Mental health content warning: depictions of a panic attack.
~1 AM~
Sunday, November 1st, 2020
-Magnolia City-
Lucy couldn't stop bouncing her knee.
She sat restlessly in the well-worn waiting room chair, leaning her elbow on the armrest and methodically chewing her nail. She was staring at a fake plastic plant next to the row of chairs in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing it.
Instead, Lucy couldn't stop replaying the fight in her mind's eye. She kept seeing Natsu, over and over, screaming as his arm was brutally pulled backwards, the dark Kurogane forcing it from its socket as he kicked into Natsu's back. The look on his face… it made her shudder.
A tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffled, trying not to cry again.
The ER nurse hadn't been nearly as concerned as Lucy thought she should've been. They'd taken Natsu into the back and gently, but firmly, guided Lucy to this waiting room when she had stubbornly tried to tag along. Since then there she'd sat, unable to stay still, chewing her fingernails into nubs and trying to breath as pools of anxiety swirled in her stomach.
No one had come out yet to tell her how Natsu was doing, and she hadn't heard a thing from Gray or Levy. She was forced to just sit here. And wait.
She wanted to scream.
Another tear was threatening its way out of Lucy's eye when suddenly a nurse in scrubs walked into the room, looking around between Lucy and the one or two other people silently sitting there, also white-faced, staring into space.
They all looked up at him as soon as he arrived, expectantly. He cleared his throat and glanced down at the clipboard in his hands.
"Lucy? Uh, Lucy… er… Just Lucy?"
Lucy blinked before she shot up out of her chair, running towards the nurse.
"Yes, hi, that's me, how's Natsu? Is he okay?"
The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Woah, it's alright, take it easy. Would you mind sitting back down for me? We can talk, but first, let's take a deep breath, okay?"
Lucy nodded, knowing that she probably looked crazed right now. She tried to inhale deeply through her nose as he guided her to a chair a little ways away from the others, to give them some privacy, where he sat next to her.
"Okay, first of all, your boyfriend is alright."
Lucy exhaled shakily, on the edge of her seat. A pounding rush of relief washed over her, making her feel a little heady. She blushed at the implication, but didn't correct the nurse, since she'd rather just find out more about Natsu's condition right now than worry about semantics. At least, that was her excuse.
The nurse kept talking.
"He has a number of minor injuries – mostly bruising and scrapes – as well as a black eye on the right side. We've cleaned those up and bandaged the ones that needed it. And then of course, his arm. Luckily, it was just a standard dislocation. We've conducted a closed reduction - meaning we've reset the bone – and his arm should be fine. There were no additional injuries to any of the surrounding bone, muscle, or tissue, so we've got him in a sling that he'll need to wear for a couple of days, but he's good to be discharged tonight."
Lucy's heart was racing, now with relief. She sighed, putting a hand to her chest, trying to nod along and process what the nurse was telling her.
"In fact, he should be coming back out any minute now, he's just finishing up with the other nurses. We've given him a mild sedative for the pain, but it isn't long-lasting. He was pretty adamant that he didn't need it – "
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and Lucy sighed as she imagined Natsu arguing with the nurses, insisting he was fine.
"- so yes, he'll be on his way out shortly and the both of you can leave together. We do recommend he finds someone to help with rehabilitation. His arm would benefit from physical therapy in the coming weeks. I can give you a list of PT practitioners. And also…"
The nurse trailed off, looking to the side.
"Listen, it isn't my job to judge, I'm just here to help. But your boyfriend's injuries are in line with… fighting? Of some kind? What was it, a Halloween prank gone wrong?"
Lucy looked away awkwardly, unable to meet his eyes. He sighed.
"Alright, well, if you're ever looking to press charges… of some kind… I'll provide you with the information you'd need in order to obtain documents from us detailing the extent of your boyfriend's injuries. I'll include it with the PT recommendations, alright?"
The nurse gave her a reassuring smile, and Lucy felt another tear slip out as she smiled back, sniffing.
"Alright, he'll be out in just a moment then. Stay safe, you two."
Lucy rubbed her nose with the back of her hand as the man walked back towards the nurse's station, presumably to gather the paperwork for her.
The relief was overwhelming.
He's alright, Natsu will be alright…
Lucy grinned, almost a little giddy. Her grin contrasted to the tears still welling in her eyes, but now they were from relief more than anything.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she absentmindedly pulled it out, still thinking about Natsu. She glanced down, seeing a text from Gray, and instantly her heart constricted again.
Levy.
She opened the message.
Gray: No sign of Levy at dragns den, a girl named Juvia's been helpin me look- Shes thinkin Lev might be at a bar, Element 4, guess most people leavin the fight went there for an after party? No other ideas, she said shed take me. Still no word from Lev.
Lucy frowned deeply. Levy was still AWOL? Oh god… had something genuinely horrible happened to her? Her mind was racing with renewed worry when suddenly her phone screen lit up again, this time vibrating with a call.
Lucy jumped, staring down at it. It was a random number, not a known contact.
Lucy normally ignored calls from people she didn't know. She stared at the number, phone still buzzing in her hands. Hesitantly, she accepted it.
"Uhm. He- hello?"
Levy was panicking and Gajeel was driving like a madman.
Seriously, what was this? Grand Theft Auto?!
Levy cursed violently as a sharp turn sent her careening back across the trunk, hitting the other side roughly. She grasped around, wide-eyed but blind, trying to find something – anything – to hold onto. Another turn had her skidding back again as she flailed.
She could barely keep herself from flying around, much less try to find a way out! And why the fuck was he turning so sharply?!
But more than that, where the fuck were they going?
Levy gulped as the gravity of her situation was setting in.
How did Levy know she could trust Gajeel? Sure, he'd helped her a lot in the past, and he had that annoyingly dumb sincerity in his eyes whenever he did. Something in her gut had her wanting to trust him.
But now her brain was spinning in circles, overanalyzing the situation, because what did she really know about him? Little to nothing, as it turned out.
