AN: To those who read Fighting Redfox to its satisfying end, thank you! It means a lot. I'm glad that you all enjoyed the story I shared with you! This is another Gajevy multi-chapter story for you! I hope you like it as much as FR!
Storyline: [AU] He's a cop who's had a rough few years. She's an out-of-towner with baggage she wished she could shake. Both have a past they'd rather not talk about. They must save each other from themselves to rediscover what had once given their lives meaning, all while danger hovers. Love and acceptance are only words until proven with action. [Two Plot Convergence] [Crime drama, lemon]
*Rated Mature - There is intense language, drug usage, violence, and sexual content.
*I do not own any of the media.
*I do not own any of FairyTail - that's all Hiro Mashima.
AN: Uploaded on my birthday. Yeahh buddy.
Some of this is based on actual events from my hometown. It made it easier to write, picturing the place I grew up and the place I worked for a while. And I know horses so that wasn't too hard either.
ALSO, I'm going to put a slight trigger warning up, but from now on, please consider this whole story as perpetually tagged with a trigger warning. I feel like some of this could be sensitive stuff for certain readers. Even I cringe a bit as it sort of feels a little like the Law And Order: SVU type sometimes. It'll have more of that feeling as the story progresses.
Chapter 6 - By Chance
The deserted, woody back roads were eerily quiet in the darkness as he expertly backed up one of his prized possessions. The blue car's engine was silenced as it came to a stop on the loose gravel roadside. He switched off the headlights off and the shadows beyond swallowed up what had once been lit. Dark trees gave him cover from the fine mist that had begun to fall.
Zachary clutched his phone to dial a number. When the voice on the other end picked up, he asked monotoned, "You sure he'll be here?"
"Yea bro, Rhodes' good for it."
"He better. This location is fuckin' odd for a deal." He roughly huffed out, feeling the outline of the 9mm Beretta under his t-shirt with his thumb. When he was doing business alone, the pistol was his usual backup if things went south. Looking up at the rear view, Zachary's eyes then flicked back to the windshield as he listened to the familiar voice on the other end.
"It's all good, dude. Let me know when you're done."
He clicked off the phone and continued to wait in the dark. About the time he settled comfortably against the door, the small dual flashes of headlights appeared in the distance. He sat up in the seat, his heart quickening and bringing him to an alert state of mind.
The twin yellow-white lights shone directly at his car until the vehicle backed up to out perpendicular on the side of the road as Zachary had done. He opened the door and slid out, careful to stay next to the driver's door and keep his hands in view for the man he was about to meet; Zachary doubted he trusted any of the buyers who came his way, so it was best to stay on the smart side.
The alive side.
A young looking man approached Liam after killing the vehicle's engine. He carried something small in his hand but it was hard to tell what it was from lack of light. He guessed it was the stuff.
"Smith?"
"Yea," Zachary gave a quick tilt of his head at the usage of his last name, then looking at the man's hand, he spoke, "That it?"
Rhodes smirked. "All two ounces." He held it out to him, and also his other hand for a return.
He unemotionally fished the wad of cash out from his front pocket and placed it the face up palm, then took his baggie of illegal gain. He held it up to try to see it in the dim lighting and said, "I've never exchanged in the boonies before."
"Is that so." Rhodes relaxed a bit as he watch Zachary carefully put the baggie in his pocket. "I'm surprised you haven't. It's the safest place to do one."
"Why?"
"Have you been to Crawford?" The dealer gave him a look and placed his hands on his hips below his belt. "That whole county is crawling with pigs. They've probably spent more on their department than they have their schools."
Zachary knew that last part was most likely exaggerated, but he'd have to see it for himself to make a judgment. "Really. What kind of people live there then?"
Casually shrugging and crossing his arms over his chest, Rhodes said, "Farmers mostly. Rednecks. There's a few tiny ranches in the rural areas. Lots of cows and horses, smells of shit all the time. There's not much worth seeing if ya ask me."
"Yea."
Zachary's reply might have been automatic, but his mind was already working. Not much worth seeing, his ass; where there were horses, there was a chance he'd find her. The thought of seeing Levy after two years gave him a new sense of excitement. He assumed because of what had happened with them that she'd put in a lot of distance.
