Hello my dears! Y'all ready for the chapter?

~ Diana


Over the course of October Gajeel Redfox tried his hardest to suavely be nice to Levy McGarden. He saw her in the library. Sometimes her blonde friend would come and send him spiteful looks at over Levy's shoulder. He would ask if she needed a book reached in his grumbling grunting way, he would open doors for her if she was nearby (which, in the most non-creepy way possible {which was still pretty creepy}, he made sure to be), if she dropped her pencil he'd pick it up for her.

And believe it or not, Levy's friends sure as hell noticed. Levy didn't though, but she still wouldn't believe that Jet and Droy had massive crushes on her, so eh, what did she know? (That was what Natsu said flippantly anyway, and then Lucy kicked him under the table). The problem that soon became Gajeel Redfox was apparent, or the fact that he wasn't a problem. Gajeel had been acting very nice to Levy, too nice to her in their opinion.

"I don't know guys…" Lucy said as she finished her History essay. "I don't like this. He humiliated her."

"Juvia stands firm! Gajeel is trying to make up for what he did!"

"Juv, he's weird though…" Gray muttered as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"Yeah, Ice Brain's right."

"Natsu is on his team though! Juvia thinks that Natsu should be more supportive of Gajeel wanting to make amends!"

"It's not like he's much of a team player." Natsu muttered.

"Gajeel is a good member of the Dragon Slayers!"

"Meh, not any better than me…"

"Yeah, right. You're nowhere near as good as Gajeel."

"FIGHT ME YA PERVERTED ICE SKATER!"

Gray lunged at the pinkette and the two rolled around the dorm room floor. Lucy rolled her eyes and went back to her essay while Juvia bubbled about how amazing Gray looked tumbling over Natsu (which to be honest, Lucy found kind of gay but after the last time she mentioned Juvia's insinuations of homosexual intentions through her fangirling Juvia broke down at the thought of her "lovely Gray using his manly length of unworldly comparison to pleasure an inadequate boy such as Natsu").

Levy opened the door and shrieked in surprise as the boys rolled into the hallway. She held her hand to her chest and clutched her book in her hand. "Oh, Natsu, Gray, it's just you." She hummed as she skipped past them and sat on her bed.

Levy crossed her legs and bobbed her head to the music in her mind. She tapped the pencil against the notebook that she took out of her bag, and opened a textbook. There was a crash from the hallway and the girls lifted their heads long enough to notice that no one was hurt enough for the hospital and they went back to their homework. Juvia and Lucy exchanged a concerned glance at the heavy book that sat to her right.

Juvia moved from Lucy's bed to Levy's. She read the book name aloud. "1000 Top Wrestlers in the Last Hundred Years." She glanced at Levy curiously.

Levy glanced up when Juvia's silence spoke for herself. "Oh, Gajeel and I were talking and he mentioned wrestling and I realized that I know very little about wrestling. He mentioned that the sports section had some books."

Lucy and Juvia exchanged glances. "Yeah?" Lucy asked.

"Mhm. So I'm starting with this and then I'm going to read Wrestling: History and Rules." She began her math homework.

Another crash echoed from the hallway and a very low, slightly scary voice ordered: "Remove yourselves from one another or I will-"

"Aye Erza!" The duo chorused as they bounced to their feet.

Lucy, Juvia, and Levy stopped what they were doing and watched Erza yell at the boys. After which the two slunk back into the room with another duo of boys followed. Natsu and Gray grumbled and sat on either side of Lucy.

"You know it's all your fault that you got yelled at. You two have to stop fighting."

Jet and Droy pushed Juvia over when they entered and sat on either side of Levy, who finished her math problem. Droy picked up Levy's book. "1000 Top Wrestlers-"

Lucy made eye contact with Jet and Droy. "So she can talk to Gajeel about sports."

"Huh? You're learning about sports?" Natsu asked.

"You're learning about sports?" Jet and Droy cried.

"Juvia thinks it's nice that Levy is making an effort to connect with Gajeel."

"Of course you do." Gray muttered.

"What does that mean?" Juvia covered her mouth in horror, "Juvia is sorry she snapped at Gray!"

Gray blushed. "Juv, you really gotta stop apologizing when you disagree with me and start sticking to your opinions!"

"Juvia is sorry-"

To avoid more apologizing from Juvia Gray turned to Natsu, bending around Lucy. "Yo Fire Breath, speaking of sports shouldn't you be at practice?"

