If she thought she had been distracted earlier in the week, it was nothing compared to her state right now. Fortunately the weather today kept the shop more or less dead. Books weren't quite enough to entice people to come out in the miserable weather outside.
Which was fine with her, because it gave her time to replay the night over and over in her head. The image of him, asleep, and her hand in his, was seared into her mind and kept a smile on her face. She still had a hard time wrapping her head around how large he was, how strong she had seen him be, and how gently he held her hand in that moment. The same hands that had thrown and demolished equipment like it was nothing, and cratered the earth with a singular punch. Those same hands held hers with such profound tenderness. It had given her such a strong sense of safety, and security, and that was likely why she had the courage to say what she did.
No, he hadn't said anything when he really could have this morning. But she had still moved forward significantly with him, and even if he hadn't replied, his actions were clear. Levy had a tendency to read too much into things, but there were things that he did that she felt were obvious. The way he looked at her wasn't lost on her, and the lingering stares were enough to set her heart racing.
She began to wonder how she was going to continue to hide this from Lucy. Her friend wasn't dense, she would pick up sooner or later that something was up. Especially since she had basically invited him to stay, long term, in her home. It wasn't something she had brought up with Gajeel since he first told her, sternly, to never let another person know she was coming to see him. But that seemed like forever ago, and perhaps his position had changed. She could talk to Lucy, explain, and still keep him safe.
The ring of the front door brought her out of her head. Levy looked over her shoulder at the customer and smiled, "Welcome!" She called cheerily. The man, dressed in a coat, barely gave her any more acknowledgement other than a small hum and a tilt of his head. "Let me know if I can help you find anything today." She added, prompting him to look at her this time. Huh, he's new. She thought, looking the man over. His reddish black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he had a dramatic, long mustache to match. Well, that's a statement. She thought.
"Where could I get access to public records around here?" He asked, eyes wandering around the book store with what looked like an annoyed grimace.
"Oh, those would be at the library. On 4th and Draper." She replied, keeping pleasant regardless of his cold demeanor.
He set his gaze back on Levy, and the girl couldn't help but shift uneasily. The man furrowed his brow a second, then seemed to recognize something. "Ahh, I thought the hair was familiar. I think I met you, abruptly, heading in that direction yesterday." He now flashed a lopsided grin. Levy stiffened, but kept on a tense smile.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry about that sir, I was in a hurry and not paying attention!" She put up a fake laugh, trying to quell the nervous twist in her stomach. Who is this guy?
"It's fine," He trailed off, before he glanced at her name tag, "Levy. Lovely name. Very unique." He commented, "Since I'm here, you have any books on urban legends?" He asked finally, tilting his head, "I'm a collector."
It took Levy a moment to collect herself. "Yes, yes we have just a few. They're in fiction, here." Levy beckoned him a couple of aisles over and pointed out the small selection. "I hope you find what you're looking for, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."
The man, unexpectedly, placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her in a way that made her feel he was privy to something she was unaware of. "Oh, I will, miss." He grinned again and released her, and Levy was more than willing to leave him to his devices to return to the register. She tried to clean, to not seem so anxious in his presence. Because besides the fact that he had nearly seen the inside of the notebook yesterday, there was just something overly unsettling about him. His reading choices didn't help either.
The man finally came up to her desk, placing a paperback book on the counter. 'Magnolia Myths and Legends.' "I'll take this one." He said while pulling out his wallet.
Levy nodded and rang him up, and he said not another word to her as he took his item and turned to leave. What he did do, was give a small flourish with his hand to bid her farewell before disappearing outside.
What a strange person. Levy thought, standing there while chewing on her fingernail. I don't…I don't feel good about this.
She occupied herself with organizing and some occasional reading of the rest of the day, trying to move past it. Rereading a few chapters of some of her old favorites helped, and in the midst of it she was struck with an idea. I should stop by the hardware store on my way home.
It was with great apprehension that Levy returned home that day, trying her best to downplay what had transpired and write it up to just be some weird newcomer. Just someone doing research. Maybe he was a writer? Like Lucy?
