The sun was shining, the birds were singing, Jet and Droy were bickering on Gajeel's opposite shoulder, but most importantly, her friend was beginning to heal.
It had only been a month, but Levy could already see the subtle changes in Gajeel. His eyes were softer, his mouth pulled into his shy smile more often, and, much to Mira's delight, he practically inhaled anything remotely edible that was placed in front of him. He was still much too quiet for her liking and as much as she wanted to hurry along his progress, Levy knew that it would take months, years even, for him to fully accept his newfound freedom.
But for now she would be grateful for the small victories. Gajeel's back was healing at a slow, yet steady pace. The stitches had been removed the previous week but his back was still a kaleidoscope of bruises. Mira reassured her that it was completely normal for his wounds to remain that way and as long as they didn't turn bright red then everything would be fine. Time and a little bit of tender loving care were all he needed.
And maybe some time away from all the craziness that made Fairy Tail unique.
Gajeel was doing his best to fit in with the other mages, even going so far as to bicker with Natsu and Gray; Levy had heard him call the pink haired mage 'flame brain' the other day, which resulted in another fight between the ice and fire mages over who was responsible for teaching Gajeel their bad manners.
Yes, he was doing his best, but she could tell he needed a break.
She had spoken to Master Makarov and Mira and they had given her the all clear to take Gajeel on his first request for his new home. It was a simple job, just picking up some supplies from a town just a two hour drive away. They had left early that morning and would have been home by early afternoon, if her two other partners hadn't crashed the wagon into a tree.
"Ugg, why is this taking so long?"
"Cause you crashed the wagon, remember?"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault!"
A shove later and Droy was hovering in midair, spewing insults. The mage flew in the air for a few seconds, waving his fists at their other partner before reluctantly resuming his previous position. Gajeel's shoulders shook and a small chuff of air escaped his nose. Levy looked up to share a laugh, but frowned when she studied his face closely.
Her earlier optimism evaporated as she studied the dark circles under his eyes. She frowned, wondering how long it had been since he had gotten a proper night's sleep. None of the guys Gajeel bunked with would tell her anything: something about a 'bro code' and 'manly honor.' She only found out what was happening when Mira accidentally let it slip that in the mornings she would sometimes find Gajeel huddled behind the bar, tucked away in the corner and cocooned in his blanket.
Levy puffed her cheeks and debated on how to bring up the subject. She didn't want to be pushy, but she knew Gajeel wouldn't tell her anything because he still insisted that he didn't want to be a bother. She had tried time and time again to reassure him that that was how friends showed they cared, but he still didn't listen to her. It was the most frustrating part of his recovery; she wanted so badly for him to accept them as his friends and ask for help, but it was a decision that he had to make on his own.
She sighed, blowing a piece of hair from her face. Gajeel gave her a side look and she quickly smiled. "So, you know where you're heading, right?"
"Yeah, Shrimp, the Master gave me directions before we left. But at this rate we're gonna be late."
Levy waved her hand, gripping Gajeel's ear when he picked up his pace. "It's no big deal, groups are late all the time."
When Gajeel didn't answer, Levy flew from his shoulder to study him from a distance. He gave her a brief glance and began to run down the road. Jet and Droy bounced on his shoulder for a few minutes before they too joined her in the air. She followed Gajeel, noticing the slight frown between his eyes.
I wonder what's bothering him?
With Gajeel running and them flying, they reached Hergeon just past mid-day. Levy flew ahead and led the group to Mr. Johnson's empty stall. She flitted around the store, looking for the packages they needed to pick up.
"Ah, you must be from Fairy Tail," a kind voice said from the back of the shop.
"Yes!" Levy answered, settling back onto Gajeel's shoulder. "We've come for Master Makarov's order of supplies?"
The man tisked. "Sorry, girl. I was only able to hold it for a few hours and a while back a traveling merchant offered me double the price. If I get anymore I'll make sure to tell you."
"Thank you, Mr. Johnson. And sorry we're late."
"Not a problem, I should get another shipment in next week so be sure to stop by. Now then," he leaned his elbows on the counter and smiled at their group, "I recognize you three, but who's the new guy?"
Gajeel stiffened and Levy exchanged a look with Jet and Droy.
"He's a friend!"
"Our bodyguard!"
"Transportation!"
Levy rolled her eyes and blasted her partners into the air with a large WIND magic. "He's a new member of Fairy Tail," she said with a smile.
"Not an official member. They just let me stay there." Gajeel mumbled, scratching his head.
Mr. Johnson smiled. "Ah, I see. They're a rowdy group so it must have taken some time to get used to, huh?"
"Y-yes sir."
"Well, I'm sure you're wantin' to get back and tell ole' Makarov what happened. Safe travels!"
The shopkeeper waved to them and Gajeel bolted out of the market. Levy gave the man a quick thank you before hurrying after Gajeel.
"Wait, hold up!"
"Yeah, what's the hurry?" Droy asked, flying alongside their companion.
"We didn't finish the mission."
"Well," Jet said, scratching the side of his head, "not really a 'mission.' More like a request?" He turned to her for help and Levy landed on Gajeel's shoulder.
