A/N: Hello my lovelies! Here another chapter for you to enjoy. As always a big thank you to everyone who's been supporting my story! I really hope you like it! :)

Chapter 7: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Gajeel sat in his dark secluded corner at the guild. For the last few days, he's been fighting a losing battle against the Pansy, or what Gajeel calls Ian. Ever since Levy agreed to go on a second date with the proclaimed douchebag, Gajeel has been stuck on figuring out a unique way to win over her love besides the gifts. Lily had suggested he wrote her a letter, but Gajeel couldn't find himself finding the right words. He was a man of action, she was always the one for words.

Subconsciously, his eyes landed on the girl that he's been trying to win over. She was talking to her teammates about going on another mission, apparently her shadows needed a few more jewels for rent. As he studied her he noticed she was wearing her usual dress and headband, but there was something new added to her attire. She was wearing the necklace he made her. Leaning forward in his seat Gajeel let out a large, sheepish grin, maybe he wasn't losing as much as he thought he was. As if she felt his stare on her, Levy looked up to and meet his ruby orbs. The two held each other's gaze for a few moments before he sent her a small wave. She looked at the hand that was still in the air and a small, sad smile formed on her face before she got up and followed the boys to the request bored.

He let out a large disappointing sigh. This was becoming impossible, one minute he felt like there was still something there and the next minute it was like she wouldn't dare give him a chance anymore. Like she had completely given up on the chance that he could be her hero. Not that he could ever be someone's hero though, he was too damaged to play that part, but he could be her guardian. Gajeel's eyes scanned the room for his favorite bluenette, hoping to catch her attention one more time, and found her giving a mission to Mira for Shadow Gear. His gaze followed her until she left the guild with a bright smile on her face. Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into his head. If he was going to win this war he was going to need some intel, and Gajeel knew just who to talk to.

Standing abruptly, Gajeel made his way to the bar, eyes focused on the two people who could help change his life. When he reached his destination, he slammed his hands in front of the blondie who was having a nice conversation with the match-making barmaid.

"Can we help you Gajeel?" Lucy asked in an annoyed voice. She was obviously angry about having her conversation interrupted, but Gajeel couldn't care less. The pierced man gave a low growl before getting straight to the point.

"I need yer help with something," He said to the two girls. They both exchanged a look before Mira spoke up.

"With what?" She said simply, her lips already forming in an all knowing look. He groaned inwardly debating if it was worth all the teasing or not. The image that's been haunting his every second confirmed that for Levy, he would walk through hell itself and fight both Mira and Erza together, just to see her smile.

"I need to win over the Shrimp," He grumbled almost inaudibly. The girls seemed to understand perfectly though because not two seconds later he watched as Mira's eyes sparkled. Getting ready to help her favorite couple, she moved the mugs she was cleaning under the table, giving Gajeel her full attention. Lucy, however, didn't look as convinced that Gajeel really cared about her best friend.

"Why?" Lucy said suddenly. Gajeel looked at her while he thought. At this moment, had two options. He could either tell her exactly how he feels, that he's so in love with her that it literally kills him to see her with another man. Or, he could try to preserve his pride by saying that she was his shrimp and leave it at that.

"Because I love her… And she's mine," Gajeel said, adding the last part as an afterthought, deciding to meet himself in the middle. Both girls stared at him for a moment before started squealing with excitement, about how cute his declaration of love was, making him regret his decision to ever ask them for advice. He let out a loud groan and was about to walk away when a deadly threatening voice called out for him.

"Sit down Gajeel," Mira said smoothly her dark aura pouring around her, causing an unintentional shiver to go down his spine. Doing exactly what he was told, Gajeel sat down on the barstool next to Lucy, closer to the wall. The second his butt hit the chair, the two girls started chatting with him and his beloved bookworm.

"Well you have a couple of things going against you," Mira started slightly disappointed.

"Yea like the fact that the guy she went on a date with is not only a super gorgeous and rich hottie, but that he's also a complete gentleman that's been treating her as if she was a goddess put on earth for him to worship." Lucy continued. Gajeel hit his head on the counter, this was once again useless.

"Gee thanks, I never should've asked you bitches."

"Too bad," Mira said, her demonic smile slowly showing "Now you're at our mercy!"

"But then you have some things going for you," She continued, her voice going back into the sickening sweet voice he was used to, leading the conversation into a different direction.

"Yea like the fact that you're Lev's first love, and a girl NEVER forgets her first love," Lucy said confidently sticking one finger in the air to prove her point, making Gajeel turn his head in embarrassment.

