Nearly a week since Juvia's rise from believed oblivion and not a single sighting. No attacks. No more bloodshed. Saggart had been right when she said the council would take this from her. Already agents of obliviousness were stalking around asking ridiculous questions. They brought Gajeel in for questioning again, despite numerous instances to date where witnesses could easily, eagerly determine that he and the rogue Dragon Slayer were in fact separate entities. Detective Saggart being one such witness.
The sight of her frustratingly hitting a uniformed Knight with an empty folder screaming "MAYBE YOU SHOULD READ THE FILES YOU STOLE!? " was a pretty comical sight but it highlighted a major problem already.
The council weren't really interested in fact... or apprehending the real target. It was clear from talking with them that they already believed the rogue Dragon Slayer had more than likely died from his injuries.
The fact of the matter was that they wanted someone to lock up. Someone to blame. And if they couldn't come back with the actual culprit of this crime, well, they weren't planning on returning without someone.
Magnolia may have calmed since the attacks stopped, but Fairy Tail was still on high alert. Everyone under orders not to cause trouble or paint themselves a target. Natsu had been handed a job and told to leave town. A lot of the members following suit. Gajeel would have done the same if the council knights hadn't told him specifically to remain. It was clear they had him in their sights, intent on finding something they could use.
Unable to take jobs and under constant suspicion, Gajeel had to focus himself on something and he found himself intent on catching up to Levy, who'd currently taken to avoiding him. It was a trivial pursuit he realised, but it was all he currently had besides training, and it was difficult to do that with his relationship issues gnawing at him and Lily constantly buzzing in his ear to fix it.
Gajeel was trying but he found it near impossible to be silent as his sensitive nose protested the dust that the library seemed to generate in ever increasing quantities, getting worse every time he was forced to venture inside its walls. Thick and itchy, saturating the air.
As small as she was, Levy McGarden wasn't difficult to find in the near empty library and Gajeel quickly spotted a mop of blue hair hunched over a table reading from a book almost bigger than she was. How her spine contorted, locked in that curve for hours at a time without permanently crippling her was one of the many curious aspects of her studious nature.
Gajeel never failed to find something impressive about her.
"A paranoid person might think yah were avoidin' 'em," Gajeel startled her so badly she almost jumped out of her chair. A shriek piercing the silence.
Putting her hand to her chest and breathing hard, she glared at him.
"Well... maybe I am," She retorted honestly, trying to calm her racing heart. The words pained Gajeel in ways he wasn't expecting, he swallowed, looking over her shoulder at the tome she was reading from.
"Whatcha readin'?" He huffed, taking a closer look and paling. "The Compendium of Dragon Slayers and their histories?" He repeated out loud with more than a little sense of wonder. He looked at her wide eyed. "Where the fuck did this come from?"
"From the Boscan Royal library... on loan mind you, and under guard," She nodded toward a book shelf a few dozen feet away were a quiet, well-dressed man was sitting out of sight, watching the both of them sharply.
"We only got it at all because out of all the Dragon Slayers in existence, the bulk are here in Fairy Tail, and...Makarov..." Gajeel had leaned over her to look at the book, examining the page she'd landed on, his proximity making her lose her train of thought, her mouth suddenly dry, almost completely stupified as his hair brushed her bare shoulder, her breath catching at the shiver that hit her.
Gajeel ran his fingers over the name at the top of her chosen page and he knew she'd just done the impossible.
"... actually found the guy?" Gajeel muttered, smirk dying as he spotted the date. "Is that date accurate?" He mumbled.
"Yeah, 500 years in ice," She said and Gajeel whistled. That was a long time to be trapped.
"How?" He asked, utterly clueless.
"The symbol on his shoulder was an insignia only General's received and there were only four ever recorded to get it," She pulled out notepad where she'd jotted down some names in her pretty, elaborate handwriting.
"The first Dragon Slayer, Irene Belserion, Gail Carbine, Marc Carbine and Braca Valdis. Gail and Marc are both buried together, I can't be sure but they might have been married, the word doesn't directly translate, although it does keep coming up..." Levy went entirely quiet her expression drenched in worry. "Gajeel, Irene Belserion actually... turned into a Dragon," Her words made his breath hitch. He'd been hoping this Dragon Slayers transformation was a once off occurrence, a fluke.
"It does mention that the new generation of Dragon Slayers were more human... maybe that's why you and the others haven't started changing?" She smiled at him, for a second he forgot that she was still probably mad at him. "But that also means he could possibly be stronger, too."
Gajeel didn't need to be told that. He already knew. Facing this Dragon Slayer he felt almost childlike. Even the aura it emitted made him feel like his insides were nothing but ice. He thought that prepared, he'd feel differently but looking at it brought up the same fear he'd felt at his apartment.
It wasn't a comforting thought.