And here she was, in the back of his car, being driven to some unknown destination with no phone and no way to let anyone know where she was. She just had to trust him.
But could she?
She glowered as the car sped around another turn. Well she certainly couldn't trust his driving! Was he even aware of how fast he was going? She wanted to scream. And she wanted to cry. The anxiety building in her was causing a storm of conflicting emotions.
And among them, the sharp pang of panic was the worst. How had she been so naïve as to get herself into this mess?!
The car screeched to a halt, suddenly leaving Levy frozen in place. She laid there, all the muscles in her body on edge, as she heard the driver's side door open, then slam shut. She was straining to listen when all of a sudden the trunk was opening with a loud click, causing her to flinch back and squint at the light now streaming in.
Gajeel froze, seeing Levy curled up in the trunk, looking terrified. He swallowed hard, a deep guilt burning in his gut. He stared at her, meeting her wide eyes, seeing the uncertainty and fear.
"Levy, I-,"
I work fer an illegal crime organization, and I had to hide ya both in that bag and in this trunk so that my creepy, bloodthirsty boss wouldn't find out about ya and use ya as leverage against me. And then some random unmarked car started followin' us and I had ta lose 'em by drivin' crazy…
Gajeel gulped. Never in a million years could he tell Levy the truth.
"Levy, I'm sorry," he said instead, lamely. He flicked his eyes away from hers, unable to look at the hurt there.
And Levy did feel hurt. Hurt and scared and anxious and… conflicted. Because she'd been half expecting Gajeel to attack her as soon as he opened the trunk, but now he looked like he was in pain by just looking at her, and he was backing away with his hands up, unable to meet her gaze.
She sat up, panting slightly, and started to look around because – where were they?
The car was parked on a dark street, a few dim streetlamps spaced out every so often. It looked a lot like where they'd first met, with a long line of old warehouses stretching out on her left. But a cool breeze had Levy turning and her eyes widened as she gazed out over the large body of water that the street ran along.
That's right, Magnolia City abutted a large lake...
It looked like they were in a relatively old industrial section, with the occasional dock jutting out into the lake for shipping boats to tie onto. The dark water of the expansive lake stretched far into the distance, sparkling lights shining across it, indicating suburbs of the City that were nestled around its edges.
The area they were in seemed to be deserted, but Levy blinked when she also noticed a payphone nearby. It stood solitarily next to one of the docks, a flickering yellow light illuminating the glass. It was much more silent here, compared to the city, with only the lapping of the water nearby making any noise.
So he'd stuck to his promise, getting her to a phone… But they were in a pretty deserted place…
Levy looked at Gajeel warily. He was standing several feet back now, hands still up in surrender, unable to meet her gaze.
Levy frowned. Well, at least he looks guilty.
She huffed as she pulled herself up out of the trunk, landing on slightly wobbly feet.
Gajeel looked pretty sad actually, almost like a… regretful puppy. Levy almost snorted as soon as she thought it. No way, he was way to intimidating to be a puppy. He was more like a wolf. Or… a dragon?
Levy shook her head at her silly thoughts and instead started to walk to the phone booth, intent on calling Lucy.
"Wait…" Gajeel grunted out, suddenly digging a hand into his jeans, other hand still up. Levy paused, uncertain, but Gajeel simply extended a hand towards her, several quarters in his palm.
"Oh…" Levy said, staring at them. "Right, thanks."
Gajeel nodded.
"Call yer friend, then I'll take ya to wherever yer stayin'."
Levy nodded back. Dammit, there was that fucking look again. The one the made her heart squeeze, the one that made her want to trust him. Her mind was running through lists of reasons why she shouldn't rationally trust Gajeel, but her heart was pounding, like it knew something she didn't.
Why did he make her feel this way?
She took the quarters from him and then made her way into the phone booth, having to force the old door open to get inside. Damn, this thing was practically a relic. Who even used phone booths anymore?
She popped a couple quarters into the slot, punching in Lucy's number which she had memorized years ago. The line rang and Levy tried to slow her breathing, heart still beating erratically.
Come on, Lucy, pick up, please pick up…
"Uhm. He- hello?"
Leavy breathed out a large sigh of relief because hearing Lucy's voice… suddenly everything was beginning to be alright again. She smiled.
"Lu-chan," Levy said simply. There was a pause on the other end then…
"LEVY?! Oh my god Levy are you okay?! Where are you?! Gray is trying to find you! What happened? Why did you leave? Why haven't you been answering your phone?!"
Levy laughed at the rush of questions. Yep, that was Lucy! She felt almost giddy to be hearing the sound of Lucy's voice, something familiar in a night of confusion and chaos. She glanced out the frosted glass at Gajeel, who was now leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette and playing with his lighter.
Damn, she just didn't know what to think. She knew she still shouldn't trust him but she just… did. And he'd gotten her to a phone like he'd promised, even if it was a ridiculous one in the middle of nowhere. She was just so happy to be talking to Lucy again, relief warm in her stomach.
"Lucy, don't worry! I'm fine! I actually dropped my phone and then got lost trying to get it back! But I failed at that part, unfortunately. That's why I haven't been answering your calls. I'm so sorry to have worried you!"
"Oh gosh, that would explain it! Dammit, we've been so worried Lev. Are you borrowing someone else's phone right now? That'd be why I didn't recognize the number, I almost didn't answer! Jeez, I'm so glad I did."
Levy hummed.
"Yeah, I'm glad you did too. But no, not someone else's phone… I'm actually… in a phone booth..."
There was a pause, then Lucy startled cackling.
"Oh my god, What?! Who uses phone booths anymore?! That's crazy!"
Levy grinned widely as well. Something about the stress of the evening finally starting to wash away, and the mutual relief both friends felt at hearing each other… The whole situation was suddenly ridiculously hilarious and Levy couldn't help but chuckling along with her friend, at the absurdity of it all. What a night!
"I know!" she giggled.
"Where do you even find phone booths these days?!"
"I don't know!"
Lucy cackled a moment longer, trying to get her laughter back under control.