"There's also the fact that while Ian only has himself to help win her heart, you have the whole guild, filled with people Levy loves and admires," Mira said, "We can use them to talk you up so that she starts to love you again-"

"But I don't think it's that she doesn't love him anymore Mira" Lucy cut her off. "She's loved him for how many years, it's almost impossible to stop loving someone that quickly. Plus she talks about him ALL THE TIME" She groaned out the last part. This caught Gajeel's attention.

"She does?" He asked the girls with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Both mages let out a huge grin, slightly making the iron dragon question their sanity.

"You would be surprised, we could be talking about juice, and then here comes Levy 'Oh you know that Gajeel loves orange juice. You wouldn't think that he would, but yea it's his favorite.'" Lucy said trying to do an impression of Levy's soft voice. Gajeel let out a scoff at her impersonation but was amazed that not only does Levy still talk about him, but she still remembers his favorite juice. The last time they talked about that was after his first fantasia parade with fairy tail.

"Yea or we could be talking about the weather and Levy would be like 'You know Gajeel doesn't like when it rains outside. He never said anything because of Juvia and because he likes to make people thinks he's so tough, but he says he hates when it rains because he'll rust.'" Mira said with a smile on her face. Gajeel looked at the two girls with something unreadable in his eyes. Does she really talk about him like that? If she did talk about him so much could it mean he still had a chance?

"As I was saying I don't think she doesn't love him anymore, I think that she is tired of chasing you," Lucy said, Making Gajeel and Mira looked at Lucy like she had grown an extra head.

"That would make sense with her going out with Ian again. Maybe she just needs to get the feeling of falling in love again." Mira said. Feeling a little hope growing in his chest, Gajeel looked between the two.

"How do I do that?" There was a brief silence before Lucy softly spoke.

"Just do what you did to make her fall for you the first time" Gajeel sat thinking until he exploded.

"I don't know what I did the first time! One minute we were friends and the next she shoves a fucking box of chocolates in my face saying she loves me." He yelled into the air, his hands clenched at his side. He suddenly felt a soft, comforting hand on his shoulder. When he looked up he saw Mira looking over at him with warm eyes.

"Then show her why you fell in love with her."

Gajeel was now looking over at his beloved cat, Lily, for encouragement. He spent all day and night perfecting his plan to the T. This was a one shot deal and possibly the only hope to win over the girl of his dreams, the only thing left for him was to get Levy to agree to go out with him. He knew that this was going to be hard, but hopefully this could be the start of something amazing. Lily gave the fierce dragon slayer a court nod before gesturing towards the bookworm, who was sitting in the corner diagonal from him, reading a stack of papers. Taking a good look at the girl, Gajeel noticed that she was wearing a light orange t-shirt with black tights. The necklace he made her was still hanging around her pretty little neck. Seeing that she still hasn't taken it off gave him the courage he needed to get the job done.

When he reached her, his heart started to skip a beat. He hadn't actually spoken to her since the night he confessed, only communicating through the notes he left for her. His nose picked up on her intoxication sent, sending him into overdrive. He took a deep breath through his mouth in an attempt to calm himself down. The girl in front of him didn't notice he was there yet, so he sat down in front of her and just admired her beauty, completely content with spending his day like this. His fingers were aching to touch her, in any way she would allow him to. That's when he realized just how much he missed those times he would pick her up to read on his lap. He missed being able to nuzzle her hair, breathing her leather and shampoo aroma, and watch her face change from one emotion to the next. His thought was soon cut short when he heard a sigh coming from the small blunette in front of him.

With a smile on her lips, Levy stretched her arms above her head and put the papers in order. Gajeel didn't fail to notice the way she handles the papers with such care, and figured that it was probably the bunny girls story. Letting out a little laugh she looked up from the table and froze. Her features dropped and she looked eyes showed a mixture of surprise and confusion. He couldn't take the look she was giving him anymore, it was like her whole world just exploded in front of her and he was the one holding the dynamite.

"Hey Shrimp," He said slowly, fearing that if he moved too fast she would run away.

"Hello Gajeel," She said matching his caution.

The moment his name left her lips, Gajeel almost lost himself. He was about to throw the table to the side and wrap her in her arms. He knew he would never be able to go this long without talking with her again.

"I will like to formally ask you out on a date Levy McGarden," he said suddenly, using the phrase that Lily told him would work. There was a long pause as Gajeel watched the emotions flood her eyes. First there was surprise, then there was a softness which he thought was love, and lastly there was compilation.

"I don't know-" She stared her voice trailing off but before she could finish her sentence Gajeel cut her off.

