Hello to all of my readers! I am so sorry that I've been neglectful, I've got classes starting up soon so I am gonna cram updates before they start.
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Sometimes he still had nightmares about the night he first encountered the script mage and her team. He hadn't entirely forgiven himself for what he did to them, despite her seeming to have forgiven him. In the nightmares it ended worse than what actually transpired, like him actually carving the emblem into her skin instead of with just paint, sometimes he actually kills one or more of them. Then he has had other dreams where he could be sitting in the guild hall across from Levy and everything seemed normal until something would change.
One dream while she was reading one of her many books, her hand slipped across the table and entwined with his, having his heart beat faster in surprise, she would then give him a smile that made him feel warm. Then she would disappear leaving the phantom heat of her hand in his and it still remained there when he abruptly woke up in fear of what happened to her.
He wanted her to be close to him, but he still doubted himself.
He had been given his job by the master upon his joining of Fairy Tail; infiltrate Raven Tail and keep tabs on Makarov's traitor son Ivan. During that time he tried to keep her away from him and what Ivan could do to those close to him. At the end of the Grand Magic Games, Makarov told him that his job was done since Raven Tail had been disbanded and Ivan was arrested. He remembers knowing that his main excuse to keep her away just dissipated and he shouldn't have any other reason to push away his feelings. Then when he went to go talk to her, she had left the party to do some writing, he never asked what exactly she wrote about that night, but he was unsure what to do despite his indifferent behavior. She confused him that night, with her worrying about him, and all of a sudden crying out of nowhere, even she didn't know why she started tearing up.
"Remember that she made the S-class candidate and not you," Lily had told him days prior.
He knew she was worth the S-class nomination that she got because even though he had taken her team by surprise that first time, she was stubborn to stay on her feet. He had learned after that day and when he joined Fairy Tail that she was too stubborn for her own good. Juvia had told him how Levy seemed to be his match in stubbornness from what she had been told by Cana, and Lily seemed to agree from what he had just watched.
But when he did join he made a silent vow to make up for his mistakes, he would protect the Shrimp to the best of his capabilities, even Makarov had made a comment on it after the Battle of Fairy Tail. His vow was the reason he gave her no other option when she had to choose a partner for the S-class exams. Though he did want to pound on the other mages in his class, he did want to keep the Shrimp safe as well. He wanted her to get stronger that way he didn't have to worry so much for her safety. He did want her to get stronger, he knows she can, but it was the fact she went to Natsu for help that made him feel twisted up inside.
She never seemed to cease to confuse and surprise her, despite what he did to her, she overcame her fear and forgave him. She tried to make a friend of him while her two teammates still withheld judgment on him. But he had a habit of making harmless jokes about her height which would result in her puffing her cheeks and blushing and being more cute than angry. But there were times where she would be really annoyed and would give him a cold glare that told him he was dangerously close to being hit with that giant bag of hers.
Lily watched his friend lay there awake in his bed, just like with Levy, he could see the gears turning in Gajeel's head. He could tell there was some inner turmoil and Gajeel had been persistent on not telling him why he does it to himself.
"Are we going to the guild at all today?" Lily asked, ever since they returned from their last job he did notice the change in Levy's behavior. Levy was trying to become stronger to be more equal to Gajeel, at least that's how Mira explained it. He also saw the new jewelry she had acquired in their absence and knew she was serious about him. Gajeel just was holding back for some reason, and Lily was waiting for the day where Levy finally gets Gajeel to admit his feelings for her, if not he would do it himself.
All Lily had received in response was "tch" noise that could be ever so irritating but very much Gajeel as his signature, "Gihi" laugh.
"Did you want to go see Levy?" This time Gajeel let out a small, deep throated, growl as he turned his face away from where Lily was standing in the door frame. "I don't know why you are so against letting yourself be near her, yet you seem to be the first one to be there to keep her safe. I get that you may not have the best history but from what I see, she is willing to help you as much as you help her."
"Just shut up, cat," Gajeel quietly seethed. Lily saw the look on the slayer's face and realized he already knew all of this.
"Then what is in your way?" By now Lily walked around to face Gajeel. Abruptly Gajeel got up and properly dressed without another word, as he reached the front door Lily called out, "Where are you going now?"
"Just out, go to the guild if you want, I won't be by today." Gajeel stated before shutting the door behind him. He just needs some time I guess, Lily thought before making his way out so he could keep Levy some company for the day.
When Lily did find her she had a few books laid out beside of her, but instead of being in the guild hall, she was in the same field as yesterday, but this time she was alone. He watched for a few moments in curiosity. When he tried to get closer he flew right into a rune barrier with a loud bang as he slid down to the soft ground. She jerked her head up at the noise he made and rushed over right through the barrier as if it did not apply to her.
"I am so sorry about that, are you alright Lily?" she asked as she sat beside him on the grass.
"I'm fine, just surprised is all." he stated as he rubbed the small bump from the impact, "I wasn't aware you did barriers like Freed."
"I've been practicing on a larger scale recently, but I had to protect myself from the guild brawls somehow before you guys showed up, right?"