Why hadn't he thought of looking just two counties over?
He emerged from his dark thoughts, remembering to reply. "You live there. What's that say about you?"
The man snorted. "That I'm a dumbass. But a clever one when it comes to evading the cops," he said. Uncrossing his arms, he turned to head back to his car. "Despite the heavy presence, it doesn't stop illegal operations, thankfully."
That statement piqued Zachary's interest. He called out before the dealer could reach the vehicle. "What other kind of operations are there?"
The blond halted and half-turned, narrowing his eyes once again before turning completely around to face him. It was odd that he asked for specific answers to questions about the prohibited activities in which he himself participated. With his hand poised at his side, Rhodes frowned and asked, "Why you wanna know? You some kinda nark?"
Zachary knew there was a gun hidden somewhere on the guy's person. A drug dealer usually packed some form of heat on these kinds of occasions. He raised his hands in front of him, shaking his head, then gestured to himself. "What? No, no, do I fuckin' look like a nark?! I was askin' 'cause I might be in the market, depending on what else you've got."
The poised hand dropped and the dealer glanced from the uncommon buyer to the blue souped up car, then back. There was money in cars. It seemed as though there had already been some invested into the Nissan. A lot more of it too if one raced and won on a regular basis.
His eyes were serious when he looked him in the eye and asked, "You run her on the black roads?"
A smile appeared on Zachary's face.
Levy hummed to herself while she placed the last of the boot boxes on the shelf. The daunting task had caused her to work up a sweat even in the air conditioned building. She carefully climbed down the ladder and once her feet were on the shiny floor, she briefly admired her work.
The wall of shoe boxes were clean and organized, all in proper size groups, all of the display boots facing the same way on their platforms. Her eyes landed on a display of one dark brown Justins in her size. The price was ridiculous, she knew she would never make enough extra cash to buy them. Pulling herself away, Levy began to tear down the tall ladder to take it to the back.
The farm store manager had been good to her since she started three months earlier. He hadn't had any other place for her except at the register, but she was soon moved to stocking when another employee turned in their two-weeks. It meant that they'd hire a new employee to take over Levy's old position. Levy was glad; the new hire could take over standing all day and man the phone and overhead pager.
She hummed the country song playing overhead as she slowly toted the ladder through one of the main aisles. Another employee having just started the 1:00 pm afternoon shift straightened his red work vest. He saw her and offered to help. "Hey Levy. I can take that back for ya."
"It's ok, Steven, I've got it," she said breathlessly. Her grip tightened on the folded metal. He was just being polite, but she could honestly do it herself.
He said nothing as she continued towards the double doors he had just come through, only looking over his shoulder before going to work. She was a hard-working draft horse set in a tiny frame of a woman. There was plenty of spirit lodged somewhere within.
Once her current task was fully complete, Levy immediately started on another stocking mission, taking a skid of equine equipment to the appropriate aisles. She drowned herself in her work. Her thoughts were as usual all over the place, from what she was doing in the moment to what she'd be able to buy with her next paycheck, to hoping that she'd never again have a run in with anyone harboring ill-intentions.
She felt safe at least. With nowhere to go really, she made herself available every day, all day if need be for any work shifts. Staying with a few friends she knew had moved to this town after graduation, Levy had a temporary roof over her head, though she preferred to be out during the day. People she didn't know -men especially- made her nervous. Levy didn't trust her friend's boyfriend who lived there either. Not fully.
Not really at all.
There was doubt she'd ever meet someone else who won over any trust still left in her.
She had had a major part of her ripped out against her will that night, and even now it the memories were still fresh. The single decision had ruined her in more ways than one. She had no real home to go to, her only friend gone as well. Although no one would know it by how she spoke, Levy felt disgusting. She felt completely worthless. How could one action define her so? How could it make her hate who she was? Surely there would be no happy ending for her, no marriage or kids, like how she had planned in her teenage years. Now the mere thought of getting pregnant threatened to make her sick.
Huffing, she ordered the tears in her eyes to disappear so she could focus on her job. When she finished transferring the merchandise from the skid to the shelves, the overhead pager went off. "I need a team member to the front, a team member to the front."
Levy rounded the corner and bumped into the guy from earlier. He apologized before adding, "I'll take that, you go up there."