"Oh gosh… okay… okay, so what does that mean? Where are you? Are you still near The Dragon's Den? Gray stayed to find you, I could text him…"
Levy winced a little, nervous, listening as Lucy talked.
"Uh no, actually, I'm not near The Dragon's Den anymore…"
"Oh? Then where are you?"
"I- well I'm actually not super sure."
Levy glanced around.
"I'm by the lake. Magnolia Lake."
A pause.
"The lake? Levy how the hell did you end up there? Why?"
Levy cringed. She looked back at Gajeel again. He was staring out over the water. Levy felt a heaviness in her heart. She'd have to tell Lucy… but maybe not everything…
"I uh… I ran into Gajeel."
Once again, there was a long pause. Levy could practically see the shit-eating grin beginning to form on Lucy's face.
"Oh… my… god… no way. No way! That's wild! Where?! At The Dragon's Den? Ohmigod was he there for the fight, too?!"
"He uh… yeah… he was there…"
Fighting. He was there fighting. Gajeel was Kurogane and he's the one that beat up Natsu.
Levy gulped. She couldn't tell Lucy that.
Lucy was giggling now.
"That's just so crazy! What another wild coincidence! Damn, the fourth year in a row! You're truly haunted, girl! But in a good way! The Blue Moon! It had to have the power of the Blue Moon! I just knew this Moon had to be good for something!"
"Wait, Lu-chan - you just said Gray stayed behind to look for me? Where are you? Oh god, how is Natsu? Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he'll be okay. But we're actually at the hospital and I'm-,"
"THE HOSPITAL?! WHY ARE YOU AT THE HOSPITAL?!"
Lucy giggled again, only because now all she felt was relief in knowing that both Natsu and Levy were alright.
"Yeah, we had to go to a hospital, but it's okay, really… At least, that's what the nurse just told me. Natsu's shoulder was injured, but they say he'll be alright, he's actually going to be discharged any minute. I'm still waiting for him, but we'll probably just go back to the hotel…"
Levy nodded, wide-eyed. Once again, she stared at Gajeel. She was super happy now that she hadn't told Lucy about Gajeel's involvement in the fight. Lucy would freak out if she knew. And even though he'd apparently injured Natsu enough that they'd needed to go to the hospital, at least he was okay…
She shook her head. Just another reason she should be wary of the man, so why was her heart insisting that he was still a nice guy?
"Alright, that sounds good," she found herself saying, swallowing thickly. "Gajeel says he'll take me back to the hotel too."
Lucy snickered. "You sure you want him to?"
Levy rolled her eyes. "Yes, Lucy, nothing else is gonna happen."
"I seem to remember a bet we made! Just this morning in fact!"
Levy blinked. This morning… that already felt like years ago. But she groaned at what Lucy was implying.
"Lucy! This was a freak accident! Never in a million years did either of us think that I would actually run into Gajeel tonight! It's already been a long and crazy night, this is hardly the time to be thinking of silly bets!"
"You're too chicken to do it!" Lucy teased.
"It's ridiculous! This was just a coincidence! Another, crazy coincidence!"
"I mean… at this point, Levy, is it?"
Levy's heart was racing. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the way Gajeel had looked, pressed up against her in the locker rooms, his face only inches away from hers…
"Yes!" she spat out, cheeks aflame. "Yes! Just a coincidence! You can't seriously make me follow through with this bet!"
Lucy was laughing on the other end.
"Alright! Alright, I won't make you do it. But Levy… don't feel like you need to race back to the hotel, if you know what I mean~."
"LUCY! Gross! Ew! No! Get your mind out of the gutter!"
Lucy continued cackling, to Levy's distress. Lucy was being too cruel! What she was suggesting had Levy's stomach twisting into knots, butterflies beginning to flutter around in there.
Seriously... how could she even consider something so ridiculous, especially when she still felt guilty for not telling Lucy the whole truth...
Gajeel snorted as he stomped his cigarette out with the toe of his boot. It had helped calm his nerves some, but they were still there, vibrating at the edge of his mind.
He narrowed his eyes in thought. Who the hell had been following them? And why?
He hadn't the faintest clue.
He shook his head, unable to figure it out. Nothing made sense. He was just glad he'd lost them. It had taken a while, and required riskier driving than he would've liked with Levy in the trunk. But it was necessary to lose them. He couldn't keep putting Levy in danger tonight.
He felt guilty for already putting her through what he had. If only she hadn't been there, in the bar. If only Erik hadn't leaned over her like that, and if only Gajeel hadn't let panic and possessiveness dictate his actions. He needed to have assessed the situation more calmly, instead of storming up and scaring Erik away. Now he had to worry about Erik too…
Dammit, why did being around Levy make him act so impulsively?
He watched her in the phone booth, through slitted eyes. She seemed to be having a very animated conversation. The sight made him relax a bit. At least she seemed to be feeling better.
He'd never be able to forgive himself for the way she'd looked at him when he opened the trunk. Like she'd expected him to eat her… He could never do that to her again. It made his heart hurt.
Now she was hanging up the phone and squeezing her way back out of the phone booth.
He kept playing with his lighter, flicking it open and closed, as she strode towards him.
Yes, she seemed much more comfortable now, and his eyes swept over her form as she walked up. Talk about a short skirt and a long jacket. Damn, Shorty looked hot. She had legs for days and that short skirt really showed them off.
He grinned at her arrival, letting his sharp teeth flash in the light, and she grinned back. Yeah, she was doing better now. Thank god for that.
Lucy sighed, staring down at her phone.
A huge weight had lifted off of her shoulders. Natsu would be okay and Levy was safe. Everyone was alright. What a relief!
And she smirked as she thought about who Levy was currently with. Oh, the gods of fate were cruel! Talk about an insane coincidence, definitely something that only a magical moon could bring about. She certainly loved teasing Levy about it.
She realized she should text Gray and let him know that Levy was alright, that he didn't need to keep looking for her.
She typed out a quick message, sending it.
And then her phone lit again with a new call. She blinked. It was Lisanna.