"Please Levy, I'm just asking for one date. If you still hate me by the end of it then I swear I'll leave you and… Ian alone. Pease, you gave him two, can I just have one?"

There was silence between the two again. The fear of being rejected for a second time was hanging in the air by a thin thread, suffocating him with what could be. Until he heard a small voice.

"Ok," She said so lowly that he almost missed it. He didn't though, he heard her and soon there was a huge grin on his face.

"I'll pick you up at 7!" He said proudly before turning around to nod at Lily, who grinned in response.

Levy was freaking out! So many things were running through her usual logical mind. For example, this was only her first date with the man of her crazy dreams, that she's been trying to get over with a man who could make her smile with no trouble. No big deal. Except it was a big deal, She was going on a date with Gajeel and Levy had no idea what she was going to do. She was currently pulling out every dressed she ever owned, pushing it against her body to see how it could look, trying to find one that would make her look at least presentable.

"UGH" she groaned loudly, throwing another dress into her rejected pile. Looking at the clock, Levy realized that it was now 5:00pm. Her mind was at a loss, she had no idea what to wear. She wanted something that would make Gajeel think that not only was she pretty but that she was gorgeous. With that thought, she continued the pattern of looking at dresses and throwing them to the side. This trend continued far longer than it should have until finally, as if by some miracle by Mavis, Levy found the perfect dress. Noticing that she was running out of time to properly get ready, She grabbed a matching pair of underwear from her dresser, ran into the bathroom and hopped in the shower.

Within the two hours, Levy managed to fully get dressed, do her hair, fix her makeup, and find the perfect shoes. It wasn't an easy process, she found herself pulling her hair in frustration more than once. Looking in the mirror, she let out a huge grin. At least all the aggravation was worth it.

"Perfect" she whispered to herself. She was wearing a mid-knee length gray strapless dress, that had a small black ribbon around the bust and flared towards the bottom. Her naturally curly hair was now straightened out, freely falling around her face without the support of her headband. her eyes were painted with natural colored eye shadow, her lashes dressed with mascara. Unlike her dates with Ian, she wore a more natural color lipstick, Knowing that Gajeel likes her better that way. Her outfit was completed with a simple pair of black ballerina flats. As she was admiring herself there was a hasty knock at her door. She opened the door to reveal a very happy looking Mira.

"Your date is here Levy," She said with her normal sweet voice. Levy just gave her a questioning look, why was she so excited about her date?

"Ok, thank you Mira. Can you tell him I'll be down in a minute?" The takeover mage just nodded politely and went on her way. The second Levy closed the door, she went into another panic mode.

"Oh. My. Goodness" She said pausing after every word. "I'm going on a date with Gajeel… Gajeel Redfox is taking me on a date… There's going to be a date with me and Gajeel," Her breath was quickening fast and her heart was banging against her chest. She was pacing her room, waving her hands in front of her face to calm down.

"What if the date is a disaster? Can I deal with that?" She suddenly stopped and looked in the mirror, scared written all over her face. "WHAT IF ITS PERFECT!" She yelled at the reflection. Her mind suddenly started filling with pictures of a broken hearted Ian sitting in the middle of a dark room, and rather spicy images of Gajeel on their wedding night, whispering sweet words as he had her pinned against a wall. Her face was getting hot while her lungs were contracting making it feel like she couldn't breath. Levy continued to fan herself harder with her hands while she hyperventilated until she calmed down. Once her breakdown was over she grabbed her bag and ran out of her room not knowing what to expect for the night ahead.

The night had fallen upon Magnolia. The stars were lining the sky like a sea of diamonds and a full moon covered the small town in light and warmth. Levy, however, was missing this beautiful night at the moment because of small black blindfold that was covering her eyes.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked tugging at the small fabric. Instead of a response though, all she got was his signature laugh. Not appreciating the lack of empathy coming from the man at her side, Levy let out a small pout. She really wasn't expecting to be blindfolded when she saw him standing in front of Fairy Hills.

Levy ran down the stairs and straight out the door. When she got outside she noticed Gajeel with his body leaning against the building. He was wearing black dress pants and a nice, white button down shirt, His hair was still wild but the front was held back by a new black and white headband. When she walked up to him, he gave her a really long look over before whispering under her breath that she looked beautiful. Brightly blushing, Levy looked at the ground and that's when he surprised her by wrapping the soft silk around her eyes. She felt his breath beside her ear, sending chills down her back.

"I have a surprise for you," he whispered in his husky deep voice. Levy felt her heart pound against her chest, she was so shocked that she merely managed a small nod before being directed to Mavis knows where.