She followed his hand as it took hold of the skid loader's steering column. "Thanks," she replied, then turned to leave him in the aisle.
At the register area was a customer waiting at the counter with one of the cashiers. The woman wore worn down jeans and faded, dusty boots housed her feet, graced the bottom. Through the sliding glass doors and windows of the vestibule, Levy could see a black and silver four-horse slant hauled by a black Ford dually parked towards the back of the lot, where there was more room to let the horses tethered inside to walk around safely. Though now as she looked at it, there were two muzzles sticking out of the open trailer windows.
As she approached, the cashier smiled. "Levy's the girl for you, ma'am."
"What can I help you with?" Levy asked pleasantly.
The woman looked at her. "I bought a few bales of straw and some fence posts and panels I need help loading," she said, then gave Levy a quick once over. "Have you any experience with horses?"
Levy fought the urge to laugh and managed a small smile. She replied humbly, "Yes, I grew up with them."
"Ah, good," the customer said. "I need someone's opinion on grain…"
Levy spent the next half hour talking to the horsewoman about the different horse feed they supplied and what she had used when she had owned her own, and the next twenty helping her load the other rather large items into the bed of her truck.
"Do you know how far it is to Taylorsville from here?" the woman asked nonchalantly. She secured the bungee cords to the truck bed and then turned to look at Levy.
The bluenette looked up to the sky before returning to the woman. "Um, I've never been out there, but I believe it's about four hours west."
"I thought so."
Levy caught her eye. "Are you going to a show?"
The woman palmed her truck keys. "No, going camping out in the state park there for a while."
"That will be fun," Levy commented with a smile.
"Yea." The woman threw a thumb over her shoulder at the trailer. "You wanna help me walk them? I don't want them getting stiff if they're gonna be in there for four more hours."
Much to her surprise at having been asked, she nodded before swallowing. There was a nervous excitement building up inside at finally -after several months without- touching and leading her favorite animal.
Her chest ached when she breathed in the familiar and comfortable scent of leather and hay, that distinct smell of horse. It was as if she had never been without; she spoke to the grey mare as if she had always been her owner, expertly backing her out of the trailer with the right amount of authority, enough for the beast to obey without balking in confusion.
Levy led the grey up the lot and turned to the left in the beginning of a large circle. She spoke to her as she lightly gripped the leadline, her slender fingers tracing small ovals on the mare's smooth neck. "You're such a pretty girl. So regal…"
The grey mare raised her head, ears pricked forward, large brown eyes gazing at her new surroundings. There was no nervousness, no alarm in those eyes. She moved her muzzle as she quietly and calmly licked, then swung her head towards Levy and gently blew her hot breath onto her skin through a large nostril.
Levy's eyes began to water. The painful sentiment gripped her soul yet again.
The mare was a tall one, her withers at Levy's eyeline. She looked more like she had Thoroughbred in her than Quarter Horse as the owner had mentioned. Her long, black legs were sturdy under the thick body, her pasterns conformationally at the right angle, as well as her neck and back. It was apparent the horse was well bred.
It was her head that held Levy's attention. It was so beautiful, so proportional, so like the last horse she had owned. Right down to the coat color. The only differences were darker points on the legs and this one was a mare, not a gelding.
Levy fought the tears as they threatened to spill over her lower lashes. Her lungs took in another deep breath of the scent she had missed, silently praying that one day she'd have enough stability and the means to buy another.
The mare ducked her head down to the pavement, the action bringing Levy from her thoughts. Bringing her fingers to her eyes and wiping the salt water away, she forced herself to smile and tugged the lead, signaling for her to follow. Levy was in her own world alongside the grey. The closer they got to the trailer, the more anxious Levy became. None of her wanted to give back the horse.
It was in her blood. She wasn't just a horse person, she was a horsewoman. The skills her mother had instilled in her at such a young age hadn't left her, nor would they no matter how long it would be until she was able to utilize them again. Today was a good day, a happy fluke to jumpstart her memories, however bittersweet they were.
Knowing she had to, Levy reluctantly transferred the red lead rope into the customer's outstretched hand and thanked her for the kindness. She ran her hand down the length of the mare as she walked back to the store. Her hand slipped off the smooth hindquarters into the air behind the horse. The smile left her when she realized it.