She sighed guiltily. They hadn't been in touch with any of their other friends for over an hour.
"Hey Lisanna," she said, picking up.
"Heyyy! Lucyy!" Lisanna sang, a rush of background noise coming through to Lucy from Lisanna's end. Lucy thought she could hear laughter, probably from Cana.
"Where are you guys? We just left the Casino, we're headed to Fairy's Fate! For the Magic Hour! You should meet us there!"
Lucy smiled, glad that it sounded like her friends were enjoying themselves. That's right, only a couple hours ago she was also excited about the rest of the night, making plans to go to different bars or clubs. Now she glanced around the hospital waiting room, just ready for this night to be over. She couldn't believe it was only a little past one.
"Well, actually… I'm at the hospital right now…"
"WHAT?!" Lisanna yelled, making Lucy chuckle. It was just like how Levy had sounded.
"Yeah, Natsu… well he got into a fight. His shoulder was dislocated."
Lisanna snorted. In the background Cana was asking what had happened and Lucy heard a muffled response as Lisanna relayed the answer.
A cackle rang out, and Lucy thought she heard Cana yell "Typical Natsu!"
Lisanna was giggling as well.
"Well, he's alright though, right? Dislocated shoulder? That isn't too bad, he's had worse."
Lucy frowned. He had? But Lisanna was still talking.
"As soon as he's out, come join us! At Fairy's Fate! Free drinks all of Magic Hour!"
But Lucy was shaking her head.
"Nah, I think we'll just go back to our rooms, it's been a long night and…"
With wide eyes, Lucy realized something. Shit. They didn't have any room keys. Levy had taken theirs, and Gray had the one for Natsu's room.
"What? What is it?" Lisanna asked at Lucy's pause.
"Oh, uhm I just… I just realized, we don't have any room keys… Gray has theirs and Levy has ours…"
Lisanna just laughed.
"Well perfect! All the more reason to come out with us! Come on, Lucy! The night is still young! Where are Gray and Levy? They aren't with you? Tell them to come too!"
"Uh, Gray is actually headed to some bar called… Element 4? I think?"
Cana whooped in the background and a scuffle of noise came through, before suddenly Cana was the one talking into the phone.
"Lucy! That's super close to Fairy's Fate! Literally just down the street! We could meet up with him!"
Lucy thought about it, realizing that if they could meet up with Gray, at least they could get a room key.
"Where's Levy?" Lisanna asked, the phone now back in her hands, Cana shouting something in the background. It sounded like they were in a cab.
"Uh… Levy's with… a guy…" Lucy blushed for her friend. Don't kill me for telling them, Lev…
There was a pause before Lisanna was crying out in excitement.
"Cana! Levy is with a guy!"
Cana whooped in the background, and Lucy could hear her say, "Go Levy! Killin' it!"
Lucy chuckled.
"Wait, where are Jet and Droy?" she asked. "Are they not with you?"
"Nah," Lisanna said. "We thought they might be with you, or at least with Levy. But if she's with a guy…" She trailed off suggestively.
"Well, we should let them know where we're going…"
"So you're coming with us?!"
"Well… okay, what the hell. But mostly just to meet up with Gray, to get a room key. And only if Natsu is feeling alright, he still hasn't come out yet…"
Lisanna and Cana were too busy cheering to hear Lucy now and she grinned, happy to be meeting up with her friends again. But it really did depend on how Natsu was feeling. If he was still in pain, or too tired, they'd just meet up with Gray real quick to grab the room key, so Natsu could go back and sleep.
"We'll text Jet and Droy!" Lisanna was now saying, bubbling with excitement.
"See you soon, Lucy! Give Natsu a big kiss for us!"
Lucy blushed and the line disconnected with a fit of giggles. Lucy found herself sitting there, in the silence of the waiting room, blushing.
God dammit, why did everyone have to tease her. She supposed it was karma, for teasing Levy so badly just before.
"Heya Luce."
Her eyes widened and she looked up, warmth coursing through her just from hearing him speak.
"Natsu!"
Lucy rushed over to him, ready to tackle him with a hug, but the sight of his arm in a sling had her hesitating. He reached forward anyways, pulling her into his chest.
Natsu winced slightly as Lucy bumped into his sling, but it wasn't too bad. The pain meds were, begrudgingly, working wonders. He leaned forward, nuzzling into her neck and she sighed happily.
"Oh god, Natsu, I was so worried! Don't ever do that to me again! Never again!"
Natsu winced again, this time from guilt.
Lucy leaned back from him, looking up into his eyes, and she was suddenly crying again.
He reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks.
"Hey, no need to cry, weirdo, I'm alright, see?"
She frowned through the tears. She was happy and relieved, but also hurt, and upset. And kind of angry.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, pouting up at him.
Natsu grinned down at her.
"Come on, Lucy, dontcha know the first rule of Fight Club?"
Lucy rolled her eyes, but hugged him more tightly, pressing her face into his chest as he stroked her head.
"You idiot," she grumbled, muffled by his shirt. He chuckled.
Levy sighed as she squeezed out from the phone booth. The cool night air blowing in from the lake felt good.
Now that she could breathe, and she wasn't freaking out in the back of a high speed vehicle, things were starting to feel (more or less) under control again. She still felt residual guilt from not telling Lucy the whole truth, but that was another worry for another time. When she got back to the hotel, maybe she could spill the tea gently...
She looked out over the lake, and her eyes widened as, for the first time that night, she noticed the moon.
It was glowing brightly over the water, its silvery reflection mirrored below. It was brilliant. Perfectly full. Levy wasn't sure she'd ever seen it look so beautiful. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of the water. Here, in the cool night air, she suddenly felt alive. It made her grin.
She strode over to Gajeel, meeting his typical glower with a bright smile. She didn't mind, she could tell he wasn't angry. All she felt was warmth.
"Feelin' better, Shorty?"
"Immensely! I'm so glad I got to call Lucy, and it's so much better not being crammed into a tight space!"
