Taking in a shaky breath, she waited for the pain to hit, but it never came. Instead, she heard a loud choking sound. She squinted her eyes open and then they widened as she gazed upon him. His lips were drawn back, revealing his long canines and his face was contorted as he bit back down the magic that had welled up in his chest and throat.

"Levy! Get away from there!" Erza yelled, brandishing her sword.

Gajeel bared his teeth at her, choking as a growl tried to make its way past the metal in his throat.

"No," Levy said quietly, reaching out a hand towards him, "He's fine. Everyone just needs to calm down,"

"Natsu! Grab her and get her outside," Jet yelled, his fists clenched.

"What? No…" Levy turned her eyes to him, "Just let me show you…"

"Natsu, take her upstairs, now," Erza repeated, looking at him pointedly, "That's an order,"

"No! Just let me-!" Levy couldn't finish when Natsu snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her away gently.

"I'm sorry, Levy,"

"No! Natsu! Don't!"

Everything suddenly seemed to happen impossibly slow.

Gajeel reared, letting out another massive growl, and charged. Natsu stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and releasing his hold on Levy in the process. Gajeel lashed out, sending Natsu careening into Erza and they both toppled to the ground. Jet, Droy, and Lucy sprung forward to grab Levy but Gajeel flared out his wings and slashed at them dangerously, making all three of them dodge out of the way. Levy hit the ground so hard her head cracked against the pavement and she saw stars just before two massive hands landed on either side of her. She let out a gasp and looked up to see Gajeel standing over her protectively, growling so loudly it made the air around them vibrate.

For a couple heartbeats there was just silence as everyone measured the situation.

"Gaj… eel…" she whispered, tears sliding down the sides of her face to dampen her hair, "Gajeel, stop,"

He was breathing heavily, the fight taking a toll on him. His arms and legs were shaking and his eyes were wild with fury. His ears twitched as he frantically tried to take stock of what was happening around him.

He was unsure and it was clear on his face.

His face that was so human and so Gajeel that Levy couldn't help but reach her fingers up to touch the sides of it.

"Levy! Don't!" Erza cautioned, but she didn't notice, just pulled his face down so he'd meet her eyes.

"Shhh…" she said gently, letting her fingers stroke the sides of his face, "Calm down… just calm down…"

The rage in his eyes slowly began to lose its edge and melt away.

"You remember that evening we spent together under the trees?" she whispered, quiet sobs making her voice shake, "And you let me touch your scales for the first time? Because I do. I remember the look in your eyes, like you didn't want the moment to end,"

His breathing started to still, his breath falling across her face in cool puffs.

"Do you remember the song you wrote for me?" the tears were falling harder, obscuring her vision as she tried to take in his red eyes, "Remember how you were so scared of singing it? Do you know how happy I felt when I heard it? I didn't know it was for me at the time, but I knew it meant something very special to you, and I loved it even though it was possible it wasn't for me,"

She laughed, the sound bitter as she tried to contain the sadness welling up in her chest.

"Do you remember the morning you woke up and I was in your bed? You were so worried that you'd done something to hurt me. I didn't know you cared so much, but you were so scared and confused…"

She slid her fingers into his black tangles as they fell over his shoulder. She knew there were people in the room with her, but she didn't care. At this point it could've been just him and her in that room as she bared her heart to him, trying to calm the storm that was raging inside of him.

"Do you remember what you said? You said 'I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you again.'" She trailed off, trying to compose herself as she continued, "I know you won't hurt me, Gajeel, because I know you. I know you more than I know myself. I see you still in there. The man I fell in love with is still there, he's just hiding from the pain and confusion because he doesn't know what to do…"

Large, heavy tears dropped from his eyes to wet down her blue curls and he bit his lip as he balled his taloned hands into fists.

"You're angry and hurt, Gajeel, but you're not a monster. You never were and you never will be. I'm here with you, you don't have to be angry or sad anymore, because I'm here, and I'll take it all away for you if you'll just let me,"

She felt hands scoop her off of the ground and cuddle her to his chest and he ducked his face into her neck. She felt impossibly small in his embrace, but she wrapped her arms around his thick, scaled neck and stroked his black locks.

"You're dead…" the voice was tiny and broken, sounding more like a cough than a man's voice.

"What?"

"I could smell the death on you. There was no way for you to live after that. I couldn't save you…"

"Yes you could. You saved me like you always do. I'm alive and fine because of you, Gajeel. It's ok…"

"You're alive…"

"Yes," she let a laugh slip out of her mouth, not quite sure why it came out in the first place, "I'm alive, Gajeel,"

Green light, vibrant and beautiful, stretched out around them as a magic circle started to take shape. Her eyes widened in amazement as the characters formed; foreign from anything she'd ever seen before. Then, she felt Gajeel's form start to shake and he gasped in pain as he began to change. His body started to shrink and she could hear the snapping of bones as his wings collapsed in on themselves along with his tail and disappear into the flesh of his back.

Flesh.

His scales dissipated, leaving soft flesh to knit under her fingers. Then, as gently as it appeared, the magic circle and its light disappeared, leaving the two figures wrapped in each other's arms. Gajeel pulled back for a moment, his eyes foggy but full of recognition and understanding and lacking the feral animal that had been there before. A smile broke out on both of their faces and Gajeel pulled her into a crushing embrace before peppering her face with a million kisses.