Well, I would was hoping for more feedback, especially with everyone shouting at me for poor Levy. Get ready for the fluff before the lemon xD

Reviews fuel faster uploads :D

Image for chapter 13 on Deviant ART (check my bio)

Thanks for helping with the edits, my sexy man!

Levy lifted her head, her vision clearing with heavy blinking as beige colors came into view, the sight of lace making her stomach clench. She peered down to see her wrists bound, her body instantly trying to break free.

"Morning, lovely," echoed a voice, her head darting in all directions. Suddenly the room darkened, the sight of that pale mask showing through the darkness.

"Don't worry, dear…" came another echo. Her head darted all around, numerous visions of the mask appearing all over, "I just can't risk you getting away…" She tugged at her restraints, her mind in a panic now as she breathed heavily, sweat forming and having her bangs stick to her face. An eerie pale face showed from the shadows, most of it covered in darkness but with his crazed look and wide smile she knew it was none other than Jose.

"I shall enjoy making him suffer."

"No!" Levy bolted upright from her slumber, her body covered in as cold sweat, her eyes wide as she gasped for breath. Beside her, Gajeel jumped up as well, his hair in disarray and in his face as he reached for her blindly, grabbing her arm and startling her further. Another scream erupted from her, causing him to flinch back and push his bangs aside to see.

"Levy, what's wrong!? Are you ok?" He watched as she clutched at her chest, her body heaving with trying to take in air as though it was all that was left in the world. He leaned up, pulling his red button down off and tossing it on the chair that was nearby before watching her finally calm. "Oi…" He watched her turn her head, her wide eyed expression making him frown. "You ok?" He let out a strangled noise as she dove into his arms, grasping him tightly around his torso. Still not sure what was wrong, he patted her back with one hand while the other played with her hair. After hearing her begin to breathe normally he lifted her head, his fingers lingering on her chin, "what's wrong?"

"It was horrible," she finally croaked out, her voice rasping from her throat being dry, "I was back in that horrible place. And Jose was taunting me that he was going to hurt you!"

"Shhh, it's ok. He's not here. We're safe," he whispered, rubbing small circles into her back. He felt her slouch against him, as though sleep was winning its battle once again. He wished he could take it all away from her, that he could stop the memories and visions. He sat up fully, feeling her curl into him between his legs.

"I don't want anything to happen to you… I'd never forgive myself."

"It wouldn't be your fault," he murmured softly, moving her hair from her eyes gently. She leaned up on her knees and into his face, her eyes wide with fear and regret.

"I'm the reason this happened!"

"No!" he roared, watching her flinch. "This is his fault. Don't you think for a second this is because of you." Her face scrunched as she tried holding back tears, feeling him circle his arms around her waist. Leaning his head against her chest, he felt her finally relax. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of you," he whispered, listening to her heart rate slow down to normal.

"Ok…" she whispered back. Hearing him say that made her feel at ease, her body slumping against him. "I don't know what I'd do…"

"Shhh, go back to sleep. I'm right here," he said pulling back.

"Every time I close my eyes, I'm back there… I wish I wasn't so tired…" she murmured. He pulled her down to lay next to him again, kissing her forehead. "You sure he won't find you?"

"Positive. Now get some sleep, shrimp." She smiled at him calling her that again, feeling a little bit like things were back to the way they were. In her heart, though, she knew things could never be the same. How long before she stopped having these nightmares? Before she felt she could walk anywhere and not feel like someone was there to take her away again? The men who had done this to her took away her life, making her shiver in fear at the thought of being alone. She curled into Gajeel's arms, taking in a deep breath before finally falling back into slumber.

Levy stirred, the smell of breakfast filling her nostrils as she stretched her arms above her head, her hands hitting the headboard lightly. The other side was empty, causing her to bolt up to search for her savior. Figuring he must have been in the kitchen, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, hopping down due to how high the frame was in comparison to her. When standing next to it, the mattress ended at her navel, making her wonder how she could ever climb back into it herself. Gajeel had assisted her last night. As she moved towards the door, she passed the dresser, catching her reflection and pouting at how messy her hair was. She wished she had a headband, hoping Lucy packed one for her in her bag. She tugged at her shirt, the poor thing wrinkled like crazy from her sleep. As she moved to leave, her eye caught sight of Gajeel's red button down, a smile crossing her face as she removed her shirt to put his on. A blush crept across her cheeks at feeling exposed, her lack of bra making it feel as though she were wearing nothing as she draped the big shirt over herself and did the buttons up from her chest to her waist. It reached her mid thigh, seeming almost like it could have been a tiny dress for her. Content with the amount of coverage, she moved to the hall, tiptoeing through and hearing him on what seemed like a phone call.

"- you have to be kidding me… what about..? Seriously!?" She frowned at how upset he'd sounded, curious as to who he was talking to. "No, she's still sleeping. No, I'm not waking her up." There was a pause, as though whoever it was had a lot to say, "Listen, you can talk to her later. She's exhausted and it was hard enough getting her to sleep… Nightmares, you honestly think she wouldn't have them?" She leaned against the wall, tempted to poke her head around to look at him, to see what his expression was like. It was hard to tell by his tone but it was either he was fed up with everything or just with the person he was speaking to. Given everything, she hoped it was the person, "I don't need you to tell me that! God, you are impossible sometimes! I don't know how she puts up with you!"