"So Braca is our guy?" Gajeel finally breathed when he'd recovered enough to respond without losing it.
Levy turned away from him.
"Yeah...and the history mentions him murdering some other Dragon Slayers when he lost his..." She frowned again. Eyebrows scrunching up in frustration. "There's that word again... partner?" Levy rarely found a word she had difficulty with but this was one of them.
"The word you are looking for is 'mate', young miss," The guard assigned to the book had approached while they were engrossed, hearing the discussion. "It has no direct translation because it does not infer to anything but the old Dragon Slayer bonds. Many would simply marry, others forged deeper, more dangerous connections," He said.
"Dangerous?" Levy asked. The man had introduced himself simply as Borne when he'd arrived with the book Makarov had sent for at her request. The magic Council had also asked for it but had been blatantly refused. The two powers were seemingly not on good terms. Borne was the book's constant shadow. He ensured it was cared for correctly...also made sure it didn't disappear into a Fiorian Magic Council vault.
"Yes, because the death of one meant the death of their mate, and during the war, many died," He said soberly. "The mating process also often changed many Dragon Slayers. Made them possessive, controlling. Dragons mate for life, but human relationships are a great deal more complicated... and finding yourself eternally joined with someone so suffocating, so demanding, so volatile. It rarely ended well."
"You sure know lot about it," Gajeel commented warily.
"I've been it's guard long enough to have read it several times over..."He indicated the book. "... a lot of the difficult terms have a base in old Boscan, should you require any further translations, you may ask. The sooner you're finished, the sooner we can return to Bosco," He smiled politely, returning to his seat.
Levy looked at the dates for Gail and Marc, the mated couple. Gail died and less than two weeks later her partner followed. Her death was listed as a stray arrow...
"... her mate died of something they called 'heart sickness'," Levy muttered in horror.
Gajeel was white as a sheet and she felt a stab of pity.
"Is that why he's a mess? His mate dies, and he goes psycho?" Gajeel scratched the back of his head awkwardly looking suddenly bashful. "It doesn't happen to mention the difference between mated and married, does it?"
Levy felt a smile twitch at her lips, Gajeel was looking mighty awkward.
"No, but there's families listed. I don't know what it involves but sex and marriage seem to happen plenty without it. Lots of children born to Dragon Slayers, plenty of marriages, too... but few of these mates," She reassured him with a barely concealed smirk. Knowing what they knew, there was a possibility that the Dragon Slayer causing all these problems may not live much longer.
Levy would have actually laughed at him if she weren't still annoyed. She could see his brain run through all his little trysts with the paranoia of someone unfamiliar with the idea of long term commitments.
"I'm fairly sure if you had accidentally ended up mated to someone, you'd know about it, Gajeel," She rolled her eyes as he took a seat, heavily planting himself in the chair. He fixed her with look.
"So... take it you're still mad at me?" He was direct. Gajeel wasn't sure he knew how to be otherwise. She took a slow breath.
"I might be..." She closed the book in front of her and no sooner than she had its protector was in reach.
"Are you finished for today, Miss McGarden?" He asked and Levy nodded, reordering her notes as the man took the book from the table and gingerly carried it away, Gajeel watching him leave before turning back to the conversation at hand.
"And if I told yah I was sorry and you were right about maybe catching it.. him alive?" He'd come to realise that the Dragon Slayer's affliction was something that he couldn't control... and without knowing more about it, they couldn't say for certain it wouldn't affect the other Dragon Slayers some day.
"Well, you've certainly changed your tune... what happened to killing it first and questions later?" Levy asked, genuinely surprised by his turnaround.
"Juvia agreed with yah, says the guild should try save him if they can...and, well, one blue haired terror mad at me is already one too many," He flashed a grin at the way she pouted.
"Terror?" She rasped. Offended at the comparison. Levy sucked in a breath, knowing he was intentionally winding her up. "Do you mean to get me mad? Or are you just oblivious?" She huffed and Gajeel looked away for a second, a grin tugging at his mouth.
"Well... yer pretty cute when you're angry..." He pressed his hands to his cheeks, scrunching his face up mockingly imitating her. "... yah got this adorable little pout," He laughed as she batted at his arms.
"You are such an asshole..." She said through laughter "Fine, if you apologise and get me that coffee you owe me, I'll forgive you!"
Gajeel relaxed in his chair. A weight lifted off him.
"I'm sorry I chased that thing down, you were right... it was stupid... and we should try find out more. Killin' him shouldn't be the first thing we jump to," He said but her expression was still expectant. "What?" He asked, unsure of what else he should be apogising for.
"You told me I should've given up on you," She said, voice growing small. "I need you to tell me you were wrong. I don't think you're some lost cause, but it's not me that needs to really believe it," She whispered.