It took her several tries to get her key into the door, partially because of a heavy bag she had in her other hand. When she opened it to find her house guest splayed out on her sofa, with a book no less, her troubled heart calmed. A smile graced her features now and she quickly closed the door behind her. Having him be the first thing she saw when she walked in was nothing short of pleasant, and the way his face lit up when he saw her gave her that all-familiar flutter.
"Hey," He called to her, sitting up and quickly tossing the book to his side. She laughed gently at the action.
"You're allowed to look at those, y'know." Levy encouraged, hanging up her jacket. She noticed that the book had been the one she read to him that one night and smiled warmly. "Good choice." There was an immediate warmth in her face.
Gajeel hummed and shifted in his seat. The air was awkward, and the exchange seemed clumsy. Levy had built it all up in her head all day so much that she didn't even consider that when she returned it wouldn't necessarily be all easy peasy.
"I stopped on the way home to pick something up for you." She smiled, holding up the thick plastic bag. Gajeel lifted a brow and stood as she approached him. "It's a bunch of random stuff and I'm sure they think I'm a weird artist because I asked them for anything iron that they had." As she handed it to him, he peeked inside to see an assortment of cast-iron handles, brackets, and a couple other random pieces of hardware. "Didn't think you'd care what they were as long as they were iron." She smiled as he looked down to her, both surprised and grateful.
"Thanks shorty." He flashed a toothy grin, pulling out a bracket and popping it into his mouth like a piece of candy. "Ohh, these're good." It was still fascinating for Levy to watch, and she was transfixed staring at him before he noticed her. The girl jumped a little with a blush, and hurried into the kitchen to get herself food, because she certainly couldn't eat a drawer handle.
He idly followed her into the kitchen, and took a seat at the table while munching on his sustenance of choice. There was a quiet moment of him looking her over, settling on the smile playing on her face. She looks so…when she smiles she… He found himself smiling slightly as a result. "Where d'you work?" He asked, trying to break the silence. Levy laughed a little, knowing he would make fun of her.
"A bookstore downtown. Started when I was sixteen and I've been there almost three years now." She bit her lip, waiting for his reaction because really, how typical. She set her plate on the table next to him and took a seat.
The corners of his eyes crinkled, and he laughed heartily, "Gi-he-he! What a surprise! I feel like I've got you all figured out, shrimp." He grinned, and Levy tilted her head a little, resting her cheek on her palm as she looked over to him, happy to see him with a genuine smile on his face.
"Well that's not fair." She whined, "I hardly know a thing about you. Like who you were before all this." Levy said tentatively, "Or how even you got into the kind of thing you did."
"I don't remember a lot, it's pieces mostly." He admitted first. Levy was surprised, but pleased that he chose to answer her. "What I do remember, is that I was a punk." Gajeel smirked to himself. "Dropped out of school and got into nothin' but trouble, made my way getting in fights and stealing. Lived out of my car. I saw a posting for easy money, just some 6 week study or whatever and I was broke, so I figured why not." He swept one hand to gesture to himself and cocked his head, "Obviously that was bullshit."
Well, it wasn't an answer that surprised her. She hated judging by a cover, but his appearance didn't contradict with the story. Hard, studded features, an air of rough masculinity…It was all something someone could easily assume first looking at him. "So you used to live here? In Magnolia?"
Gajeel nodded, munching now on a handle. "Years ago." He looked to her, sensing that she was trying to make small-talk. It was comforting to see that she was just as unnerved as he was after this morning. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it all day, eventually resorting to her books to try and get his mind off it. Regardless, her words were on repeat in his thoughts, and it was a continuous internal battle trying to decide if she really meant what he thought she did. All efforts ended, repeatedly, in him cursing her subtlety. Just be up front. He had reprimanded to the air more than once.
But he was one to talk. Chickening out like he did that morning. He had plenty of opportunity to say something, but he didn't even know what he was supposed to say. The word love was not one that had really existed in his vocabulary, before or after the experiments, and it wasn't something he knew a thing about. But he did know that it was fucking terrifying when it had fallen on her lips.