Just like her hand, it was as if her life had fallen to the depths and into nothingness.
The small bell on the door jingled. Glancing up in time to see the familiar face walking through the front entrance, Levy stopped wiping the table, dropping the wet rag into the sani-bucket. An unbidden smile showed her white teeth. "Well hello Officer," she greeted pleasantly.
She watched as Gajeel strode further into the establishment. It was not very often that she saw the man in regular clothes outside of his shifts; she had gotten used to seeing him in the all black uniform. He pulled his sunglasses up from his eyes to perch on top of his head. "Levy," he spoke pleasantly in return, clearly happy to see her. "How many times do I need to remind you to call me Gajeel?"
The friendly tease in his voice was noted as she let her eyes roam over his attractive facial features. Over the last weeks, their small banter had become how they greeted each other. It was fun for him and easy for her. It wasn't something he expected her to do, she knew, but it was easier this way. For one, it kept her from getting too familiar with him, no matter if he was a cop.
She was not nervous around the man though. For the first time in two years, she was not anxious in the presence of a manly man.
"At least once more," she replied, the smile spreading further across her face. She picked up the red cleaning bucket by the handle and made her way behind the front counter. "Give me a few minutes to clean up and then we can go."
Gajeel nodded silently and followed her with his eyes as he took a seat at the counter, pulling the stool inward as he sat. She left the room, disappearing into the back room and kitchen. There wasn't many people in despite the festivities across the street. From where he was situated, Gajeel could see the tents and vendors, the people walking through the center square to the various weekend sales.
He was looking forward to taking Levy across the street it would be an opportunity to get to know her somewhat. It felt like he was several years younger and still in high school, taking a girl he just met out on a date. Only he was the one who had a curfew; with Mira ending up more fatigued than usual with her first pregnancy, he was sure Penny would unintentionally be a handful and exacerbate her symptoms, and he would undoubtedly have to pick up his toddler before it got too late in the night.
Which also meant taking Levy home early. As much as he liked the woman, he didn't want to tell her about Penny's existence just yet. About his past she would unknowingly bring up. It happened over two years prior, but that didn't mean the pain was gone.
Gajeel turned to see Dave appear from the back. He called out to him, "Hey Dave."
"Hey." The cafe owner waved and came over. "How's work going for ya?"
"Been busy as usual. You know, crime never sleeps. Glad for the day off though," Gajeel answered with a small grin. There was always a chance that he'd get called in on his scheduled days off. It was best to make the most of them when he did get them. He turned the conversation over. "Business going alright?"
The blond man made a slight sound with his mouth and looked out the window towards the busy courtyard square. "It is. Slow at the moment with the festival this weekend, but there's always a decent turn out later on at the end," Dave answered honestly. His gaze returned to Gajeel as he finished speaking.
"Well, you can always expect me and Laxus on a regular work basis." Gajeel leaned his arms on the counter.
"Right," the man snorted with a rough smirk. He crossed his arms as he stood across from Gajeel. His voice turned a hint more serious. "Levy's been talking."
That statement made the officer turn slightly on his stool towards Levy's cousin. It could have been about anything. He only glanced up at Dave. "Has she," he noted.
He nodded. "About how much she's been enjoying her conversations with you here." He motioned to the empty space beside him as he spoke about the diner as a whole.
Gajeel just nodded, blinking. "Good, I'm glad."
He may have been unchanging in his appearance, but inside a smile was growing. He could feel it deep in his chest. Not that he had been trying too hard with her, he had let the casual conversations at the diner during his break hours be his only real interactions with her up until their impromptu lunch date. Though he had noticed that it was now easier to draw up a smile onto her lips. The knowledge of that left him a bit speechless.
Dave brought his volumed down enough for only the officer to hear. "Yea, me too. How's Penny been? Is she doing ok?"
"She's a handful. And growing like a damn weed. But she's been doing great. She's learning to say more words, though her favorite is still 'no'," Gajeel lovingly recalled.
He loved talking about his child. There had been past occasions that he'd brought her to the cafe, when she was an infant and later for her second birthday, and everyone who'd seen her commented on how much she looked like either him or his late wife. Though he was hoping Levy would not overhear their conversation. He didn't feel like explaining that part of his past to her at this point.
