Ehh ~ I'm tired, enjoy! (: btw I don't own Fairy Tail.. sigh..
They say the night is the best time to think.
Levy considered herself weak. Not that she was—no, she was actually quite strong, and although she didn't reach as high a level as Erza or Natsu's strength, she was a fierce and dignified young woman. She may have had to clean up after her two teammates (who were quite frankly, some of the lower class mages of Fairy Tail) a lot, which made her feel weak…
But she was just so far from it.
Her brains were on par if not greater than Erza's (and about thirty times faster than Natsu's), her light body helped her move, dodge, and attack easily, and she was the reason Fairy Tail was able to defeat Laxus. If it wasn't for her, Fairy Tail wouldn't be the guild it was today.
So in a way, too, she saved Laxus from the darkness. She might as well have saved the Raijinshuu too.
But the one person she ultimately saved was Gajeel. Gajeel, who lived the majority of his life lost in the dark, blinded by hate and twisted into a monster through his cruelty. He was a ruthless beast, who had clawed his way to the top of Phantom Lord and beating down the weak, which only further led Levy to believe that she was weak, too. But then, losing herself in the coldness of her insecurity, she only further became confused at his words.
"E-eh? Wow, that's incredible."
"Quit being so weak-hearted."
"I promise I'll make you big."
"It's really hard to find someone so small… so stay by my side."
"So stay by my side." She openly stated to her darkened dorm room. It was a perfect time to think—some time after midnight, she was sure—and it was almost eerily quiet. Almost, but not enough to disturb Levy from her musings.
Why did he say that?
She contemplated this for a moment, and came to the conclusion that it would take a while for her to come close to understanding. Why it was her that he had become so attached at the hip to, begging her to dance in the bunny suit, or to make him her special iron—and she always added the heart inside of the 'O,' watching him smile with glee. She didn't quite know why or when she started feeling so confused about it all, but it felt like she had been this way since he joined the guild. But Levy was just so confused. She started to think of him as a man, blushing when she would stroll by him and Pantherlily training… shirtless. She became more aware of her chest size, and would often flaunt her rear in her short dresses and the suits he frequently gave her. It was puzzling to find herself this way, but she'd be damned if she hadn't read about her current situation in one of her books somewhere. Maybe he just wanted a dancer for his singing? No, he's already got Lucy, but lately he's been leaning towards me… It could always have been simply a coincidence, but after all things he'd said and done, the words and actions that more recently made Levy aware of the feelings she harbored for him…
"Gajeel's in love, isn't he?"
Levy sat up, slipping on one of her favorite headbands. Even if it was the middle of the night, she wasn't about to just waltz outside looking impractical. Her little yellow nightdress reached her knees, so it was okay, and she didn't bother with shoes, deciding it was better not to make clatter on her way out.
Peeking out of her room door and silently thanking Lucy for reminding her to grease the hinges, she closed it with a soft thud, wincing at its noise.
No stirring, good.
Shuffling quietly, Levy stifled a yawn and inched her way down the hallway, clinging to the walls with her back. Her slender form moved stealthily and quickly through the halls, and just for fun, she whispered to herself, "Nin-nin!" with a giggle.
Bolting down the stairs, she flitted to the door, pausing with her finger on the door handle. It began to creak when she opened it, so she just threw it open without a sound and closed it quietly.
The cool night air was soft on her cheek, and she could finally see the moon. Maybe it wasn't as late as I thought, Levy mused. The cool wind was very relaxing, and she bounded off of the front steps.
She lazily shuffled along, not really caring where to go. It was too late as of now to go to the guild for peace and quiet, due to the partiers staying up from dusk till dawn, so she strolled along, admiring the night sky. The stars winked down at her, the moon smiling deviously, like a Cheshire cat. She inwardly giggled at the thought, thinking of the Exceeds that were part of the guild. She didn't know how far she had gone, but it had been quiet a while she'd been walking; her feet were swelling up.
She paused a moment, viewing her surroundings, before her eyes widened. She was by the Sola tree, right in the middle of the park. Her aimless wandering had brought her here of all places. Moonlight seeped through the tree's leaves, dotting the grass beneath it. The cold stone was freezing against her bare feet, so she gently padded over to the tree, the softness of the grass comforting.
Levy laid her palm against its bark, feeling the rough crevices and little spots that nicked her fingers so slightly. It had been quite a while since she'd last been here. But it was so quiet. Not a sound was hear, just the rustling of the grass from the gentle wind.