"We don't take out missions like you did for...at Phantom Lord. People ask us for help and we accept their requests if the price is good enough and if it's not too dangerous. Master Makarov is very particular about which jobs we're allowed to take. Only Erza, Laxus and sometimes Mira can take the really dangerous ones." Jet and Droy nodded in agreement.
"But we didn't get what the Master wanted." His long legs quickly traveled down the road. Levy studied him closely. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple and she could have sworn his ruddy complexion looked ashen.
"Gajeel," she said softly, placing her hand on his cheek, "are you ok?"
"We didn't complete the mission! We can't go back yet, we have to...we have to get…" He jerked to a stop, making Levy fall off his shoulder. She hovered in front of him and watched his eyes dart up and down the road. His chest heaved and she was worried he would make himself sick.
"Gajeel, calm down, it's going to be alright-"
"Maybe we can go to another town to find what the Master needs? We'll be late, but at least we'll have the supplies." He raised a hand to his head and winced, stumbling backward a few steps.
"Whoa, man what's wrong?"
"Yeah, you're not looking too good, dude."
Levy waved off her partners and turned big, grabbing hold of Gajeel's arm and leading him to the side of the road. "Gajeel, I need you to sit down before you fall down."
"No, I can't! We need to-"
"Sit. It's not an option." She pushed his shoulders as hard as she could until he finally buckled his knees and sat on a large rock. His face glistened with sweat and he rubbed the scars around his wrists. The warm sun beat down on them, but Gajeel shivered as if it were the dead of winter.
Forcing a smile onto her face, Levy gently cradled his head between her hands. "Gajeel, I need you to look at me. There we go...now close your eyes and just breath. Follow the way I do it." She waited for him to close his eyes before taking deep breaths.
Gajeel's hands reached up and held hers. His fingers trembled and she fought the urge to wrap him in a giant hug.
"Focus on your breathing and when you're ready I want you to open your eyes and pick something to describe to me."
"Huh?" Gajeel rasped, his red eyes boring into hers.
"Think of your favorite memory or picture your favorite place in your head." He nodded and she continued. "Now, describe it to me, as detailed as you can."
"The forest. Sun's going down." He paused and licked his lips. "Um, it's kinda dark?"
Levy smiled and nodded. "Good, keep going. What else do you see?"
He closed his eyes and his hands stopped trembling. "You're there, you're teachin' me my numbers for the first time. Your magic is givin' us light and yer sittin' right next to me."
That's his favorite memory?
Levy's face flamed and she was thankful Jet and Droy were too far away to hear their conversation. "Th-That was a very nice evening. I was really impressed with how quickly you picked up the lesson."
He nodded between her hands and opened his eyes. They had lost their glassy look and his cheeks regained their ruddy color. Levy smoothed the bandana against his hair, the same one she had given him weeks ago.
"Now, can you tell me what made you so upset?"
He opened his mouth but closed it with a snap, scratching his head. He refused to look her in the eye. She sat on the rock next to him and held his arm.
"Why don't I try to guess?" His eyes flitted to hers before looking down again. "Is it because you're worried you'll get punished for failing the mission?"
A faint line of pink dusted Gajeel's cheeks. His jaw tensed and he rubbed his wrists. With a soft smile she took her hands in hers.
"Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen Makarov hurt one of us?"
"But he hit's Natsu and Gray all the time."
"True, but he's usually just playing around. Does he ever look truly angry, like Jose would?" Gajeel flinched at the name but shook his head. "This has happened plenty of times before. We are sent a request and we're unable to finish it. And I promise, nothing will happen. We tried our best and the Master knows that. You'll see."
Gajeel nodded and she rubbed his back, waiting for him to lift his head. She thought back to the books she had read, trying to remember everything she wrote in her notes. She was probably forgetting something, or didn't say something she should have, but Gajeel seemed to be relaxing so hopefully it would be enough.
"Hey, I'm...I'm good now, Shrimp. I just...give me a sec?" He stood and gave her a backwards glance.
She blinked at him, trying not to feel hurt at the sudden movement. "Of course! We'll wait right here for you."
He nodded, staring at the ground as he made his way into the forest. Levy breathed a sigh and rubbed the back of her neck.
"What was that about?" Jet asked, growing big to sit next to her on the rock.
Droy sat on her other side. "Yeah, why'd he freak out like that?"
"Because of what his old master used to do." She drew her knees up and stared at where Gajeel had disappeared. "I don't know all the details, but one time when I visited Gajeel had bruises all over his face. He said he had been late from one of his missions and I guess that's how Jose would punish him."
"And he's expecting to be punished again?"
"Can you blame him though? If that's what he's used to." Droy said, biting into a drumstick he must have gotten from his bag.
"Man," Jet shook his head, falling silent.
Levy continued watching the forest in silence. She didn't want to give away too much of Gajeel's past, especially not without his permission, but she trusted Jet and Droy and hopefully a little information here and there would help them better understand what Gajeel had been through. And how far he had come in just a few short weeks.