It seemed as if the man across from him was going to say something in return, but he was cut off as Levy approached. He shut his mouth and gave Gajeel a glance, something in a conversation that went without saying. He straightened up off the tabletop, turning to his cousin.
He noticed her change of clothing, from drab work pants and shirt to the orange and yellow tank top and jean shorts. He smirked. "Hey, who said you could change, hmm? Shift doesn't end for another three minutes."
"Ha ha," Levy chimed and ignored Dave's attempt to be funny with a slight eye roll.
Gajeel also noticed the evident difference in her attire. His red eyes quickly roamed appreciatively over her colorful and curvy form, settling onto her face before noticing she had turned to face him. Her eyes were bright, seemingly capable of piercing through the weak reserve he had hastily constructed when she had walked up on them.
Without looking away from her, he asked, "You ready to go?"
She hummed her affirmation, adding, "Yes, if Dave will let me. I don't know how he's going to manage with how busy it is." Her hand gestured to the empty dining area with a sly grin.
Her comment cracked Gajeel's face at the mouth. He found she had a good sense of humor -when she wasn't on the defense. The young woman seemed at ease.
"I suppose it's ok. Go before I change my mind." Dave winked and left them alone, heading to the back through the kitchen entry. He had no intention of keeping them apart; he thought they were a good match, for many reasons.
While Levy rounded the counter to meet him, the off-duty police officer slid off the stool to stand. He immediately noticed the height difference. The top of her head stopped at his chest. Seeing her in shorts and her Ariats -especially the skin of her legs showing in between- was an unexplainable, and frankly, unexpected turn on.
"So what are we doing first?" Levy inquired, stuffing her hands in her back pockets. Her hazel eyes gazed up at him as she waited patiently by his side.
Mentally shaking away thoughts that could turn down a darker, inappropriate path, Gajeel looked down at the black watch on his wrist. "Well, we're just in time for the annual Water Ball fight."
"Water Ball? What's that?"
He let out a small snort, grinning at her understandable confusion. "Ah, it's kinda weird to those who haven't lived here. You'll just have to watch."
"Is it a big thing in this town?" She asked as they started for the exit. He reached for the door and held it open for her.
"Yea, sorta."
Levy's lips curved upwards. The excitement of a new atmosphere threatened to tumble out of her as she followed him out onto the wide sidewalk, staying fairly close to his muscular body without actually touching. He chose to stay close to the cafe's entrance so they could watch the fights that were about to take place from the awning above.
The ends of the street were blocked by yellow wooden saw horses and the grounds around the castle-like courthouse were packed with tent canopies and throngs of festival-goers. The smell of freshly fried corn dogs and other fair-type foods wafted to their noses. Those booths must have been what Dave had been meant by business being unusually slow.
There was a crowd gathering on the business fronts within view of the street, and two fire engines were parked at either end. Two tow trucks were similarly parked in the middle of the main strip with a connecting cable strung high and taunt in the air between them. A large metal ball on rollers was mounted on the cable. A fireman without the town department's faded gold overcoat used a hook pole to move the ball to the center for the fight to begin.
It was all too strange a sight for the bluenette.
"Ok, you have to tell me what's going on," Levy said as she watched the scene.
Chuckling, Gajeel nodded and began as the two diesel engines of the fire trucks fired up. "It's a Crawford tradition, I'm not sure how it all started. Us and the surrounding counties lend a team of firemen for a friendly competition. The trucks are hooked up to the hydrants. They aim the water at the ball to move it along the cable. Whoever gets the ball to a certain point on the other team's end wins. The fights only last about five minutes each, then the last two in the brackets battle for ten. There's a trophy at the end."
"A trophy? Like the tall and shiny kind?" Levy's mouth fell open, the smile still visible at the corners of her lips.
"Hell yea, there's a tall and shiny trophy. You know how much that ball weighs?" He pointed to the metal ball on the cable. "There's a lot of skill involved when it comes the Water Ball fight. Firemen are underappreciated in general. This is just a fun town thing. But they take it seriously. And the ladies get a show at least."