"What're you talking about? Practice doesn't start until 5:00."

Levy looked confused. "Natsu, its 5:30."

"SHIT!" Natsu flew from Lucy and Levy's room like a bat out of hell. Lucy giggled.

"Seriously, Lev? What's this about?"

"What's what about?"

"You're being friendly with Black Steel?" Droy cried.

"Do you even remember what he did to you?" Jet added.

Levy snapped the math textbook closed and turned on them. Juvia moved from Levy's bed to Lucy's. The three on the latter's bed shifted closer to the wall as they watched Levy get angry. The thing about Levy getting angry was that it didn't happen often. When Levy was angry her eyes turned stony, her mouth straightened into a thin line, her hands clenched, and Jet and Droy would begin to cower. "Of course I remember! It happened to me!" Levy stood to face them and pulled up her shirt. "See these scars? He did this to me! And believe it or not I remember! Why am I still talking to Gajeel? Because I'm not a horrible person! Why am I being friendly? Because I believe that every person deserves to be treated with basic respect, and when Gajeel casually commented on the Halloween Game, I responded, like a normal person would do! And I don't see my relationship with him as any of your business, now if you don't mind I am going to continue doing my homework with someone who doesn't question my social choices!" Levy grabbed her books and stomped out of the room.

Jet and Droy exchanged a terrified look. "Levy! WAIT!" They wailed as they ran after her.

The remaining three people in the dorm room relaxed. Juvia looked from Gray to Lucy. "You're still worried about her."

"Yeah…"

"Levy will be fine! The two of them seem to be getting along well."

"They shouldn't be though."

"He humiliated her and burned her."

"And yet she is giving him a second chance, treating him a person! Juvia believes you 100should too."

Juvia stood and crossed her arms. Lucy and Gray wouldn't make eye contact with the blunette. Juvia sighed and left the room.


When Gajeel was intercepted by Lucy he was, frankly, very surprised. He was refilling his water bottle after practice. He had just finished his shower and had changed into day clothes when the blonde walked right past Natsu, admittedly waving to him when he called her name, and right into Gajeel's face. Gajeel raised a studded eyebrow. The blonde's cheeks were puffed out and her brown eyes looked like they wanted to roast him alive. Gajeel screwed the mouthpiece-cap onto his water bottle before taking a swig from the black nodule.

Lucy took a heaving sigh. "Look. I don't want to be talking to you-"

"Glad the feelin's mutual."

"-but we kind of got into a fight with Juvia and she seemed pretty bummed," Gajeel froze, his mouth full of water, "and she won't talk to us so I figured that you could… you know…"

"What?"

"You know,"

"No, yeh upset Juvia?"

"Oh. Yeah…" Lucy bit her lip nervously.

Gajeel glared at her. "I really don't like you."

"Glad the feelin's mutual." Lucy repeated. Gajeel stormed past her, plowing into her shoulder. "Tell her we're sorry!"

Gajeel snorted. Natsu ran over to Lucy to talk to her. They pissed off Juvia? Gajeel scowled as he stormed back to Fairy Tail. Cold air burning in his lungs as he breathed heavily, because of anger or exhaustion Gajeel wasn't sure.

"Gajeel!"

Gajeel was tired of being intercepted. The demon woman and her drunk friend stood proudly in front of Gajeel barring his way up the stairs. Demon woman Strauss put her hands on her hips and drunkard poked him in the chest. "You better win! We've got money riding on you."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He pushed past them and was gone. Taking the stairs two at a time he reached Juvia's room where an irritated Stripper sat. His long (naked) legs stretched across the worn carpet. He had his head and back leaning against the door, his arms sat in his (thankfully) boxer covered lap. He was also missing his shirt.

"-okay fine but I'm telling you Zuko shouldn't have been allowed to be redeemed! He was a much better bad guy!"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow. What happened to Juvia being upset? "Everyone deserves redemption Gray! Including Zuko!"

"So Kylo Ren does too?"

"Yes!"

Gajeel cleared his throat. Gray sent him a sidelong glance. He seemed to be deciding something. Then he spoke "what about Moriarty?"

"Everyone Gray!"

"Juvia?" Gajeel called through the closed door.

There was a pause before a soft "G-Gajeel?"

"Hey Juv…" Gajeel responded with the same softness. He ignored the wide-eyed gape that the Stripper was giving him. "What's up?"