'That just has to be Cana,' she thought, feeling better about the whole situation. She didn't think she was ready to talk to the brunette yet, knowing she would be mentally drained after speaking to her. Cana was her buddy but insatiable when it came to prying for info or assuring her things were ok. Even now, she felt sorry that the red eyed male had to talk to her.

"Look, when she wakes up, I'll have her call. Easy, right?" Another pause, "Woman, you are trying my patience. You didn't even answer my question…" Levy tilted her head, curious as to what he was talking to her about other than herself. "You know what? I don't need to know." She heard the cell phone clatter on the countertop, a frustrated growl escaping him. Biting her lip, she wondered if she should go back to his room and leave him be for a little. She was all too familiar with how exhausting it was to to talk to the brunette. However, the smell of food won as her stomach grumbled, her hand coming up to cover it as though it would stop it. Taking a breath, she rounded the corner, finding him leaning forward against the counter.

"Morning," she whispered, watching him push off the ledge and whirl in her direction. His hair was disheveled from sleep, his bangs in his eyes and random strands sticking up. He was still wearing the white muscle shirt from last night only he was wearing cloth black slacks instead of the jeans.

"Ah I didn't wake you up, did I?" He watched as she shook her head before focusing on her attire. "Well... that shirt looks familiar," he said, a grin crossing his features. She pulled her hands up to her face, hiding behind the large sleeves. "What made you put that on?" He could see from how her eyes sparkled that she was smiling, a tinge of red spreading across her cheeks.

"It's yours. I like it," she murmured, watching him walk up to her. A gasp escaped her as he grabbed her arm, pulling the sleeve down to view her wrists. They were still looking raw and red, making him frown. "I… I didn't mean… I just…" He gestured for her to hush, walking away and disappearing into the bathroom. He came back with a bottle reading 'Aloe' on it and motioned for her to follow him, finding herself sitting on the couch beside him. She observed with fascination as he applied some of the cream to his hand before pulling the sleeve away and gently caressing it around her wrists. A small hiss escaped her as the lotion did its magic, hydrating and healing the tender flesh. She sat quietly as he worked her skin, enjoying the touches and impressed with how gentle he could be. "Sorry…"

"Just don't do anything like that again please," he murmured without looking at her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her nod, her fluffy hair fluttering around as she moved.

"So what were you talking to Cana about?" She looked up in time to see him scowl as he kept working on her skin, his lips in a thin line as if he were holding back on what he really wanted to say. "That bad, huh?" He glanced up, his red eyes partially hidden by his messy bangs. Finishing with one wrist, he moved to the next one, applying more aloe to his hands. She closed her eyes, feeling his large hands massage her. The world seemed like it went quiet, her senses enjoying the little motions of his fingers working the lotion in.

"So you hungry at all?" Her eyes snapped open, seeing him still looking at his work. "I have eggs." He scoffed a bit, finishing and moving to stand up to put the lotion away. "I really need to get food in this place. Not good that everything is bare." She lightly touched where he'd put the aloe on, marveling at how much better it felt.

"Why do I smell something now?"

"Ah I was trying to make some and I got so wrapped up with talking to Her Highness I messed them up," he said while returning to the kitchen. Levy brought a hand up to cover her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Her Highness?"

"You know who I'm talkin' about. Don't get cute." He began rubbing his hands together, seemingly determined to not talk about the brunette, "now… how about those eggs, gihee!" He pulled open the fridge, grabbing the carton and checking to make sure he had enough left before snagging cheese from the drawer. "Scrambled eggs with cheese coming up. You stay right there." Levy leaned back into the couch, caressing her wrists while watching him move around. She wasn't used to anything like this. Having lived alone ever since she'd left the orphanage, she was used to taking care of herself. Going to work, coming home to either take out or cooking for only her and being alone at night with only her books to keep her company. At times she would hang with Lucy or Cana and she would take time to talk to Mr. Makarov but this was something new. Here was this charming man before her, making her breakfast. She pulled her legs up under herself as she leaned a bit to the side, watching him. As if sensing her eyes on him, he peeked over his shoulder, flashing her a toothy smile. Before she knew it, he appeared in front of her with a plate of eggs and toast, smiling down at her as she blinked at it in interest.

"Oh! Thank you," she said as she took the dish and fork from him. As she moved to dig in, she felt the couch depress from his weight as he sat beside her. Her gaze raked over him, seeing him with only a beverage in his hand. "What about you?"

"I'm fine. Eat." He took a sip of his drink, watching her from over his mug. Giving him a pout, she started nibbling, leaning into him a bit. Halfway through, Levy put a decent amount on the fork, startling him when she shoved it towards him. "I'm ok. Honest. You need to eat." She frowned, giving him puppy eyes before hearing him sigh gently, leaning forward and opening his mouth. Carefully, she fed him, beaming at her little victory as she continued eating. A chuckle escaped him as he watched her smile to herself. "Oh, right." He pushed her over a bit as he got up, moving towards the counter. He returned with a glass of water, his other hand clenched. Holding his fist out, he told her to put the plate on the coffee table, placing her meds in her hand.