With his eyes on her, however, he felt like he was making his own definition of it as he went, whether he liked it or not. Levy had those big honey eyes on him, expecting him to say something else, watching him. Looking at him the way no one on this earth ever had, the way he never felt anyone should. Because godshe was this incredible, compassionate, bright, beautiful creature that had bewitched him, entirely. He couldn't deny that any more. Conversely, all he was, was a dragon in a cave. And she didn't see that at all when she looked at him.
The silence left Levy to shift a little uncomfortably, with nothing to distract her, her mind started to wander. She tried to keep that person out of her thoughts, as much of nothing it probably was, but sitting here quietly with Gajeel wouldn't let her escape it. She didn't think she could ease herself until she said something. I need to… "Gajeel, I think I need to tell you something."
Misinterpreting it to be something else, Gajeel jumped a little and shook his head quickly to cut her off as he turned more to face her, scooting his chair forward. "No." He said simply. "I got somethin' I need to say first." Go for it, damnit. Be a man for once.
His hand moved before he knew what he was doing, and her eyes went wide as he held her chin between his thumb and hooked forefinger. What, what is he…! This is not what she had planned for, and it trapped the words she needed to say in her throat.
Clear as day, he could hear her heart race, and he could hear her breath become staggered.
His initial intention was just to hold her there, to look at her and speak directly, closely, and uninterrupted. To keep her from interrupting him with the incredibly important thing he wanted to say. That was it, he didn't give a damn about personal space because he just wanted to see her. Really see her.
But his subconscious was not about to let him stop there, and before he knew it he was leaning in. Gajeel…what are you doing? Levy's thoughts raced, screamed at her, but everything was going cloudy and she melted in his grip. Gajeel inhaled to focus on only her scent, and take in the sweet flowery smell that he had become very acquainted with. To give him the resolve to say what he wanted. And the first thing he smelled was that, as his eyes fluttered shut peacefully and she followed suit.
And then there was something else. Something that nearly stopped his heart cold and made his eyes fly open.
His gentle touch became assertive, suddenly drawing her closer, but not in the same way as before. Not the way that Levy had found herself wanting him to. He sniffed again, particularly at her shoulder. "Gaj–?"
It took a second, a split moment, and he recoiled from her so violently that he knocked over his chair and hit the table noisily on his way up. Gajeel staggered backwards until he hit a counter, lifting an accusing finger at the very startled girl. "Th-that," He stammered, his voice cracking. "He can't…"
"Gajeel?!" Levy stood, raising her hands in front of her slowly, "Gajeel what's happening? What's wrong?" She tried to keep her voice even, calm. But she'd be lying if she wasn't suddenly frightened by the violent change.
"You," Gajeel hissed, his face a mixture of fury and terror. From his neck, grey scales started to appear and travel upwards and his eyes blazed. "That smell, why the fuck do you…" He tripped over his words, forcing them out. "Levy, why!" He shouted now. The use of her name, for the first time, struck her.
His immediate, self-preserving instinct was that she had betrayed him. That everything up until this very instant was a lie. That she lied about everything, she used him, lured him in, and was about to destroy him. But then there was a stronger part of him that cried out against that, be it desperate denial or reason. It screamed into his thoughts, telling him don't you dare hurt her and don't youdare lump her in with them. Because there was no earthly possibility that she could. She was the light his life had lacked, his saving grace. But right now she was all of these things with the scent of the devil on her.
"Gajeel, please! Talk to me! What's going on?" She pleaded, trying to take a step towards him and reach for him as she had int he past, but he flinched away from her, and it was like a shot through her heart. Her hand hovered uselessly in front of her.
"You smell like him." He spat, a hand reaching up to dig iron claws into his hair. "That fucker, that…he's the one, Levy!" Gajeel's voice cracked again with utter, raw fear. He hunched forward, eyes blazing. "Why do you smell like Jose?!" The venom all but spat from his voice.