Gajeel felt the words in his brain stutter. He was trying, but he'd spent a long time being not so great a person, and he knew it was a slippery slope... but it was clear to him now how much he'd changed. It wasn't hopeless. The fact that she still seemed to believe in him was a certain proof, all on its own.
"Maybe it's not..." He rasped, earning him a smile. For the first time he may have actually believed it.
"Well, that's good, cause I have terrible taste in men and I was kinda hoping this was an exception," She beamed at him.
Levy had a rather gloomy dating history. Part of the reason she'd spent the last number of years avoiding romance beyond the pages of her books. But this, whatever this was turning into felt right. And for all the missteps she was coming to accept that Gajeel was just complicated. Very, very complicated. But he wasn't a bad guy.
"Still might have crappy taste..." Gajeel felt one of his eyebrows rising. "... I certainly wouldn't go out with me," He grinned wolfishly at her.
Levy responded with an overly sweet, doe eyed smile, shaking her head.
"Yes, but we've already established that you make stupid decisions and have zero good judgement... so?" She came back with, waiting expectantly for Gajeel's response.
Gajeel stood carefully, rubbing his chin in thought.
"So... eh... how about I get you that coffee, then?" He finished.
There was a satisfied, almost smug look on Levy's face. She sat back and crossed her arms, looking particularly devious.
"You know... I'm thinking now you might owe me a dinner, too," She teased him.
Gajeel laughed.
"My wallets aching already... didn't realise shrimps were this demandin ...owwwwww!" He yelped as she reached over and pinched him. "Do I need to make yah iron mitts or somethin'?" He joked, rubbing his side where her small fingers had dug in through his shirt, reminding him to behave.
"Depends on how aggravating you're planning to be."
"Well, wouldn't say I plan it... just sorta happens," Which was entirely too true. Her laugh, he noted, made his insides churn nervously. His palms sweat. His skin sweaty.
She was still laughing as they wandered down the street together, a strange looking couple. One smiling and laughing while the other glaring darkly at anyone who looked their way. They stood out, turning more than a few heads. Gajeel honestly found the attention unsettling.
Levy was finding that it was near impossible to stay angry at him. Trying to was a repeatable exercise in absolute failure. He annoyed her, waited for her to explode and smiled that silly smile of his cracking a joke or making an off the cuff sweet remark, evaporating her bad mood like mist.
She brought him to her favorite coffee shop and let him order it to go while they walked, arguing about the merits of pizza verses pasta in relation to the dinner Gajeel was happy to be debating. After all, he'd asked her out for coffee, and while still mad at him she'd wrangled a dinner out of him, too. He wasn't exactly losing here.
"You and Juvia seem close," She said out of nowhere and Gajeel paused mid-term on the cobbles. Juvia was one of Gajeel's oldest friends but the origins of their friendship was also a reminder of crappier times.
"Weren't always... just wanted to get some experience against a water mage, yah know?" He was suddenly sober. The mood darkening. "...but she didn't want anything from me. Wasn't lookin' to rack up any favours or dig up any dirt," Gajeel remembered how quiet and withdrawn she'd been. It used to be one of his favorite things about her. She rarely started unnecessary conversation and was meticulous in the jobs she did. Clean, quick, methodical, quiet and never anything but straight with him. Being around her also meant people didn't bother him, they fast found themselves unwilling to deal with her perpetual rain.
It was an unlikely friendship. Initially he scared people away from her before she learned how to do it herself.
"You look out for each other, it's pretty sweet," Levy muttered tucking some hair behind her ear. Taking him back out of those memories.
Gajeel found himself transfixed by her hand, the way she brushed the strands aside. She did it delicately, nimble fingers carefully pushing it out of her face and he absently imagined her hands in his hair. Wondered what it would feel like to hold her. Touch her.
"Hey, Gajeel?" Levy waved her hand in front of his face to get his attention, the iron mage having completely zoned out.
"Just hungry..." He offered as a brief explanation. Though, not for food right at that particular moment.
His own suddenly lewd visualisations took him aback a little. Despite his past experience he rarely felt affected by something as distracting as lust these days. His youth had been a bit of a blur, but getting older and joining Phantom, romance became too much of an obstacle and he lost pretty much all interest in persuing it.
Sure, half of the women in Fairy Tail walked around a few scant scraps of material away from totally naked and it didn't result in even a blip. And here Levy McGarden has a few loose locks of hair come free of her headband and he's left straining against his pants at the thought of putting his fingers through them.
Since she roped him into dinner, she let him pick the restaurant and they found themselves at a small, unloved looking little bistro off one of the side streets. She would have normally overlooked it; the restaurant was otherwise empty and the jaded decor inside looked unappealing but Gajeel was relatively insistant and the delicious smells wafting from inside lured her happily in behind him.
"This place is good," Gajeel said with a certainty that surprised her.
"You come here often?" She asked and he snorted at her.