She followed his eyes to three girls ogling the participating firemen and the one sitting just inside the passenger seat at the truck's front end. She hummed as she glanced to the men and back, then said, "I guess so."
Gajeel eyed Levy, seeing what she'd do. He was interested in potentially dating Levy exclusively, having taken a liking to her the first day he'd met her. But until he got a sense of who she was and where she's been, these types of outings would tell him more about his objective. He didn't want just anyone around his daughter. She turned back to him with a contented smile and went back to watching the match, never giving them a second glance.
He liked this woman more and more each day.
Two teams of four firemen held a hose from the trucks, aimed in the air. The only fire gear they wore were their golden work trousers and boots, their navy department t-shirts donned under the criss-crossed suspenders that held up their pants. A pop of a cap gun signaled the start.
Water shot out of the nozzles to make contact with the metal with a dull ring. As the water hit the ball, it began to spin up around the cable line, with the front men on the hose doing their best to guide the stream around with it. The scent of water in the air was as if it had rained. Small rainbows appeared with the sunlight. Children of the families present jumped off the sidewalks laughing as the spray misted onto them. Soon a steady flow of leftover water poured down the street in little rivers until pooling near the curb.
Levy observed it all with a sense of awe. She had never heard or witnessed something so strange, yet so stress relieving, so relaxing. The water making its mark on the metal, the metallic sounds of it and the firemen shouting to each other, even the sounds of the children's carefree laughter and play settled deep within her. It calmed her, gave her a sense of home and what it was like. The townspeople took this time -and the festival weekend- to spend time together, to converse and take a break from life's everyday struggles.
The warm feeling relaxed Levy so heavily, she unconsciously leaned her shoulder into Gajeel's side.
He stood there feet apart as wide as his shoulders with his arms crossed over his chest, intently taking in the fight. Surprised at slight weight of her touch caused Gajeel to glance down. Still as a tree, he let her stay like that and his eyes returned to the mesmerizing vision of metal and transparent sprays against the sky. He fought the grin that Levy unknowingly brought him.
By the time the first fight was finished, the children were almost completely soaked due to the intense misting, and they stomped their feet in the street puddles. The blacktop's tiny rivers would undoubtedly become oceans as the evening progressed.
Levy shivered as she spied several miniature rainbow segments in the air. Another set of teams assumed their positions on the hoses, ready for the next match. His voice rumbled as he spoke. "This will last about an hour, so we got time to catch the last few rounds if ya wanna walk through the courtyard a bit."
She straightened up from his side when she heard his distorted voice, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. When had she leaned against him? And why didn't he say anything? A blush threatened to heat her cheeks. "Y-yea. That sounds fun."
"Are you hungry?" He considered her for a moment. Red eyes held a unique concern, one that Levy deemed sincere and hadn't really seen from anyone else aside from her mother.
It took her by surprise. For the longest time, she had thought that she wasn't worth the time, that she wasn't special. Mike had never given her a look anywhere close to resembling the one the officer was expressing. Towards her.
He brushed it off when she broke the eye contact, looking at the wet pavement. His voice was low and gentle. Despite the loud surrounding activity, Levy could hear him clearly. "If you want something, let me know. I'm getting a burger."
To her further surprise, Gajeel waited for her before walking off in search of a food stand. He never rushed her, never said a word. Only stood there gazing at her until she stepped towards him.
What's the matter with you, Levy thought to herself. She struggled not to be that unsure, shy girl she had been prior to coming to this rather charming town and its inhabitants. He's going to think you're too odd.
Once they were across the street, Gajeel led the way towards a small line of people waiting at a food vendor. The smells of cooking grub danced through the air. Levy's stomach fiercely growled, and her hand came up to her belly as if it could stop the sound from happening.
"You sure you don't want something?"
Levy politely turned Gajeel's offer down, sweetly smiling as she stood beside him. When he tilted his head up to look at the menu, she risked a glance at his thick arms. It was a no brainer that he worked out; one did not miraculously get that muscular without it. She guessed it was in the job description.
She barely brought her gaze up when the handsome officer narrowed his eyes down at her. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Ahh, on my lunch break earlier. You don't have to though, I'm-"
Gajeel interrupted her as he took out his wallet and stepped to the window. He looked at her. "You like pretzels right?"
