Sorry for the delay... Life loves getting busy, that's all I can really say about the matter.

So here is chapter 5!


When Gajeel stepped out of his house, he didn't know where he was going. He just needed to be get out, away from Lily and his questions that he kept already asking himself. He knew he could be with her if he wanted to, and he did want to. He just wasn't sure that he deserved to be with her, after everything he's done to have someone like her. He didn't want her to be in danger if they actually were together, someone would try to use her against him.

He didn't understand why she was able to trust him so easily, he always confused her. One minute she could be all smiles that made his heart skip a beat, the next she was furious and he had to be aware if he she was going to hit him with that giant brick of a satchel. But then there were the times she would take it upon herself to take care of him, by either supporting him as he walked or tending to his wounds as best as she could. Having her so close and not having her at the same time was his punishment to himself for all his sins, he wasn't allowing himself the one thing he wants most because she is too precious to risk.

As he was lost in his thoughts of the little blue haired mage, he ended up walking all through Magnolia. He literally wandered throughout almost every district of Magnolia and it was only near noon. He had no destination in mind except what he wanted to avoid, Fairy Tail and his problems that are associated with a certain member.

"Hey, it's Gajeel," He heard a voice call out as he walked around the city. He turned around to see a group of three people he hadn't seen in what felt like forever. There seated at an outside restaurant were the mages that were under his order during his time in Phantom Lord.

"Been quite a while since we've seen you around," Boze stated as Gajeel walked towards the group from across the cobblestone road, he had gotten his purple glasses fixed but didn't seem to age like other people, same for the girl who had first called him out, Sue.

"What are you still doing around here?" Gajeel questioned as he approached, it wasn't like he had anything better to do.

"Magnolia is a pretty cool place to put down some roots, at least it is under Fairy Tail's protection, Twilight Ogre were a joke." Sue stated, he saw that her hair grew longer than it was the last time he remembers seeing her. "It was nice to know you were still alive when you showed up at the Grand Magic Games."

"You definitely seemed stronger than before," Boze added.

"So you've stayed in Magnolia this whole time?" Gajeel questioned again, curious as to how they stayed after their former guild was responsible for the partial destruction of the town they now call home.

"Some of it, though we tried to join Fairy Tail during your absence, we don't affiliate with anyone right now, we tried to travel a bit."

"You tried to join Fairy Tail?" he was surprised to hear that.

"They took you didn't they? You and Juvia seemed better off after joining them," Bora stated, "You would've just kept walking if we tried to talk to you back during Phantom Lord days," Gajeel thought for a moment and realized he would probably be right, the most he would've given them was a side glance and decide it wasn't worth his time. He stood there for a few minutes more talking to them with short responses until Sue realized they were running late and left him alone on the street.

Seeing people who saw him during his darkest time was like a wake up call to how much he had actually changed since then. He didn't even care for his subordinates while in Phantom Lord, he didn't care for anyone but himself. He allowed himself to be a pawn in Jose's grimy hands as long as he got to see some action. Now he saw more action than with his former guild because these days he actually had something to fight for. If he had changed so much, why is he still holding back? Because he felt guilty for exposing something as pure as her to his darkest form, maybe?

She had been more than cooperative when he wanted to keep her safe once he proved himself, but that was after she was no longer afraid of him. The fact she had been afraid of him when he joined Fairy Tail, that image of her cowering at the sight of him had been seared into his head. She shouldn't want to be around a monster like him, but she can be so stubborn. She grew comfortable around him. He can still remember during the Battle of Fairy Tail she seemed perfectly fine with the fact that he sat by her as she worked, when only days before she had kept a wide berth out of fear. He hated himself for making someone as pure and loved as her to only look at him with fear in her eyes.

"That was truly ingenious, Levy," Gajeel spurred out of his inner thoughts when he caught Lily's voice and Levy's scent. They were ahead of him and he only noticed them because of his enhanced senses. As to not be spotted by them he had the genius idea to go into his iron shadow mode to follow and not be seen like the previous day.

"I'm just glad it didn't backfire on me, at least more than the one time," he heard Levy replied.