Gajeel flinched and Levy chuckled. She was a kind person. She could forgive him, especially since he'd so graciously offered to give her a ride back to the hotel. But first…
"Let's getcha back then…" he started to say, but was cut off as Levy spun on her heel, walking briskly towards the dock. Gajeel blinked.
"If you don't mind, Gajeel, I want to go see the view!" Levy said over her shoulder, walking excitedly out onto the wooden planks. "It's just so gorgeous! Just for a moment!"
Gajeel hesitated a minute before moving to follow her, glancing around the street as he went. It was still deserted. If it was just for a moment… it'd probably be okay…
And he wanted her to smile like that forever. He grinned a little despite himself as he watched her skipping form, hands deep in his pockets.
Levy stopped at the very end of the dock. It jutted out into the lake, stretching far over the obsidian depths.
The sound of the water lapping against the dock supports was louder here, and the breeze blew a bit more strongly. She shivered, but loved it, breathing in deeply.
And the reflections of the lights from across the lake skidded across the water towards her, shimmering and sparkling with the movement of the waves. The moon's reflection also, created a vibrant white glow. It was mesmerizing.
She sat down, swinging her legs over the edge as she heard Gajeel come up behind her, sitting down just a couple feet away.
The silence was comforting after an hour of craziness. It was peaceful.
And they simply sat, neither saying a word, staring out over the water.
After a moment or two, Gajeel absentmindedly slipped his switchblade from his pocket, fiddling with it. Levy glanced over, the sight making her chuckle.
Gajeel blinked.
"What," he scowled back.
"Nothing!" Levy said, but she was still smiling at him and laughing slightly behind a hand.
Gajeel growled.
"You just… can never keep your hands still, huh?" Levy said, thinking back to how he had played with his lighter while she was talking to Lucy in the phone booth. Gajeel grunted, staring at the lights across the lake.
Levy hummed.
"That's… the same one you had that first night, right? When we first met?"
Gajeel thought back to that night, three years ago. When he'd scared away the men threatening Shorty… Thank god he'd been there in time.
"Does it… mean something to you?" Levy continued. "Since ya know… you still have the same one?"
"Nah, it-," Gajeel glanced over at her, intent on denying any kind of silly sentimental value, but his breath caught as their eyes met.
She was looking up at him through thick eyelashes, her skin glowing in the ethereal light. It reminded him of when he'd seen her dressed as an angel. Her eyes shimmered a bit. He swallowed.
"Uh… my old man… wait, shit," he growled, turning away from her sharply. Why the fuck did he always say too much to her?
Levy blinked.
"Oh."
She looked back over the water too, feeling a little awkward now.
They sat there for a moment more, Gajeel scowling, when suddenly Levy said, "My parents died when I was a kid."
Gajeel froze, looking at her in the peripherals of his vision. She looked thoughtful, though a little melancholy.
"It was a long time ago so… I barely remember them, you know? But it was…" she paused, clearing her throat. "It was a motorcycle accident… that's why…"
She trailed off and Gajeel understood. That was why she'd been so scared to ride his bike. He nodded and she winced.
"Mhm, but like I say, it was a long time ago. My memories of them are… distant. Kind of like a dream… faraway… I guess," Levy frowned, staring at the reflection of the moon.
"I guess that's why I like Halloween so much, you know? And reading too. Because you can pretend, in that moment, to be someone else. To live out someone else's life, to have a different story. Maybe a story where, just for a moment, they're still here… I don't know, it's probably stupid."
She sighed and Gajeel glanced over at her. He realized that, he got it.
Gajeel had always thought of himself as a Devil, someone that didn't belong outside of the underworld that he'd built for himself. But, even if he would deny it to his dying breath, hadn't he always wanted to be someone else? To escape this hell and be normal? And wasn't that why he liked Halloween? Because it was a night when the lines blurred. A night when maybe, just maybe, he could leave this world and walk into another.
He growled at his own thoughts, but Levy was talking again now.
"Sorry," she said, glancing over at him and he noticed her eyes were misty. "I didn't mean to start blabbering away about my dead parents! Gah! What a buzzkill!"
She sniffed, reaching up to wipe at one of her eyes.
"Yer good, Shorty," Gajeel found himself saying, and she looked over at him self-consciously. "It's fine."
She smiled a little. "Thanks, Gajeel."
The companionable silence returned. The breeze skittered across the water, making the reflections jump and shift. The moon was dancing on the waves.
Levy's mind kept jumping to her parents and she sniffed again.
"You know... when they died… it was under pretty mysterious circumstances. The accident actually happened close to Magnolia City, but I'm not sure exactly where. When I was younger, I didn't know how to process it. But then I grew up and things… didn't add up. And there was no one to talk to and nowhere to find answers. Everywhere I turned, things had been swept under the rug, and no one wanted to talk about it. That's actually why…"
"Journalism," Gajeel grunted out.
"Yeah," she said, meeting his eyes again.
"I know it's a cliché, but I want to find out. I want to know what happened. I need to discover the truth, for me but also… for them. I feel like if I don't seek out the truth then… I'm letting them down. And it will be my fault…"
Gajeel snorted loudly, and Levy turned to him in surprise.
"That's ridiculous," Gajeel grunted, and Levy frowned.
"Listen Lev," Gajeel said, staring into her eyes, suddenly serious. "None of that is yer fault. Ya can't control who lives and who dies, Lev, ya just can't. People leave and people die and the world keeps fuckin' spinnin'. So none of it is yer fault. But life's too short ta devote yerself to someone else. Yer still here, ya? Still breathin'? Then live for you. Do what pleases you. Cause ya can't live for anyone else, Lev. Ya can only live for yerself."
Levy sat there, Gajeel's deep crimson eyes gazing fiercely into her own, and her stomach began to twist from the way he was looking at her.
The waves calmed, the breeze slowed, and even the stars above seemed to be holding their breath, peering down from their heavenly perches in the unearthly moonlit light.
Her gaze flickered to his lips, leaning in so close to her own... and her eyelids lowered softly as she felt herself pulled towards him...
