy a motherly smile. "Love isn't based on reason alone. It's emotional, something you feel. It hits you in the heart and makes you feel wonderful, jealous, happy, angry, and the whole span of human feelings. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you love."

Levy's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about it. She thought crushing on Gajeel and subsequently falling for him was the worst thing in the world for her. But Mira was starting to convince that maybe it wasn't bad for her to feel like this.

Mirajane took advantage of the silence. "You don't have to confess now, Levy." She told the silent mage. "In fact, I would advise against it because you aren't ready. However, at the very least, you can be Gajeel's friend. I think he needs that more."

Levy looked up at the older woman. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Mira smiled.

Levy smiled. It felt like the first time in ages that she did. "Thanks Mira."

"You're welcome. And know that whatever you decide to do concerning Gajeel, Fairy Tail always stand by your side." Mira reminded her gently.

"You're right." The blue-haired woman beamed.

Mirajane decided to leave Levy alone with her thoughts. She saw herself out of Levy's apartment and returned to Fairy Tail.

Levy got up from the bed and headed to her massive book collection and picked out something for light reading. As her fingers picked out a book, the Solid Script mage smiled. Perhaps she wasn't ready to tell Gajeel of her feelings. But she would be his friend. He needed that more. And perhaps one day, if they remain the same, Levy will tell Gajeel everything.

Word Count: 2843

Point of order. This probably takes place immediately after Tenrou Island.

Okay. I know some of you are wondering WTF. I just want to say this.

I needed to give Levy a reason for angsting. Beyond, what happened in the Phantom Lord incident, we know next to nothing about her past that is painful to her. We know that Natsu and Gajeel were abandoned by their dragon parents. We know of Lucy's home life. We know the history between Gray and Ur. And we know about Juvia and the rain. But with Levy, we don't have anything on her past. (Hint, hint Mashima).

The second reason I did this is because even if she had accepted Gajeel as a guildmate, even if she can be alright with him being her partner for the S-class exam, I don't think she would just accept that she was in love with him. She might be the most forgiving person in the world but I don't think she would have been just okay with her growing feelings. Levy would try to deny them. It would be the same in real life. Put yourself in Levy's shoes. Do you think that you would be okay falling in love with a guy who hurt you? Probably not. At least not right away. A lot of authors of Gaj/Lev stories don't focus on this aspect. They just go... "Okay Levy's in love with Gajeel." I just think it would have taken her a lot more time for her to accept it. That's all. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Well, like it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave a review. I'd love to hear from you. Here's the prompt for the next chapter.

Whenever Gajeel and Levy were sleeping together, he would always wrap his strong arms tightly around her waist. The reason was that he was always afraid that one day, she'd disappear.

Can you guess the word? I'll give you a hint. It's an SAT word.

Lastly, after the next chapter of Gruvia, I'll be taking a week long break from the Fairy Tail Project. During that time, I'll be spending some time with the family. I won't be updating the project. Instead, I'll write a one-shot or two that isn't romance. If you want, look for it.

Till next time

A. Angel