Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.


Chapter 28: Moon

Sometimes he swore that the moon was magic. How else could something so brilliant exist in such a darkened, hopeless sky. The moon was such a gorgeous orb in the sky, a notion that he blamed Juvia for, as she had mentioned it offhandedly one day at the guild. She had been downplaying her love of the sky rock, but it had affected him none the less. He couldn't drive away the sense that it was one of the most beautifully haunting things he'd ever seen in his life.

"Gajeel?" He glanced away and to his couch where Wendy lay, Carla tucked under her arms like a plushie. She attempted to relax against the cushions, her wide orbs watchful and waiting when she found a position she (sort of maybe) liked.

"Yeah."

"Are you going to stay here all night?"

"Once yer comfortable, I'll head to bed." He leaned into his seat, red eyes diligently watching over his fellow slayer. The moonbeams trickled in from the window and bled shadows across Wendy's youthful face. His house was coated in shadows, be if from his measly furniture or his copious amounts of iron he had laying about. Gajeel watched the light shift, moving to cast a bright sheen over his young friend, her locks resembling that of the sky. It suited her, certainly.

For a few moments she simply closer her eyes, allowing the light to wash over her as time drifted forward. It wrapped her up, emphasizing the lily skin she was sporting in silence until she finally asked, "Do you have to?"

Gajeel frowned at that, adjusting his position on the chair for the first time since her arrival. They'd be doing this for a while, a spike in her visits occurring after Tenrou Island had released them from its spell. He wasn't sure why but if it brought her any comfort, he wouldn't kick her out. She would be accepted into his apartment even if it was 4 in the morning and he was fast asleep. Gajeel briefly contemplated giving her a copy of his apartment key so that she could come and go as she pleased. "Nah. I can wait here. I'm not that tired." He fought back an ill-timed yawned. "Get some sleep."

"Thank you, Gajeel," she murmured as she curled in closer to her Exceed.