Being brought back to reality, Levy noticed that they had stopped walking. Before she could ask what happened the cloth was hesitantly taken off her eyes. She blinked a couple of times, not sure if what she was seeing is real, before gasping. In front of her there was a dark clearing, the only light coming from a collection of lit container candles forming a long path. In front of the path, there was a large metal sign with bright white light bulbs sticking out of it. The lights formed out the words 'Levy's Memory Lane.' Levy didn't know what to do, the sight itself was beautiful. The golden lights from the dancing candlelight giving off an enchanted feel. She also noticed that the floor of the path was covered with red rose petals. She looked up to Gajeel who looked off to his left, as if inspecting the vicious rock innocently lying on the ground, she turned back to the beautiful display in front of her deciding that this moment was too beautiful for words. Gajeel seemed to have a different idea.

"Do you like it?" He asked suddenly, His voice was softer than she's ever heard him speak, it was barely a whisper. Levy noticed that he seemed nervous, as if her opinion of all this could strike him down on the spot. Her heart skipped a beat while the butterflies danced in her stomach as she smile up at him.

"I love it," She said in a low whisper, not worrying if he could hear her or not, he always heard her. Nervously she starting moving toward the path, desperately wanting to know what was waiting for her on the other side. She walked slowly appreciating every candle that was lit, she could just imagine the big lug attempting to light 1,000 tiny candles. When she looked up she noticed that they were coming close to a statue. Her pace fastened slightly until she reached the first, of what she could tell now was many, life-size iron statues. It was the day that he agreed to be her S-class partner, or better the moment when he picked her up by the back of her dress. The detail of this sculpture was immaculate. She could see the shocked look in her face when he promised to help her, and the gleaming studs that aligned his gloves. On the bottom of the masterpiece was a silver plaque engraved with the words 'When I promised to make you big' Written on them. The handwriting was the same scratchy she easily recognized as Gajeel's, but it seemed as if he desperately tried to make it look neat.

"Did you make this?" She whispered into the night. For a while the silence filled between them, the words mixing into the air as if she never said them. The only sound was the quiet whistle of the night breeze.

"Do you like it?" He finally whispered back, as if the only thing his mind could function. Looking back at the statue she nodded slightly before moving on the next one. Which was the moment the guild had a dancing class for Natsu and Lucy's mission. It was the moment where he insisted that she insisted on them dancing. As she remembered the moment she couldn't help but laugh.

'Stupid Gajeel' she thought. Admiring the handy work in front of her, Levy could see the slight blush adorning his face and the annoyed expression on hers. The moonlight shined perfectly on the spot where the hands were joined, making her notice that their hands were laced together perfectly. On the bottom there was another plaque, this time in a gold color, that read 'When I noticed I never wanted to let you go' She smiled at the words, her fingers suddenly aching to touch cold metal in front of her. Looking back at Gajeel for approval, Levy saw him give her a small nod and she touched the part of the sculpture where their fingers intertwined, a huge grin running across her face. She traced her hand over each small bump where the fingers interlocked.

"How many are there?" She asked quietly, not wanting to ruin the perfect mood.

"Find out for yourself" He replied smoothly curling his lips up into a small smirk. Levy looked him in the eyes, both pairs sparkling with a newfound hope and an old feeling of genuine love. Her feet turned to face the rest of the lane in front of her and went to do just that.

The candle lit path lead down a total of 22 statues, each one with a new memory that apparently not only had special meaning to Levy but to Gajeel as well. There were no more words shared between the two after he told her to look for herself, there was no need for it. The night was filled with small giggles and gentle touches. She walked past the memory of their first mission together (When I realized you're stronger than I ever known), their first real fight (When I felt how lonely life is without you), How he found out she liked gummy worms (When I realized you were the reason for my smile). Nearing the end of the lane Levy found herself softly crying, unable to hold back the overwhelming emotions she felt. She couldn't believe that he went through all this for her. At the end of the path, there was a semi-circle of burning candles surrounding a small picnic table covered with a white tablecloth.

Walking over to the table, there was a small leather bound book. Levy looked at Gajeel curiously before picking the book up. The front was engraved with the words 'The reasons I love Levy McGarden.' Inside each page was a small collage of things Gajeel kept from each memory she walked past. There was the top from the box of chocolates she gave him when she first confessed, the wrapper from her gummies, there were also pictures of each of the statues she saw today. Each one with a description of how he felt at the moment she saw. She looked back over to the path that Gajeel probably spent all day preparing and lost it. Levy couldn't hold in her emotions anymore and cried, tears of joy running all down her face.