"I am truly impressed how quickly you had put it together."

"I had the idea for a while. I only started after you left. Freed helped with the actual development, and I swore him to secrecy, and I am doing the same to you."

"I do admit that I contribute to the gossip occasionally. But if you do not want anyone to know, then you have my word."

"Not even Gajeel can know, I want an ace of my own up my sleeve."

"If he can help it, you won't need it."

"Yeah, I know. I don't want to put all my chips on him being there to protect me. Usually when he does that I end up lugging him to safety, and he can be really heavy," she said with a laugh and Gajeel thought how she would do that despite his protests.

"Just another point proving that you are strong," Lily joked as he glanced behind them at the shadows, like he could sense Gajeel following them. Gajeel froze under Lily's gaze, nervous of being called out. "Is there any other place you would like to go today? Since I don't know where my partner is I would be more than happy to escort you anywhere you need to go today."

"How kind of you, Lily. I did want to stop by a few bookstores, I ordered a few things for a translation job I have." While still in his shadow mode, he debated whether to continue following or just let the two be. He did end up following them to stores but never entered, he watched from afar the joy that crossed her face with every book she acquired. After they made all their stops, they made their way to the guild hall on the other side of the city, he didn't follow them inside and exited the shadow mode discreetly in an alley.

He didn't know why he was acting like this, he knew what he wanted, he wanted Levy. He cared for her and wanted to keep her safe, which he thought was right by his side, but the image of her limp body crucified to that tree pops in his head. He was walking again and he didn't bother to care where he was going. When he looked up he was in the park staring at the damned tree that he plastered her to. Sometimes he had the overwhelming urge to destroy that tree so there was one less reminder of his greatest sin. At the moment all he could muster was to lamely punch the trunk of the large tree and just stand there.

"Gajeel?" He spun so quickly at her voice, she was standing there watching him with a worried expression. Despite his previous thoughts of warnings, he still could never get over the sight of her.

"Hey, Shrimp," he replied, trying to regain some pride and a handle on whatever the situation was.

"Are you okay?" she was sincerely concerned about him, how much of that little show did she actually see?

"Yeah, are ya stalkin' me now?" he tried to joke but she seemed disappointed with the little sigh she let out.

"Lily saw you by the guild and then turn right around,"

"So you decided to follow me?"

She shrugged, he could see the tint on her cheeks, "Call it concern for a friend," she replied, blushing a tad more but a little tired as well. Something twisted in him when she said that, and in both a good and concernable way.

"Just didn't want to deal with that damn cat and the ruckus of the guild," He tried to explain, while keeping her out of it. "Ain't nothing to worry yourself over, Shrimp."

"Like that's gonna happen," he heard her mutter with another sigh, then she pulled a cute smile out for him, "Will you be at the guild tomorrow?" she asked him.

Would he? He liked being at the guild if only to see the light that seemed to radiate off of the girl that stood in front of him. Even though he had wronged her, she seemed to be one most determined to pull him out of the darkness he had resided in.

"I guess, I should look into finding our next job," confused when he silently repeated those words, when he said 'our' did he mean her and him or him and Pantherlily?

"I also heard tomorrow's open mic day," she giggled, and he somehow found himself smirking at the thought. "But you didn't hear it from me," she added.

"No one would suspect you, Shorty," at the nickname she rolled her eyes. There was a beat of silence and he watched as she glanced up at the damned tree, unlike his hatred she looked at it with curiosity, her mind thinking faster than he could probably keep up with.

"I should probably be getting back, got a few more translations that I need to finish. See you tomorrow?" She asked with seeming in a better mood all of sudden, and it was infectious.

"Yeah, I'll be there." he nodded and watched as she skipped off back to the guild hall. She seemed to not even care they just spoke in front of the damned spot where he put her limp body on display for the whole city. It didn't really surprise him all too much that someone as smart as her left him in a confused mess.


I hope you enjoyed this, I know it was a little shorter than the rest, but this story is gonna take a while so be in for the long haul.

-Greekgeekspywannabe

8/16/18