She inhaled sharply as Gajeel jerked away, flipping his switchblade smoothly into his pocket and standing up. The world sped up, the waves crashing back into the pier below, and their noise crashed over her as she registered the pounding of her heart in her chest.
She exhaled unsteadily and looked up at him, as he stared back at the street.
"Come on, Shorty," he said, glancing down at her and holding out a hand. "Let's getcha back."
Levy blinked before letting him help her up.
"Wow, Gajeel…" she said now, as she fell into step beside him. "That was almost… wise."
Gajeel snorted, glaring straight ahead.
His heart was racing. What the hell was that? Her eyes had been doing that witchy voodoo thing to his mind again, making him want to lean in and kiss her as she stared back at him, her lips tantalizingly close. He shook his head. Ridiculous.
Gajeel wasn't someone who panicked. He wasn't someone who got scared easily. He wasn't someone to give long speeches, full of advice, and he certainly wasn't someone who kissed girls on a whim. Sure, he'd been around the block a few times, but he didn't try to romance women in his spare time.
So why the hell was he acting so fucking weird tonight.
He just needed to get her back, get her safe, and get her the hell away from him and his life, because despite the advice he had literally just given her, Gajeel was the biggest hypocrite of all.
He didn't live his life for himself. He was a tiny little bug under the toe of José's shoe. He didn't have the luxury to do what pleased him. He just did what he had to, to survive. And he had gotten used to that.
Keep breathing.
Since a young age, Gajeel had lived by three rules, and this was the second one.
Just keep breathing.
As long as you're breathing, you're still alive. As long as you're alive, you can get through anything.
That's what had gotten him through many rough nights. Just keep breathing.
He strode down the dock, feeling Levy's presence close behind, and glared sharply at the car ahead.
Gray read the message Lucy had just sent him.
Lucy: Levy just called me, she's okay. She's with a guy ;)~
Gray frowned. What? Was Lucy high? Or did she mean with a guy, like kidnapped? Like, Levy is with a guy but she's been kidnapped by him oh no!~
He shook his head.
No, Lucy would be freaking out if something bad had happened to Levy. So then, she must be okay?
He looked up and was startled to find Juvia staring back at him, her eyes boring into his.
"Is everything alright, Gray-sama?" she asked, and he nodded. Wow, she really was a little intense sometimes...
They had just left The Dragon's Den, per Juvia's suggestion, to go to Element 4.
"Yeah, I guess my friend is okay. Sounds like she got in touch with Lucy. Oh, Lucy is another friend."
Juvia frowned. Why was Gray friends with so many girls? She pouted, realizing something else too.
"So then, Gray doesn't need Juvia's help anymore?"
Gray looked at her, feeling a little bad to have dragged her into this whole mess.
"Uh- yeah, I guess not."
Her face visibly fell.
"But I mean... I could still head over to Element 4 with you, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly and looking away from her. Her attitude completely flipped, her eyes now shining up at his face. It was making him feel kinda weird. But like, bad weird? Good weird? He couldn't tell.
He figured Lucy would just text him again when they were ready to meet up. If Element 4 wasn't too far away, what did it hurt for him to check it out? Plus, what if she needed help getting there? And actually, was it even safe with all those men from the fight going there?
Gray considered himself to be a gentleman. He couldn't just abandon Juvia now, after she'd tried so hard to help.
Jet was getting really fucking annoyed. He and Droy had scoured every room in this goddamned Casino more times than he could count! They probably knew the floorplan now by heart!
And where the hell was Levy?!
He glared at the beer he was sipping, Droy sitting next to him at the bar.
Droy put a hand on his friend's forearm, sensing that Jet was upset.
He was upset too, to be honest. He was sad that Levy had just vanished into thin air, apparently along with the rest of their friends. But he knew she wasn't someone to do that, so there had to be an explanation.
"Maybe Levy's phone died? Or she got lost, trying to find us?" Droy said hopefully.
Jet gritted his teeth.
"Maybe…"
"Come on Jet, you know Levy wouldn't abandon us. She was so excited about this weekend, maybe she and Lucy got carried away taking selfies or something?"
"I don't know…"
Droy sighed.
Just then, Jet's phone pinged and he whipped it out anxiously, scrambling to unlock it. Was it Levy?! Was she finally returning his calls and texts?
His heart sunk, seeing a text from Cana.
Cana: Hey! We're all headed 2 the strip! Join us!
Jet frowned. Where the hell was the strip?
"The strip?" a beautiful voice asked, and he realized he'd said that out loud. He looked up to see Mirajane smiling down at him. Oh right, this was… Lisanna's sister?
He blinked.
"Yeah, do you know it?"
"Yeah," she said, smiling brilliantly. "That's where all the clubs are. My sister and Cana just left to go there…"
Jet didn't wait to hear the rest, he was already scooting off his stool, his beer long forgotten on the counter. Droy rushed to catch up.
"Levy is with them?" he asked, huffing to keep up with Jet's long strides as he headed to the front of the Hotel.
"Yeah, Cana said 'we all,' right? Levy is probably there too," Jet grumbled, scowling at the people in his way. Why had Levy left without them?
His heart hurt, but like Droy, Jet knew that Levy was too nice of a person to have left them behind on purpose. There had to be a reason. He shook his head, unwilling to accept that Levy had a mean bone in her body.
He just wanted to find her again, then their costumes would work together and they could enjoy the rest of the night. And he blushed as he thought about all the different things he'd enjoy doing with her.
Levy ran to catch up with Gajeel, whose long strides already had him nearing the car.
She was blushing a little, thinking back to what had almost just happened… That hadn't been her imagination, right? Had he almost just kissed her?
"Where're ya stayin, Short-Stuff?" Gajeel asked, turning back to look at her as she ran up to him.
"I-" she said, frowning slightly at the nickname, but that was when the air around them cracked open with a loud bang.
Before Levy could process what was happening, she was on the ground, crushed under Gajeel's weight. He was cursing violently, supporting himself above her with his forearms.