Immediately the man in the shop today came to mind and she went cold. She finally understood why he made her so uneasy. Why him seeing the journal had been so initially nerve-wracking. Her stomach dropped, and the tears started to spill over because oh god she had screwed up. She should have told him the second she came in the door. "Is he the one that did this to you?" She asked finally, trying to understand. Gajeel, in that moment, seemed to calm just enough to lean forward towards her, the smell of salt now assaulting his senses. It was her turn to flinch, involuntarily, and she regretted it immediately. "Someone new came to the store today. That's what I tried to tell you. And I think, he might have seen the journal yesterday…" Gajeel's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. "I'm so sorry, Gajeel," The tears fell freely now, a combination of fear, concern, and feeling as though she had somehow put him back where he used to be. "I was, I was going to the library yesterday and I ran into someone and I dropped it. And he saw it and, I'm sorry please calm down Gajeel." She rambled, her brown eyes searching his face desperately for anything that had been in them the night before.
"He saw it." Gajeel fell back against the counter again, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "Damnit!" He roared, slamming a fist on the counter and making her jump. "He knows where to find me. God damnit, he knows where I am." He grit his fangs together, digging claws into the wooden countertop. "If he's come now, he's not alone." He muttered, horrified.
Seven casualties. The sudden thought was like a blow. Levy's thoughts started to swirl uncontrollably with the incriminating article she had read the day before, unable to focus on anything else. Seven casualties. She saw him like this in front of her and her heart broke. Because she didn't want to see him like this, this wasn't the Gajeel she had come to know; it wasn't the Gajeel she woke up to this morning. Seven casualties. This Gajeel had murderous rage in his eyes, and now more than ever she needed to know the truth. Did he kill seven people?
"Ga-jeel," The sob shook her and he lowered his hand from his head. His instincts screamed at him to go to her, and to stay away from her at the same time. "Are you the one that destroyed it? When it shut down and they found all those people? Is this how you were then?"
The question was out of left field, and he went cold hearing that come from her. Gajeel's arms fell limp by his sides and his shoulders slumped in defeat, anguish taking over his face. "How do you…" His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"I found the article. In the library." She answered, her hands gripping each other in front of her chest, desperate for something to hold onto as she felt everything slipping away from her.
"Do you think…?" He couldn't even finish it, because for the first time since he first met her, she looked at him with fear. And who could blame her? He had gone zero to sixty in nothing flat, transformed in front of her, shouted at her, and put a hefty dent in her counter. On top of all that, she now knew the truth about the shut down and thought that he was the one that did it. She knows. And she thinks I…
Levy had opened her mouth, trying to tell him that she didn't know what to think. But she couldn't get it out.
"I can't stay here." He finally said, eyes darting anxiously around him. "He knows." Gajeel mumbled. "He knows I'm here. That I'm alive." His body coiled again. She's better off. A cruel, mirthless laugh fell from him and he swayed in place as though losing his balance, feeling his body go numb.
"N-No, Gajeel, wait," Levy pleaded, hastily wiping the tears from her face.
"I am that monster in the dark. You're naive for thinking otherwise, I'm fuckin' glad you know the truth." Dull red eyes looked up at her and she coughed out a guttural cry at the sight of him. "I can't stay here. I can't go back to that hell,I won't. Forget me, kid." It was the calmest thing to come out of his mouth through the whole exchange yet, and the resolve in it killed her.
Levy lurched forward moments too late to stop him, as he flung open the double doors in the kitchen and raced out into the snow, disappearing into the darkness entirely. "Gajeel!" Levy all but screamed into the void. In her desperation, a different thought came to her, that she wished like hell she had said sooner. "Jose knows my name." She choked out, just as she heard keys scrape at her front door.
The door swung open, and she turned slowly to see a shocked, and ultimately concerned blonde in her doorway. Levy could see her lips moving, saying her name, and wondered how she looked in front of her friend. Sobbing in front of open doors as the snow wafted in, with the kitchen looking like an absolute mess. It only took a second for Lucy to rush over to her and take her by the shoulders. Levy could only choke out one more thing before she lost her composure and dropped to her knees.
"I have to tell you something."