"Makes sense," Lily stood up to touch the barrier to examine it further, it looked different than how Gajeel described Freed's rune barriers. "It doesn't look like his though," he stated, her barrier looked brighter, warmer and different in the runes themselves.
"He has a darker kind of script magic, it's called 'Dark Écriture' a type of eye magic,"
"How do you know that?"
"Besides me asking him? I've done basic research on the types of magic everyone in the guild has as to have an idea of how they work and who could work best with who."
"So that's why Mira calls you the current strategist of Fairy Tail,"
"So why are you here?" Levy asked and Lily allowed the change in topic seeing the blush on her face from the praise.
"Gajeel wasn't in the best mood this morning and went off to who knows where and I decided to keep you company."
"How kind of you, come on in," she pulled out her light pen and make a hole in the barrier for her and Lily to pass through. "Gajeel never answered my question yesterday, how did you think of my training?" Lily chuckled realizing why he seemed in a bad mood, they got busted yesterday and she told him that to his face.
"I do apologize for that, but you are definitely strong and very determined."
"I didn't really mind, and thank you for the compliment, any input you would like to add?"
"Yeah, I never saw Natsu as the kind to be slow enough to teach someone."
"That's partially Lucy's doing, but Natsu is like a brother to me and he's always there to help."
"How long have you actually known him?" Lily was truly curious, because the way they and the rest of the main wizards treat each other, they must have some deep bonds.
"Well," Levy thought it over for a mere moment, "I was about ten when he showed up at the guild after Igneel disappeared. So seven years plus those years we were on Tenrou."
"A long time," Lily thought aloud,
"Yeah, I remember Natsu coming up to me after the war telling me he pulverized Gajeel for me." She chuckled, lost in her memories.
"When was that?" Lily asked, never hearing of when Natsu beat Gajeel like that, as far as he had seen, Gajeel was the one fighting for Levy.
"Before you showed up. He didn't tell you did he?" Levy asked with a sad look on her face. Lily shook his head, maybe he would finally get some answers. Not even Mira would tell him anything, for once she said it wasn't her story to tell despite her being the gossip hub. "Gajeel once belonged to a dark guild, Phantom Lord. I was told after I woke up that he attacked me and Shadowgear as to spark a war between our guilds when destroying our guild hall didn't do the job."
"So that's why Jet and Droy don't like him," Lily realized, as well as why he was hesitant around her as well. Levy nodded at his words, she spaced out a little as she continued her story.
"They were furious that the master allowed him to join Fairy Tail afterwards, they actually attacked him in retribution."
"What did he actually do to you?" Lily asked, wanting to know why his friend still held on to the guilt of the event.
"He surprised us and quickly took us out. I tried to fight back and so did the boys, somehow I lasted longer than they did." Lily watched some the emotions on her face, she seemed to held some anger from that night, but directed it on herself. "But he still took me out quick, I was told he crucified us to the large oak in the park for everyone to see. I realized how weak I was back then, we were a joke. He targeted us because of how weak we were,"
"You are not weak, Levy," Lily tried to protest.
"But we didn't even hear him coming until he cracked the cobblestone where he landed. We weren't ready for him." She kept on speaking, he began to realize she may not have told anyone about the event to this extent, though she seemed to not go too far into detail.
"You've blamed yourself this whole time for it haven't you?"
"For not being stronger," she replied to his question, "for not being able to protect my team better back then. They got hurt trying to keep me safe. Everytime something happens, I seem to have someone there to protect me, I feel so weak because of that." She wasn't crying but did look upset, it was rare to see anything but a positive expression on her face.
"That's why you've been training so hard?" Lily saw now that it wasn't just to gain more of Gajeel's attention like Mira hypothesized. Levy nodded at the statement and took a deep breath to shake the bad feelings away. He could now see how her smile of innocence was a big mask for the petite woman that people were easily fooled by.
"I want to be able to protect myself, I want to let people be able to depend on me."
"I'm sure they already do."
"I want to be able to not be a liability in fights anymore, or have to stay back at HQ while everyone is fighting."
"I understand how that could inability to contribute can drive you crazy," He thought back to when his prince tried to use himself as a scapegoat for the Animas taking all the magic away, but was thankful for when Natsu allowed himself to be the villain they needed and allowed Prince Jellal to get the public to support him. "How about I assist you in your training, Levy?" he offered, and it seemed to cheer her up more.
"I would like that, you could actually help with a project I'm working on," she went over to her bag and pulled out a small object that once she turned around he saw it was a choker necklace with a lacrima placed in the strap.
"That's the project?" He asked pointing to the necklace. She nodded and beamed proudly.
"Just don't tell Gajeel about it later, I want it to be a surprise."
"What does it do?"
"Come at me and you'll see." He raised an eyebrow at her, he knows she's stronger than she was before but was still uncertain what she thinks this would accomplish. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course," he replied quickly.
"Then trust me in saying if this works, I will be perfectly fine."
"Okay then, may I still go easy?"
"Sure, when you're ready," with that Lily grew to his full size and rushed in at her with a fist ready to send at her, trusting that whatever that necklace can do will keep her safe.
Please tell me how you enjoyed this chapter, I love reading reviews!
-Greekgeekspywannabe
1/6/2018