Levy blinked rapidly. It dawned on her, more slowly than it should have, that it was gunfire. They were being shot at. Bullets ricocheted into the other side of the car, their loud crescendo causing Levy's mind to go blank.
Gajeel cursed as bullets hit the car. What the fuck? Who the fuck was shooting at them? Was it that asshole who had followed them earlier? Had he found them somehow?!
But he didn't have time to figure out why. His mind was racing and he realized they needed to get the fuck out of there. Now.
The bullets stopped as soon as they'd started, but Gajeel knew the shooter was still close by, somewhere on the other side of the street. As soon as he or Levy moved to stand up, they'd be riddled with holes like a fucking pincushion.
He tried to lift himself slightly, to peer over the edge of the car, but he couldn't see a damn thing.
Fuck. He looked down at Levy, seeing her frozen beneath him.
He scanned her body quickly, looking for blood, but was relieved when he didn't spot any. He shifted his weight onto one side, rolling off of her, senses on high alert.
No one was shooting at them now, but it could mean the shooter would be approaching the car soon, to see if they'd hit their mark. Or shooters. He gulped.
"Hey, Levy," he whispered, close to her ear, brushing the hair from her face with one hand as he tried to get her attention. Her eyes were wide, it was a look he knew well. He needed to get her to come back to him, get her to focus. She was shell-shocked.
"Hey, Lev, come back to me," he said, whispering into her ear as he strained to hear if footsteps were approaching them.
Levy couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. What… what was going on?
She heard Gajeel whispering her name and she looked up at him, confused, when suddenly the crushing weight of reality had her gasping, wide-eyed as she stared back into his concerned eyes.
"Lev, hey. Hey, yer alright, okay?" Gajeel whispered urgently, seeing that she was now starting to panic.
"Lev, hey, listen to me."
He grabbed her chin, forcing her to stare back into his eyes, her own wide with rapidly increasing fear. She could barely breath, she was starting to hyperventilate. Gajeel cursed.
"Levy, yer okay. Listen, I need ya to get into the car, okay? On the count of three. I need ya to climb into the front seat, right by the wheel. Can ya do that fer me? On the count of three, okay? Keep yer head low, I'm right here with ya."
Levy was gasping, her head spinning, Gajeel's eyes boring into her own. She swallowed thickly, trying to nod.
"Okay, Lev? Ya got that? Say it with me Lev, on the count of three."
She stared into his eyes, panting.
"Uhm… c-count… count of three," she gasped out, and Gajeel nodded, grinning at her despite the spikes of anxiety coursing through him.
"Ya, that's right. I'm right here with ya, Lev. Count with me, 'kay?"
Levy nodded and Gajeel lifted up again, trying to spot that damned shooter. His keen eyes swept the opposite side of the street, in the direction he thought the bullets had come from, but the shifting shadows were making it hard to focus, and there were too many places for someone to hide, in amongst the alleyways between the buildings.
He glanced back down at Levy.
"'Kay Lev, here we go... One?"
Levy nodded, forcing herself to speak with him.
"Two," they said in unison.
"Three…" Levy breathed out as she shakily scooted up towards the car, Gajeel's hand on her back, keeping her head low.
The sharp crack of gunfire rang out again and Levy shrieked as she dove forward into the car, Gajeel right behind her, slamming the door behind him. He crouched in the driver's seat, one hand on Levy to keep her low, the other scrambling for the keys as bullets continued to hit the car.
With a curse he got it started and slammed on the accelerator, the car shooting down the street. Levy curled in on herself, holding her arms over her head, Gajeel's warm hand on her side. The quick acceleration had almost sent her careening into the backseat, but his hand had been there, holding her close, and she curled up into his side as he hunched over the wheel, glaring at the rearview mirror where he now saw the bright headlights of another car. It had just pulled out of the shadows, hidden between two buildings. It was in hot pursuit.
He cursed at their rotten luck. Who the hell was this? And why?
It was at least two men, one peering out from the passenger side window, attempting to fire the occasional shot at them. They were probably trying to blow out a tire.
Gajeel floored the gas pedal, careening down the dark street, and frantically trying to remember the layout of this part of town.
He knew this street would soon be a dead end, so he'd need to get over, and weave through the warehouses. But those assholes were right on their ass, and he didn't know how he was going to lose them. There was no way they'd be able to escape by car, not like this.
The tires shrieked as Gajeel swung the car wide, turning into one of the streets that ran between the warehouses.
At least this was a relatively abandoned area, so no one else was around.
He scanned the road sharply, looking for a good place to turn again... There!
He slammed on the brakes while jerking the wheel, clutching Levy close as the car skidded into a tight turn, narrowly avoiding hitting one of the warehouses.
He glanced behind and glared as the car in pursuit attempted the turn, but didn't pull up quite sharp enough, skidding along the wall of one of the buildings.
It bought him maybe... five seconds? But he'd take it.
He quickly jerked the car around another corner, then another, trying to gain ground and confuse the driver behind him. They were screwed if he lost control of the tight turns, and ran into a building himself. He gritted his teeth in concentration.
He purposefully drove in a predictable pattern, zig zagging through the buildings. Each tight turn bought him mere seconds, but it would be just enough...
Turning once more, he estimated he now had a ten second lead. Maybe.
He slammed on the brakes, quickly shifting the car into reverse and flooring the gas, zooming backwards. He pulled the wheel sharply one last time, deftly navigating the car into a dark alley.
If the plan worked, he'd thrown them off the trail. For now. Hopefully they kept navigating the pattern he'd been turning in, until they realized they'd lost him. Then they'd backtrack, and that's when they'd find the car. They didn't have much time.
Gajeel looked down at Levy. She was clutching his shirt, shaking. He rubbed her back, opening the driver's side door to step out.
"Hey, Levy, it's okay. I need yer help, ya?"
She looked up at him, and he could tell her eyes were unfocused.
He swore softly as he helped her get out of the car unsteadily.