"… n-nothing."

"Juv," he wished the Stripper wasn't here, "let me in."

Nothing. "Please let me in?"

He heard the loud click of the door being unlocked and it opened about an inch and a half. A pale nose, a half of dark blue eye, and a lock of wavy blue bangs peeked through the space. She looked Gajeel up and down.

"Fine." She whispered. The door swung open wider, and Gajeel slipped in. Gray scrambled to his feet and tried to follow Gajeel. "Not you." Juvia mumbled before closing the door in his face.

Juvia's room was small. She had no roommate and a small bed with a lava lamp on the night table. The lamp was dark blue and light blue. The blobs inside the lamp drifted lazily up and down, a dull glow from the lamp lit the room partially. Juvia sat on the bed, wrapping her arms around her shins.

"Juvia told them not to get you." She mumbled.

"What were yeh and the pervert arguin' about?" Gajeel asked.

"Redemption."

Huh? "Why?" Gajeel sat on the bed next to his friend, his back leaning against the corner of her walls. Juvia was bent over, her chin sitting on her knees. Her deep sapphire hair curled around her chin and crawled down her back. Gajeel put his feet on the bed, right leg crossed over the other. Juvia tsked and shoved his feet off. So she wasn't upset enough to ignored her 'no shoes on the bed' rule. Gajeel kicked off his heavy steel-toed boots, and put his feet back up.

"I-it came up."

"Yeah?" Gajeel pried.

Juvia sighed. "They were worried about… Levy."

Gajeel tensed. He felt memories from that night resurface. Memories from last night. Memories from today. Memories from when he decided his course of action.

"They know you two are spending time together-"

"Not that much time."

"-and they were… uncomfortable-"

"Redemption. Yeh were talking about me."

Juvia's voice was so small she might have been a mouse. "Yeah."

"That's why yer upset? Yer upset 'cuz some Fairies think I'm a bad person?"

"W-well, not exactly. Ju-Juvia just-they need to understand that you deserve a second chance."

"Juv I hurt their best friend."

"Juv-Juvia know." Her voice was small and innocent. "Juvia just-Juvia don't want to be your only friend."

"I've got Lily."

"Gajeel…"

"Juvia I don't expect them to be my friends. I don't even expect them to like me. I just want to make it up to her."

"To Levy?"

"Yeah."

"Y-you don't mind-?"

"I mind it. But there's nothing I can do. Give them time. Give them all time."

Juvia looked at him. He noticed the red which rimmed her eyes, the raw puffiness in her cheeks. He'd hurt the bastards who'd made her upset. Who'd made her cry. But Juvia knew him too well. She knew the look on his face. She shook her head. "No. Gajeel don't, please, don't even think it."

He watched her face. The sincerity in her eyes. "Okay."

There was a comfortable silence and Gajeel shimmed farther down the bed and stretched out, his head at the foot of the bed and his feet on Juvia's pillow. Juvia rolled her eyes and pushed them off. "Ew Gajeel!" Gajeel grinned. If she could scold him, she'd be fine.

"Do yeh want me to stay?" Gajeel asked.

Juvia's eyes brightened. "Can you bring Lily?"

Gajeel chuckled. "Sure kid."

Juvia puffed out her cheeks. "Juvia isn't a kid anymore Gajeel!"

"Right, sorry Juv. I'll be right back, okay?"

Juvia nodded. Gajeel swung his legs off the bed and gave her a quick grin before ducking out of the door. Gray was sitting on the ground.

"Yo, is she okay?"

"No thanks to yeh." Gajeel growled.

Gray narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Says you."

"Whatever." Gajeel stomped past him. Gray grabbed his shoulder and Gajeel tried really hard to keep his promise to Juvia.

"You hurt my friend. I won't forgive you for that." Gajeel grunted in response. "With that said, I'm glad you're there for Juvia."

Gajeel growled in response and pulled himself out of Gray's grasp. "Screw you Fullbuster."

"Back at ya, Redfox."

Gajeel returned to Juvia's now fully lit room with a cat in hand. Juvia grinned and Pantherlily cuddled into her embrace. Juvia scratched him behind his ears and he purred happily. Gajeel went back to relaxing on his friend's bed.


"So, you coming to the Halloween game?" Mira asked Jellal, eyebrows wiggling.

"Can't." Jellal responded shaking his head. "Someone has to stay back with the grounded students."