"Nah, never been before..." He tapped his nose. "... but Dragon Slayer noses make picking out good food pretty easy," He smirked at her.
"Useful, I got food poisoning on my last date, ended up in a hospital bed for two weeks..." Levy recalled, groaning at the memory. "... and the sad thing is that wasn't even my worst. The date before that the guy tried slipping something in my drink," She smiled comfortingly at the look of anger slowly creeping into Gajeel's eyes. "Don't worry, I am a wizard you know. I might be small but I can take care of myself. I'll have you know it took them three days to detach the knife and fork from his hands and the city guards were there waiting when they did," Levy straightened her back proudly. "My magical crazy glue skills are almost famous," She said to his raucous laughter.
"You've got a bit of a dangerous streak, dontcha?" Gajeel was wiping tears from his eyes but he saw the way she chewed her lip, light blush tickling her cheeks.
"People picked on me for my size a lot, so you find interesting ways to dissuade them," She said to Gajeel's still amused grin.
They ordered food and if he were honest, he hadn't prepared himself mentally or otherwise for the sight of her eating her ravioli. The way her lips curled softly around the pieces, tongue guiding the pockets of pasta off the fork.
Gajeel was actually now hungry for food but it was difficult prying his attention away from her to even manage eating much of his own.
He discovered that for her size, she ate like a Dragon Slayer twice her height and despite the odd glass of wine, preferred not to drink. Though she was very fond of her fizzy sodas. She was a strangely ordered eater, staring at the far right of her plate and working her way across. Gajeel found himself watching her closely.
She only stopped eating when he casually leaned forward and tucked her hair back, in exactly the same way she herself had done outside in the wind.
On the way back, his fingers brushed her cheek and she turned several shades of beet red in seconds. Her entire body burning up. She didn't know who she was kidding, it's not as if he wouldn't notice her reaction.
Levy felt like a moron. Maybe if she hadn't spent so long without intimacy she wouldn't be near fainting at the first signs of male interest.
Gajeel hastily ate only after she was finished her meal and lazily sipping her drink. The similarities to Natsu made her giggle. It must have been a Dragon Slayer thing. They seemed capable of simply inhaling food.
They talked for well over an hour about all manner of trivial topics. Places they'd visited. Favorite foods. She asked him one thing no one else in the world knew and she found out Gajeel loved soft sheets... and he discovered she kept a bottle of chocolate syrup she drank straight from the container when she'd had a bad day.
Levy McGarden had a major sweet tooth.
He paid up and walked her outside where it was already getting dark. In all her adult life, this was without a doubt the nicest date she'd ever been on. She plainly told him as much.
"Wouldn't know about that, shrimp, it's the only one I've ever been on," He remarked casually. The women he'd fallen in with hadn't really ever needed to be wined and dined.
"I'm your first ever date?" Her eyes were wide, her grin almost threatened to split her face in two.
"Women interested in me are generally only interested in one thing," He said coolly. In his youth he liked the thrill. And as sad as it was, it was as close to intimacy as he'd ever managed to get at the time.
"I guess I should be flattered then... that you took the time to take me out on an actual date," She batted her eyelashes at him and he swallowed thickly, scratching at the back of his head, awkwardly.
"Come on, I'll walk you back to Fairy Hills," Gajeel offered, turning quickly to hide the flush on his cheeks. His usual confidence faltering with the new knowledge that he was in uncharted territory.
A small hand reached out and took his as he moved off, pulling him back. There was a small tug that he didn't resist and she brought him down to her level, leaving a careful kiss against his lips. He stiffened for a second, stunned senseless as she pulled back. An easy smile on her face.
"You did something outside your comfort zone... I... figured maybe I'd follow your example?"
She let out a surprised yip when she found a pair of hands wrapped around her lower back, her body suddenly pressed against a warm chest, mouth devoured in a kiss she felt all the way to her toes. Digits curling in her winter boots. Her hands scrambled for purchase, grabbing for his shirt.
It was so good, she could have died. Right then and there.
Levy was humming happily as a smiling Gajeel pulled back, though his hands remained firmly in place, thumbs tracing soft, slow circles along her spine.
"I can see why most women never needed dinner," Levy said breathlessly.
"Most women?" Gajeel quirked an eyebrow at her.
She reached up and left another light kiss against his red, throbbing lips, his hands sliding to her sides. He dipped his head into her hair and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He couldn't understand how he'd even been able to exist before that kiss. He felt like his universe had been swallowed.
"Well...I think I might need a second date," She murmured.
"Yeah... and I think I might need a cold shower, gihi," Gajeel laughed.
Notes
Wooooot! Gajevy date!
Thank you so much for all your comments and support. And I wrote Juvia like I did because, well, it didn't make sense for her to have been a higher up in a guild like Phantom Lord, friends with a guy like Gajeel Redfox and not be just a little terrifying. ;)