A/N: Wow! Last chapter I got a TON of positive PMs from you guys :') I'm still fairly new to fanfiction, but I'm so glad I figured out how to reply to reviews!

This chapter we delve into darker themes so beware. Gajeel especially is interesting. ^^ Thanks for everyone who stuck with me this far, I know I'm not the best with this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

After the cab took her home, Levy stood on the sidewalk, just staring at her hand. It didn't even feel like it was connected to her body. The tingling had stopped (thank Mavis) but now she couldn't stop feeling the sensation of this hand in hers, His fingers were calloused and thick. He had the kind of grip you associate with good handshakes. Why was she thinking over this so much? She obsessed over it while getting ready for bed. Once her pajamas were on, she sank into bed. She didn't sleep that night.

The numbers on the elevator screen seemed to fly by faster than usual, spiting her. Levy fiddled nervously with her purse and the file she had brought Gajeel to review. The elevator dinged, the doors slid open.

Lily stood over Gajeel's chair. "Lily?"

"Ah, Miss Levy." Lily walked over to her in long, clean steps. "I'm going to sit in for Gajeel today. He hasn't quite recovered from the partying."

Levy forced a smile. She didn't want to think about the gala just yet. Or what came after.

"Ah, I see. Well, today we have…"

Granted, it was a bit strange not having Gajeel around. She hadn't realized it, but Gajeel was vastly different from Lily. Not that she didn't like Lily. He exuded kindness and it shocked Levy a bit when he started talking to her about his girlfriend. Gajeel never talked about his personal life.

Lily was nice, but she missed Gajeel.

Yet she was both dreading and anticipating when he came back.

What would she say? "Oh, remember when you grabbed my hand? You were pretty drunk, so you probably don't know, but now I feel really weird. Yeah, do you want to have a deep heart-to-heart and look deep into each other's eyes?"

Yeah, that wouldn't fly.

The day passed slowly. She couldn't stop thinking about Gajeel. (She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.) If anything, she should be thinking about him less. But his absence made her thoughts wander farther and farther away from the present. What was that saying, Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

She almost choked. What the hell? This was her boss! She wasn't fond of him! He- he was her boss! Subconsciously, she had walked to her apartment, and she rested her forehead against the door.

"I don't have a crush on Gajeel. Come on, Levy. Stop deluding yourself." She exhaled once. "This is just a way to make some cash before a writing job comes around. Don't get too attached." With a resolute nod, she headed in.

.:.:.:.

Gajeel woke with a splitting headache. He immediately reached for his phone, wincing at the screen's brightness.

There was no way in hell he was going to let the shrimp see him like this. The shrimp. Shit. Now she was going to think he was a perv or something… He squeezed his eyes shut.

He tossed miserably in his bed, his thoughts becoming more painful by the second.

It was maybe nine am before he got up to eat something. He opened the fridge to grab a bite. His stomach turned just looking at all the takeout containers and he gagged when he sniffed one, only partly because of his hangover. "Fuck."

He poured himself a glass of water, sipping slowly. His head still throbbed; Levy plagued his mind. What made him think he could ever deserve her? The feeling of her slim fingers was imprinted in his palm. These hands weren't meant for that.

A memory, old but still fresh in his mind, resurfaced. He let his mind wander.

Blood. Bruises. Broken bones. All things he'd seen before. It didn't scare him. Juvia stood next to him, in those goddam winter clothes.

Blood on her umbrella. Blood on his knife. Gajeel cackled, wiping the blade on his pants. He sheathed it carefully at his hip, always ready to draw it again. The blue haired woman, no, teenager watched politely.

"Juvia will have to purchase another parasol. Juvia cannot use this one anymore."

"So buy a new one. Mavis, woman, it's not like you ain't got cash to spare." Gajeel rolled his eyes, looking at his boots. They were drenched in the dark liquid.

"That is true." She dropped the offending item on the ground with a thick splash.

Their leader was called Jose, though Gajeel never found out if that was his real name. He was an oily man with slicked back hair and equally slippery cohorts, Gajeel included.

"You two did good." Jose tap, tap, tapped his long fingers together. "Okay!" His voice was a staccato shout and he grinned with a smile that was too big for his face. They were at HQ. it was dingy as usual, a glorified shack.

"You two will take joint jobs from now on. Since you work so well together."

Gajeel snarled. "I told you, I only work solo."

Jose looked down his nose at the teen. "Well then, consider this a group project."

He and Juvia had a sort of grim friendship. They did fight well together, despite Gajeel's bad attitude. They spent such a long time like that, two parts of a well-oiled fighting machine.

Juvia never pried about his past; she was more reserved back then. Perhaps it was worse that she didn't dig, though. Gajeel never really got over Metallicana leaving.

Those were dark days.

Now, looking back, Gajeel was grateful he met Juvia. They shared a bond, deeper than any friend or family. Because no matter what, they always had each other's backs.

Gajeel leaned back into his couch. This apartment always seemed so sterile. The place he and Juvia shared, well, it was disgusting but at least it was his. This house was just something Lily picked out for him. It didn't feel like home.

An image of Levy appeared in his mind. She felt like home.

"Aaaagh." He squeezed his eyes shut. She was haunting him.

A/N: I'm sorry this is so late and really short too… ;_; I'm working on the next chapter already in hopes I'll be able to post it faster. Siiigh… I'm really sorry, guys, I've been putting this off and am hoping to write more over the break.

Thanks to Circus Monster 2002, fairytailpeach, , shy anime girl, Giant Marshmallow, Lexie and the anime, LateNightShips, Musicbooks.2011, and the three Guests for reviewing!

Signing off,

MQW