"Aww," Mirajane pouted, "Erza's going to be so sad."

"She's staying too." Jellal said as he spooned cereal into his mouth.

Mira waggled her eyebrows. Jellal rolled his eyes.

The Halloween game was the second Dragon Slayers' game of the year. It was an off-campus game, which meant it was optional (and a privilege so kids who had been give detention couldn't leave). The game was set up between four different teams, each wrestled against one another. The game itself went on for hours, with a half hour intermission at one point so the wrestlers could rest. The Halloween game was routinely three teams; Raven Tail of Dreyer High (run by the Ivan Dreyer, tensions were always high during this competition), Grimoire Heart of Earthland Prep, and Tartaros of ENDA (Earthland's Northern Discipline of Academics). The fourth place in the competition was always reserved for the winner of the First Game, so this year the Dragon Slayers were going.

The Dragon Slayers in question were sitting at a table by themselves and Mr. Gildarts who was explaining techniques to them in a quiet voice.

Jet, Droy, Levy, Lucy, and Gray sat at another table eating their breakfast. "You know," Jet said as he picked at his food, "I don't think I'm going to go to the Halloween game."

"Why not?" Droy asked confused.

"Eh," Jet said with a shrug, "it's just sitting in a sweaty auditorium and if I stay here I get the day off. What about it, Lev? Droy?"

"Sure I'll stay here." Droy agreed as he shoveled breakfast meats (which of course were questionable in their edible nature) into his mouth.

"Oh, I'm going to this one." Levy said as she flipped a page in her book.

"You are?" The boys cried.

"Well, you know, supporting our friends and all." Levy said with a shrug and a dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Lucy narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Yeah for Natsu and Wendy."

"Sure."

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" The yammer and clatter of the cafeteria stopped as everyone turned their attention to Mr. Makarov, he stood on the table so everyone could see him.

"Yo Gramps!" Natsu shouted. "No standing on the tables!"

"I'm your teacher Natsu! I can do whatever I want!" Mr. Makarov replied, a ripple of laughter moved through the crowd. "Anyway, if you're going to the Halloween game you must sign up! The sheets are posted on the door to every dorm, sign up before second period, and the bus leaves after third period. If you have any questions, come to me directly. That's all."

Lucy stood. "I'll go sign us up. So, Jet, Droy, are you going?"

"Well…" Jet and Dory exchanged looks. "If Levy's going I guess we'll go too…"

"Don't be silly guys! You don't have to go because of me!" Levy said, waving her hand.

Jet and Droy shared a look. "But we want t-"

"Don't be ridiculous. If you want to stay, stay."

Droy shrugged. "Eh, so we go to the game. Big deal, we'll get to be with you, Levy!"

"Alright." Levy agreed with a shrug. Lucy and Gray exchanged looks; Levy was as bad as Natsu sometimes.

The day progressed and the signs filled up. By the end of third period the busses had arrived and students were piled in according to grade. The Dragon Slayers were mixed with the regular students so Natsu sat boisterously with his friends, shouting insults at Sting. Sting in turn would stand on the vinyl seats and shout something back while Rogue tried to pull him back down to the bench, telling him that he could get hurt doing that. Gajeel sat in the back of the bus, his black shaggy mane covering his face while he rested his head against the dirty window.

"Hey Levy! Do you want to sit with me?"

"No! She wants to sit with me!"

Levy blushed and shrugged her friends off. "Sorry guys, I think I'm just going to be reading so I'd like to stay out of the splash zone."

"Splash zone?"

Levy pointed to Natsu and Gray who were arguing loudly and also spraying everyone in the vicinity. She shuffled to the back of the bus. The spaces on the benches were filled besides the one next to a snoring mass of black hair and a large slumped body.

"H-hey, anyone sitting here?"

Gajeel Redfox grunted noncommittally. He lifted his head just enough so his unsettled crimson eyes could see her. "Oh." The word left his mouth softly. He brushed the heavy locks of ebony out of his eyes, his natural angry expression softening. "Yeah, sure."

"Thanks." Levy responded, sitting at the aisle end.

Gajeel said nothing. Levy didn't mind the silence between them, and she opened her book and began to read. The bus jolted to life and the kids aboard cheered as they pulled away from Fiore High. Gajeel scoffed and blew a stray strand of hair from his pierced face. He wasn't cheering. Neither was his bench mate. Levy sat with the world on mute, her book holding her attention.

