XXXVI: Foot For Dinner

"Where's Levy?"

Natsu addressed Gajeel with the kind of confrontational attitude that was per usual, oblivious to the already heated debate he and Pantherlily were having. Gajeel scowled, as the blunette was the direct cause of the argument in question. "How the hell should I know, Salamander?"

"Levy-chan isn't in her room or the library, and she didn't show up for dinner," Lucy said, glaring at Gajeel as if it were all his fault. "You were the last one who talked to her today. Where is she?"

"I told you, dammit, I don't know," Gajeel insisted. "I haven't seen her since I talked to her in the library and she fell asleep." A roll of thunder proceeded. He frowned. Something felt...wrong.

"What did you say to her?" Lucy said.

"Nothing! I just told her about dinner!"

"Then why wasn't she - ?"

"Uh, guys," Happy interrupted, his back to them. He turned around, holding out a bandanna. Levy's bandanna. "This was on the ground behind the corner."

Gajeel blanched. Oh shit, he thought. She was there. She'd heard him say that he hated her. That he never wanted to see her face again. He'd thought he'd heard something after that, but he never would've guessed that she was eavesdropping.

Pantherlily took the bandanna. "You don't think - ?"

But Gajeel was already tearing down the hall, following the faint trace of Levy's scent he just barely picked up. He had to hurry. It was getting ready to rain, and then her trail would be washed away. He wouldn't be able to find her.

The powerful gales set him off-balance when he came outside. He looked up at the sky and cursed at the majestic storm sailing their way. It was going to be a downpour in a matter of minutes. He had to find Levy.

Gajeel caught her scent. Though it was diluted by the wind, he knew it headed straight for the woods, which was the last place anyone would want to be alone in the midst of a thunderstorm. Particularly if they were short and scantily clothed.

He started in that direction, rampaging through the forest, knocking debris out of his way. The thunder rolled again and the sky opened up, pelting Gajeel with rain. His thoughts were an incoherent swirl of swearing as her scent started to disappear. He continued to go forward, hoping that she had done the same.

"Levy!" he shouted, though he doubted she would be able to hear him over the wailing of the wind. "Oi! Shorty! C'mon, where are you?"

He heard a dog's whine not too far away, and a girl's frightened shriek. Levy. It was Levy.

Gajeel screeched to a stop and took a sharp turn left, where the noises were coming from. As he got closer he could hear Levy scream and several canine snapping noises. Wolves dominated the East Forest. Levy was being attacked by wolves.

He saw her up in a tree, clinging to a branch for dear life. She was writing words on the tree with her solid script pen, but they were mostly fire-based attacks; they fizzled out in the rain, causing minimal damage to the wolves. Four of them snapped at her heels, slightly singed but still determined.

Gajeel sent out a kick, his foot morphing into a metal bar. It hit one she-wolf squarely in the chest, and he felt ribs crack. The others turned their attention to him, the alpha male growling dangerously. He was the biggest, a thick black beast with glaring yellow eyes. Gajeel grinned despite himself. "Bring it on, pup."

The wolf charged, but Gajeel was faster. He sent a metal bar into the wolf's midsection, then another to his back when he fell to the ground. The wolf saw that Gajeel was stronger and loped away with his tail between his legs, his pack pausing for a second before following. Evidently they realized that Gajeel wasn't the alpha now since he wasn't of the same species.

He let out a loud roar, invigorated by the brief battle.

"Um...G-Gajeel? I could use a little help here..."

Levy dangled her feet uncertainly from the tree limb. Gajeel had to admit, she was up pretty high. He could help her if he wanted to, but he decided that she deserved a good chewing-out before that happened.

"Yeah, you do need help! What the hell were you thinking, runnin' out here by yourself? Do you know how worried" - he stumbled over his words for a moment, not wanting to admit that yeah, he'd been a little bit worried - "how worried Lily's been? And I had to come all the way out here to get you! Now I'm wet, and I'll probably catch a freakin' cold!"

"Well, sorry for inconveniencing you!" Levy snapped back, suddenly on the defensive. "If you hate me so much, why don't you just let the wolves eat me next time?"

That caught Gajeel off guard. He sputtered, then said something that he immediately knew he was going to regret. "Yeah, maybe I will!"

Levy reeled as if he'd just punched her. She lost her grip on the tree and screamed as she fell back. Gajeel shot forward and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. But he'd overshot, and they landed in a tangled heap at the foot of the tree. Levy squirmed under his heavy body, frustrated that she couldn't storm away. Finally she sighed and gave up, her bottom lip coming out in a slight pout. "Do you really hate me that much?"

Gajeel sighed, but it sounded more like a growl. "Nah, I don't hate you."

"Then why did you say that you did?"

"I ain't good with people, okay? I just...I dunno. I don't hate you, though. I promise." Gajeel quickly untangled himself and sat up, rubbing his neck. The rough scales under his talons only reminded him of what he was, so he put his hand back down. "Look, why don't we head back to the castle? It's still raining freakin' cats and dogs out here, and I'm gonna be seriously pissed if I get sick 'cause I had to come out here and save your ass."

"Okay." Levy stood up, brushing mud off of her dress. "Gajeel, I do have another question, though. Are you still going to kick us all out?"

"Hell no!" Gajeel said immediately. "You still gotta break my curse, and the Salamander and his buddies still gotta finish fixin' up my house. You guys ain't goin' anywhere!"

Levy just smiled to herself and said "okay" again, but Gajeel couldn't help but notice the slight dust of pink over her cheeks, or how she described her release as being 'kicked out.' Had she forgotten that she was technically a prisoner? A hostage under his command?

"Gajeel?"

"Hn?"

"Thanks."

Yeah. Gajeel thought that maybe she had.