Seeing Levy crying over what he did sent Gajeel into a panic. He felt like she hated what he did for her, and although his heart broke, Gajeel felt the need to comfort the woman he loves.

"Hey! hey don't cry! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this! Ugh I'm so stupid. Don't cry shrimp it's ok" He groaned trying his best to console the crying girl in front of him. She just laughed softly.

"It's ok, I'm happy. I promise. This," She said gesturing to everything "Is just… amazing." Her voice was filled with a happiness, he wanted to last forever. Hearing her words caused him to let out a huge lopsided grin, that made Levy grin in response.

"Well that's just the beginning," He replied smoothly, taking out a picnic basket that was hiding on the other side of the table. As soon as he started unpacking the food her mouth started to water. It looks like he went all out today as he pulled out a bowl of rice, chicken, sushi, and steamed vegetables. He also pulled out a red velvet cake for dessert that would make Erza crush anyone in her path.

The rest of the night was filled with light, fun conversation. The duo talked about her last mission, and the story of Gajeel preparing for this night. No one mentioned Ian, or what was going to happen between the two of them, instead they only focused on each other and the night they're experiencing. After the delicious meal, the two decided to head home after enjoying a leisurely walk back down the memory lane. Choosing to ignore her brain, Levy followed her heart and intertwined her hand with Gajeel's much larger one. He gave her a confused look, before smiling lightly. Feeling a little braver by his action she leaned over to hug his arm. He didn't seem to mind and moved closer so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

"What are you going to do with them?" she asked quietly, referring to the 22 sculptures of her memories.

"What do you want me to do with them?" He answered slowly, the only thing on his mind was making the small fairy happy. She seemed to give the question some thought before asking another one.

"Do I get to keep the book?"

"Of course you do," he answered without a second thought.

"Then I guess you can get rid of them, as long as I can keep the pictures," She replied honestly. She looked up and gave him a dazzling smile while he returned a genuine smile of his own.

The walk back to Fairy Hills was pleasantly calm. Levy was still holding Gajeel's hand while he secretly grinned like an idiot. Sometimes she would whisper an interesting fact about the constellations formed by the stars and he would listen to every word she had to say without complaint. When the two came to a comfortable silence Gajeel took the time to think about what he was going to say to her. He wanted to let her know that he thought of her as the shining star in his night sky. When they reached the front of Fairy Hills, he turned around and looked her straight in her eyes.

"Listen Levy, You are the most perfect person in all the worlds. You've given me hope when I felt like crumbling, and I know you've given more chances than a screw up like me deserves, but I'm asking for one more chance to win over your heart. I want to be the one to make you happy, and I know it won't be easy. I know there's that pansy in the way, and that you have every reason to hate my guts… But what I'm trying to say is, Levy I'm going to fight for your love until the day I die. That is unless you tell me right here and right now that you want nothing to do with me-" His speech was cut off by a pair of soft lips coming in contact with his jaw. Gajeel felt a small hand resting on his chest and another touching his cheek. When she pulled back he stared at her with wide eyes. Her face was calm while she had a slight blush running across her face.

"I'm not going to be impressed that easily Mr. Redfox," She said suddenly, making her way to the door. "So you better have a really good plan up your sleeve" He watched her as she gave a sexy wink, about to turn around and head inside. Gajeel had to do something, he couldn't let this perfect night end so easily. So within the blink of an eye, he had Levy pushed against the door, his body slightly pushing against hers. He watched her face for a second, just to make sure he wouldn't take advantage of her, then leaned down and captured her lips with his own. The second his lips came into contact with hers, he could have sworn he felt fireworks exploding around them. He felt her stiffen then melt into the kiss and wrap her arms around his neck. He, in return, wormed his arm around her waist deepening the kiss. He heard her moan slightly and took advantage, pushing his tongue into her warm mouth. The two stood in bliss tongues fighting for dominance, until she pulled away to breath, her eyes caught his for a moment before she ran inside squeaking out a goodnight.

"Wow" he whispered touching his lips after she disappeared behind the door. He still felt the tingling sensation that the small script mage left behind. Giving one last smile at the door, Gajeel turned away pumping his fist in the air. Today was a success.

A/N: AHHHHHHHH I just love GaLe! OMG this chapter was so fun to write I can't believe it! I hope that the length makes up for the short chapter last week, also if you guys want I was thinking about writing a bonus chapter filled with the memories his statues were of. Let me know what you guys think. Also please Review! I love all types of comments! I also would like to know if you guys liked the date 3