Gajeel often thought about his past late in the night. Lily would curl up in a little black ball on his chest, and he would wait until the Exceed's breathing slowed to gently scoot him over. Those nights he usually just got up and left, without a thought, making sure to move stealthily on his way out. Pantherlily probably already knew about his nightly adventures, but he figured that his cat knew what was and wasn't his business. And his past was a slightly touchy subject.
As of late, however, it wasn't his past that kept him up late at night. No, it was a certain head of blue hair. A beautiful young woman, innocent and pure, whom he had utterly embarrassed for all of Magnolia to see, cackling and smiling at her pain.
The guilt ate away at him plenty of times. He'd stay up late and snooze on the bar in the guild until Mirajane would question his state of being and send him home. And, of course, he'd either head home or head here.
The tree he crucified her to.
The first time he had brought himself there he stared at that very tree. His stomach pitted when he thought about the sick pleasure he got from defiling her with his sinful hands. When she went quiet when he began to paint the Phantom Lord insignia on her soft stomach, and at the time, for but a moment, he felt ashamed to be doing this to her.
The second time, he was fuming with anger, and he went attack that tree—but every time he went to strike it, he paused, as if he'd be hurting Levy. As if he was causing her even more pain than he already had, and he couldn't stand his inner struggle, choosing to abandon it.
And then, he would come here, forming a ritual of coming at least once a week. He'd already memorized the path to and from so well he could probably do it blindfolded. Always standing so miniscule under that damned tree. Each time though, he'd place one calloused hand on its trunk, and murmur the same words.
"Sorry, Levy."
Tonight was no exception.
The little bluenette didn't know how long it had been, but she had stood there for a while, stroking the tree gently. "Ah, you… you brought me Gajeel didn't you? You know, I'm really grateful for that. I'm really happy that Gajeel is here. He's a bit rough on the outside, and he's big and tall and a bit foreboding, but you know… on the inside, he's a real teddy. He's really silly too, and he's always teasing me, that baka Gajeel…"
Levy jumped and spun around at a certain man's voice, recognizing it to be the very man that was toying with her thoughts.
"Shrimp?"
She paused, her gaze meeting his.
He walked up to her, gripping her wrist and prying her palm from the tree. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, sensing his anxiousness. He turned his head away, scowl apparent on his features.
"Stop saying these things as if you're grateful."
Levy sighed, shaking her head. "You… heard t-that? And what are you doing here?"
This time Gajeel stuttered. "W-well… I just… I come here a lot whenever I can't sleep, or things just get to heavy," he spat out, shrugging oh so convincingly. "Things?" she questioned, hands on her hips. He shrugged again, averting her gaze. "Ne, Gajeel..." she whispered, smiling up at him. "Have you ever wondered what this tree gave us?" He simply glared at her, obviously irritated. "Shut up, you idiot, it only gave you pain," he growled.
"I know it's not a very happy place for you, but as the seasons go by, this tree grows and grows and it blossoms, becoming something so beautiful and strong... And everyone always flocks to this tree, admiring it from afar..." she trailed off, turning to face the trunk. Gajeel's body relaxed, jaw slack and hands already reaching for her. He wanted to stop her, he wanted to tell her that was enough, but at the same time, she was simply indirectly telling him about herself, and her growth, her healing.
"Gajeel, I'm sorry," she breathed, grabbing his wrists in her small fingers.
"E-eh? I should be the one saying that!" he stammered, tripping on his tongue and scrambling for words. She let out a hearty laugh, embracing him tightly. One of his hands found her soft head of hair, the other winding around her small waist.
"Gah, Levy…!"
Said young woman nuzzled his chest, tears dotting her eyes. "I want you to remember this not as a place of guilt, or a place of sadness… I want you to think of this place, this tree, and this town of a place of healing. I want this to be a happy place, for the both of us, Gajeel." She tapped his nose softly, batting her eyelashes and beaming. Gajeel simply shook his head, reaching for her hand and blushing. They shuffled along slowly, heading back to Levy's dorm in Fairy Hills.
When they reached the dorms, Levy abruptly stopped, turning to face him. She had a huge smile on her face, her hands threaded through his.
"That's what had me so confused… it was the fact that I love you and didn't know it, Gajeel. I know it's hard to find someone so small… so would you stay by my side?" she asked softly, voice careful and hesitant.
He squeezed her cheek, kissing it a moment later.
"Do you even have to ask, Shorty?"
And they both grinned, Levy skipping off back up to her room. Peeking out of the window, she waved down at him, and he simply smirked up at her, a spring in his step.
I'm sorry I took so long updating! I was on vacation! D: forgive meee!