"Ah, yes. Fun…" She took the water, downing the pills and liquid quick. As she finished, she took a deep gulp of air before handing the glass back to him. "Thank you…" He stood, moving to put the glass away when her voice stopped him, "... for everything. I don't think I've said that yet." He glanced down at her from over his shoulder before turning fully towards her and placing the empty glass down beside her plate. As he sat down again, she blinked quite a bit, worried she'd said something funny or wrong. A frown formed on her lips until he brought his right hand up to caress her face while his left took her hand in his.

"You don't have to thank me," he whispered, watching her eyes flutter from the contact, "I'm just glad you're safe. I just wish I'd been able to find you sooner or did more to that idiot. I can't believe it was him." Her eyes opened to find him seething, his stare on the floor beside them as he ran through scenarios in his mind. At the soft touch of her hand against his cheek, he was brought back, his red gaze focusing on her. As silly as it might have been, she found his rage touching. He'd already done so much for her and even now, he was taking care of her. Yet he wished he could do more. Tears sprang to her eyes and before she realized what she was doing, she leaned forward, softly pressing her lips to his. A small strangled noise escaped him, not expecting anything like that from her. At feeling him tense, she opened her eyes, jerking back in alarm.

"I-I'm sorry… I…" she could feel her heart hammering against her chest, her face flushed as she stared down at her lap. Large hands appeared in her field of vision, grasping at the red shirt and pulling her forward. His lips captured hers, a small whimper sounding between them. As he pulled back, he watched her dazed expression.

'So damn cute.' Not wanting to press anything further, he got up, clearing away the dishes as she returned to reality. Her brain gave her no commands or messages and her body relaxed from his gentle touches. When she finally focused, she watched him from her spot on the couch as he washed and put things away before coming back over. "So… I take it you don't want to be cooped up in here all day. Anything you wanted to do?" She pouted, playing with her hair a bit.

"Actually, I do want to just stay here with you," her eyes moved from her hair, to his gaze, straightening in her seat, "i-if that's ok with you?" Gajeel couldn't help the grin that formed as he crossed his arms over his chest, his fangs showing. Seeing that cocky attitude of his returning, she felt her face heat up, hiding herself with her bangs. With everything that had happened, he'd carried himself with a seriousness she had seen of him at his job, able to take over a situation at a moment's notice. It was as though that kiss had broken some sort of spell, freeing them both from so much tension. Part of her felt a bit of normalcy in it, watching him saunter over to give her a devilish smile.

"Ya sure that you can handle staying with me all day?" He let out a dark chuckle at watching her tilt her head in confusion. Bringing his hands up, he wiggled his fingers about, watching her pale. "If I recall, someone is ticklish!"

"Oh my God, no!" she screeched, trying to dive off the couch to no avail as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her on top of himself. His fingers attacked her sides, feeling her twist and almost choke due to lack of oxygen as laughter racked her tiny frame. "G-Gajeel, can't…! Breathe!"

"Gihee!" He finally stopped, splaying his arms across the back of the couch while watching Levy attempt to catch her breath. When she felt her brain beginning to work again, she realized she was in his lap, looking down at him to see his head tilted back, his eyes closed. "Your laughter is music to my ears," he whispered. She began stammering, her face turning a bright red at hearing something like that. Leaning his head up, he brought his hand up to stroke her face, "You are so beautiful." Now that she matched the shirt she was wearing, she dug her face into his chest, feeling him hold her close. A deep sigh escaped him as he eased back, feeling comfortable with her. Being so close, she caught sight of the bags under his eyes, bringing her hand up to touch his face.

"Gajeel, have you been sleeping?" He opened his left eye, looking at her without moving his head. "Did you sleep at all last night?" She moved to straddle his lap, watching him open both eyes wide. "Please answer me…" His face heated up, his ability to speak disappearing. She pouted, beginning to rub his chest and shoulders. A groan escaped him, his eyes fluttering closed.

"You don't have to do that…," he whispered, grabbing her hands.

"I want to. You've done so much for me. Please let me," she said, swatting his hands away to continue. All coherent thoughts were soon gone, his body melting under her fingertips. She worked on his chest and then moved to his shoulders before attacking each arm. As she finished the second one she giggled as she noticed he had gotten really quiet, his breathing becoming even as he was fading into unconsciousness. "Gajeel?" His head came up, a quick shake causing his hair to spill over his shoulders.

"Damn, Levy, you nearly knocked me out," he mumbled. Peering at her through half lidded eyes, he wrapped his left arm around her before dragging her down to lay on the couch on their right side. She squeaked in surprise, soon cuddling up with her back pressed firmly against his chest. "I think I could lay here all day," he murmured into her hair. It didn't take long for Levy to hear him softly snoozing again, his arm tightening around her waist. Smiling, she settled in his arms, closing her eyes as well.

Looking forward to hearing from you, my lovelies!

Also doing some sketches for the story, probably post some WiP shots on Deviant ART soon. Be sure to look out for them!