"Lev, go check that door over there, 'kay? Try ta get it open."
He pointed to a door he had noticed in the side of the building to their left. The warehouses around them towered over their heads, leaning in as if trying to help them hide. The wood looked old, paint chipping.
Levy nodded numbly, moving over to the door as he quickly went to the trunk.
Gajeel grabbed the duffel he'd carried her in, then went back to the driver's side and tried to wipe the steering wheel down with the hem of his shirt.
Well he was fucked on the DNA front, there was no way he could cover his tracks there. But the least he could do was try to smear his fingerprints. He swore, hoping that whoever found the car didn't try to sweep it.
Giving the car one last look, he turned to where Levy was struggling to push against the door.
He walked up briskly, pulling her back and kicking the door in, sending it crashing, ajar on its hinges. Oops.
Without a second thought Gajeel grabbed Levy's hand and pushed into the darkness of the warehouse.
But the space he had thought would be wide and open was in fact confined, his path narrowed into a winding corridor, fenced in with flimsy walls covered in black fabric. He frowned. He could sense the open air above them, these walls weren't that high. But they were constructed so as to create a maze, with many odd turns and dead ends. They needed to get out of this building as soon as possible, and as far away from the car as they could. He knew those men were still right behind them, they might've even found the car already.
He could feel Levy stumbling behind him, trying to keep up.
Gajeel had been involved in shootings before. Hell, often he'd been the one doing the shooting. He knew how to keep his cool. But Levy wasn't doing so hot. He was proud of her, for how she'd handled it so far, but she was probably nearing her limit. Anyone would be freaking out by now.
He pulled up sharply, underneath an oddly placed black light, Levy nearly running into his back.
He could hear her gasping, and he spun around, leaning down towards her.
Levy was panting, eyes wide, frantically looking around, unable to focus, hyperventilating.
He reached out, holding her face in his hands, her cheeks in his palms, forcing her to look into his eyes again.
"Levy," he said, firmly. "Hey, breathe with me, 'kay?"
She stared back, swallowing thickly, nodding. Her mind was racing, trying to think rationally, but the panic was overriding all thoughts.
"Hey, yer okay. I'm here, 'kay? Breathe with me, Lev. In... Out... In... And out... There we go, that's it. Just keep breathin'. Yer okay."
Levy nodded along, trying to focus on his voice, and his eyes, which were shining a strange color in the light of the black light.
She felt her thoughts beginning to come back to her, the panic attack slowly slipping away. She was breathing again, staring into his eyes, his thumbs softly stroking her cheeks.
"There we go... Yer okay... Ya did great, Lev," his eyes were dark and she nodded. "Just keep breathin'."
Her heart was still racing, but she could focus again, able to think more coherently. She was okay. She was okay, and Gajeel was here, and everything would be okay. Except... what the FUCK?! What had just happened? They were being shot at?! And they'd been chased?! And now they were in a dark warehouse?! Were those people still after them?!
She looked around again nervously, but this time more in control.
"I-" she panted out softly. "I- holy shit. Just, wha- what just happened?"
She turned to him, his eyes hard.
"Gajeel, who were those people? Why were they... shooting at us? And why were they chasing us?!"
Gajeel glanced around again, at the fabric walls around them.
"I dunno, Lev."
She frowned. He was still cupping her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, but now that she was calmer he'd shifted his eyes back to their surroundings. Something was just... off. About this place. What was it?
"But we need ta keep movin', 'kay Lev? Do ya trust me?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat because did she trust him? After he'd just saved her life? Again? How had she ever not?
She nodded, unable to speak, her throat thick.
"Come with me," he grunted, grabbing her hand again and she followed, more steadily this time.
Holy hell, Levy thought, staring around them with wide eyes as they passed under more black lights. This night really is cursed.
And then a bloodcurdling scream rang out dead ahead of them, reverberating through the massive warehouse. They froze in their tracks, but Gajeel frowned.
It had been... shrill... and feminine... It didn't fit. And now... was that laughter? And shouts?
Gajeel could sense people up ahead now and he glanced around, suddenly noticing the fake spiderwebbing, and a plastic rat...
It all clicked into place.
They were in a fucking Haunted House.
A/N
Hehehe I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this a cliffhanger as well, but it just happened! I can assure you that Levy and Gajeel will be alright. I will not write major character death into this story.
Remember in Chapter 2, when Gajeel was thinking about the list of three rules that he lived by?
1. Never Show Weakness
2. Keep Breathing
3. ? It will come up soon!
Also, Gajevy is definitely my OTP, but I love NaLu too! For all you NaLu fans, don't worry, next chapter will have tons of NaLu fluff!
I will be sure to resolve the Haunted House bit with Gajeel and Levy, but I also plan on making the majority of the chapter about Natsu and Lucy and all of that cuteness!~
And I kinda feel bad for Jet? :/
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I listened to "Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros a lot when I was studying abroad for a while. Not so much because I was homesick, but more because it made me think of travelling, and how home can be wherever you want it to be.
The main reason I thought about this song during this chapter, was because of the line "Moats and boats and waterfalls, Alleyways and pay phone calls, I've been everywhere with you"~
Pretty cute.
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Thank you for reviewing!
PinkPolkaDot – I fucking loved reading this review! Made my night! They'll be fine, just lots of drama o.o
Amanny – You'll love the next chapter! I hope! Lot's of NaLu during the Magic Hour! (When Daylight Savings Time kicks in and they'll fall back from 2 AM to 1 AM again - Free drinks at Fairy's Fate that whole hour!)
rao hyuga 18 – Thank you! I really appreciate the continued support. Honestly struggled with this chapter a lot, especially with the end. When I first started writing this fic, I had it all mapped out in my head, and the first chapters came together quite quickly. But the more intense stuff, like the fight, and this chase scene, have been a lot harder for me to write. I've never written anything like this before, and damn its starting to take a lot of time. But thanks so much for reading and reviewing! It gives me life! I hope you had a wonderful Halloween!
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Have a wonderful weekend, y'all! Cheers!~