Levy wanted to crawl into a hole. The man didn't have to do this. "Gajeel, it's fine, don't-"
"I need a cheeseburger, a soft pretzel with cheese, and a water, please," he said to the worker. The man repeated the order out loud of the two behind him and took the money to hand back the change.
Red now appeared in Levy's cheeks. She was hungry and thankful that he bought her something, but she didn't want to eat in front of him. It was embarrassing as she was awkward. Too awkward though she wished she wasn't that way. What if she dropped the pretzel? Or get cheese on her nose? Her nervousness grew in the pit of her stomach.
Despite everything she knew in her heart -that no one cared what she looked like even if she did mess up- Levy's mind could not stop worrying about it.
Gajeel handed her the large pretzel and the water, then guided her to a nearby picnic table. A plastic cover protected the surface and made for easier clean up. Levy plopped down on the bench seat, and Gajeel did the same across from her. He took a bite of his sandwich before looking at her.
"You really didn't have to do that," Levy gently announced, shaking her head at him. Despite her discomfort, she allowed a small thankful grin.
He swallowed, obviously to her self-consciousness. "It's no problem. I'd rather you be overfull than hungry. And I didn't want you to feel weird while I stuff my face."
She was impressed with his consideration. Picking off a segment of pretzel, she began to eat. Amazingly, the edginess she thought she'd feel was not present. Inside there was a calm, a content. And she figured a lot of that was caused by the man in front of her.
They sat there for several minutes while they ate, listening to the sounds of the Water Ball fight and watching people walk up and down the pathway through the homemade craft and the jewelry booths.
Gajeel glanced to her as the sunlight shone through the leaves. The warm light illuminated her beautiful face. He had been debating whether or not to ask, simply because he didn't want to scare her away. If what Laxus had guessed last week was actually correct, it could cause her flight instincts to kick in.
He had worked past cases where most of the unfortunate victims of verbal abuse and physically violent crimes where women and children. He had no clue how anyone could even think to beat or verbally degrade someone else -another human being. In all the cases, he always pictured Penny. He couldn't help it. It pained him as a father. It wore down on him every time he stumbled upon those situations.
What if Levy was that kind of victim? Maybe she wasn't though? There were plenty of people in the world with that same soft-spoken spirit of hers that had very happy childhoods. He supposed she had had the same, though some were not always as lucky. However something in his gut told him to carefully regard the woman across from him.
He observed her now, thinking of what he could do for their next expedition. His eyes creased at the corners as he gave a genuine smile. "If this date goes well, do you think there could be another?"
His sudden question caught her off guard as she took a bite. Her hand overreached in her startle and the cheese covered bread bopped her on the nose before it ended up in her mouth. Quickly wiping it off, Levy frantically chewed until she was finished with it.
"T-this was a date?"
"Well," Gajeel paused as he stared at her. He had noticed the cheese she had successfully cleaned away but didn't think twice about it. "I'd like it to be, but it doesn't have to. It's up to you."
She watched him as he took another bite of the burger, confused. Why would he want to go on a date with her? Or on another, as he asked?
Looking at her pretzel, she bit her lip.
The man went back to eating the last bits of his sandwich. He had given her no reason not to trust him. It wasn't him then, she decided. It was her. Her dating experience was terrible as it was full of bad decisions and poor choices. Not to mention the last physical interaction that had been unwanted by all means… but it had been over two years since then.
She willed herself to change her view. She was now older and wiser, so she hoped. Had she not learned from her past mistakes? She knew she was more than them, but it was believing it, to getting over her faults to love herself.
What was the harm now? Why not see where it could go with the police officer? Since she had known him, Gajeel had been gentle and kind, every time she saw him he had seemed like he was in a relaxed mood -despite the stress of his busy occupation- and he was always smiling. He had a striking smile. He had good manners, was always polite and considerate. There actually was something about him that was distinctly soothing. It felt like he was living for someone else, not just himself. The exact opposite of her ex.
So why not?
Shifting her body on the bench, she opened her mouth. She was fairly sure her expression was a muddled mess. "Yes."
Hearing her simple answer, Gajeel's heart sped up. His lips curved upwards. "Yes to what?"
She silently took a breath, pausing before confirming. "Yes, there can be another one. Another date."