Gajeel grimaced. She flipped a page, her eyes darting back and forth as she read at light speed. Gajeel straightened his back a little, trying to peek at what could entice her so. He saw nothing except random configurations of letters separated by spaces on cream paper; also known as words. But she was so very into whatever she was reading. He never really did get the appeal to reading. It was too much like work for him. He glanced at the words, trying to inconspicuously read what entranced the shrimp. Gajeel noticed that it wasn't the book he had lent to her about wrestling. Did she really finish the last one that fast?

Levy didn't hear the quiet breathing over her shoulder; she was too in deep to notice. But she did notice the weird gaze set upon herself. She noticed the crimson eyes that watched her and her book intently, unblinkingly, unwaveringly. They didn't seem to notice that she had noticed. She flipped the page, marking the previous one in her mind. She hadn't actually read it, she couldn't with the creepily intense staring match that Gajeel seemed to have with her book. But she pretended she was reading, to see what he would do.

It turned out that Gajeel did and said nothing; still believing that his 'staree' and her book were oblivious to his patient deciphering of the text in her hands. He didn't even notice that Levy's methodical flipping of the pages had stopped until he blinked for the first time in what seemed like forever. Shock from his daze he glanced at her to find that she had been staring at him. Her hazel (he loved that word now, hazel… that color, it just… fit her) eyes narrowed in confusion, her blue eyebrows knit together as she tried to determine something he didn't know (which was, if you were wondering, what the flip Gajeel was staring at her book for? And why for so long? Was he reading?), she was chewing her bottom lip, peach flesh raw from her pearly whites.

"Gajeel?"

Gajeel gave an intelligent response. "huhuboulh?"

"Uh… sure." Levy shook her head of the reply and reemphasized her original unspoken question. "Gajeel, why are you staring at me?"

"Huh?" Gajeel's ears heated. His pierced face pink with embarrassment. "I'm not starin' at yeh! I-I was starin' at, um…" His ears continued to heat, he lowered his voice. "yer book…"

A small smile lit Levy's face for a second at the thought of Gajeel bent over a book reading. She wouldn't mind seeing him do that someday… What? Where did that thought come from? "D-do you want to borrow it?"

Gajeel reeled backwards. "What? No! I mean- I don't…"

"Are you sure? I've read it five times."

"Um…"

"Do you want me to give you a summary?"

"Uh…"

"It's about this celestial wizard who meets this fire wizard and he takes her to this guild and they go on amazing adventures together!"

"Uh sounds cool, I guess…"

"It is!"

"I'm just… I'm not really much of a reader."

"That's alright. Neither are Jet and Droy," Levy giggled as she thought of Gajeel deep in study, books scattered around him and a pair of red glasses perched on his nose, "I can read to you, like I read to them."

Gajeel scoffed, staring out the window dramatically. "I ain't one of yer pups, shrimp."

"I-I never said you were." Had she over-stepped the bounds of their rather unconventional relationship? "I just thought it might be nice… I mean because you said you don't like reading, and well, you seemed very into the story."

Gajeel grumbled. He had kind of liked the dangerous black haired character, and his little solid-script mage friend. "I mean, if you want to…"

"Do you want me to start at the beginning? I mean you kind of started in the middle."

"Sure."

"Alright…" Levy cleared her throat. Her soft musical voice spoke and he listen. He closed his slit crimson eyes and sat back, listening to her story. The softness of the voice and the expression with which she read was amazing. Every character had their own voice, each sentence read with whatever inflection it was supposed to have, no sentence ever had to be repeated with a different one.

The characters came to life when she spoke. The story weaving its way into Gajeel's imagination. He could see the town, smell the alcohol from the guild, hear the rowdy population of the members, feel the pain of the boys whose dragon fathers were missing. He couldn't imagine what he would do if something like that happened to his father. Or hell, even the other Slayers'. If Skiadrum or Weisslogia or Grandeeney or, hell, even that idiot Igneel died or went missing… It would crush them as people. It would crush them as a team. Even worse, it would crush that odd relationship they all shared.

Gajeel didn't realize that the bus had stopped moving until Levy McGarden stopped reading. She nudged him gently, her peach lips curved into a small hopeful smile. "We're here."


Halloween in March/April? Yes. That's right. Who's excited? :)

Have a lovely day and month my dears :)

XOX

~ Diana