. Hello .
"Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be,
When we were younger and free.
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet.
There's such a difference between us,
And a million miles."
~ "Hello" by Adele
Levy couldn't see anything or anyone around her, but it didn't really matter all that much. She could hear and simply feel plenty, including Lucy, who was standing nervously beside her. Lucy had informed her that she'd be joining in on Levy's tour of the museum, and Levy's lips had quirked playfully when she'd heard Lucy mention that she'd been invited along by Natsu. He liked her, and Levy was pleased, if not a little jealous.
Levy could hear the rustling of clothes as Lucy shifted her weight. She could imagine her friend running a hand through her golden hair with a grimace as Lucy said quietly, "Should I feel bad for denying an evening of alcohol and celebration with Gray because I wanted to come along on this tour that I've taken several times already, Levy?"
Levy snorted softly, reaching out and feeling momentarily until she found Lucy's arm. She patted it comfortingly. "No," she said confidently. "You shouldn't, Lucy. Didn't you tell him you'd visit tomorrow? Besides." She smirked, rocking forward so that she leaned heavily on the cane that was grasped tightly in her fingers. "You know you're excited to see Mr. Dragneel again."
Lucy fell silent, still shuffling about, but then she said, "We're acquaintances. Almost friends. Nothing more, nothing less." She shifted again and Levy wanted to shake her and yell at her to hold still. "Thanks for giving him my number and whatnot, by the way. It's helped with the dreams. Talking about them, I mean. It's weird, but they've gotten better since we met."
Levy turned her face away, saying nothing as she frowned and fought the urge to snap at her friend. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair-
And then a voice suddenly filled the air, a mocking call from a voice she knew better than her own. "You look more like a shrimp than usual."
Levy's head snapped in the direction of the call, her face lighting up as her lips slid into a pout. "I can't see you, but I can guarantee from the way your voice echoes that you're some kind of monstrously tall creature," she retorted, her face tipped in the direction of the very man her attentions were often upon. Lucy laughed, moving again. Levy could hear Natsu and another voice - Wendy.
Levy's heart twisted near painfully.
Lucy suddenly cleared her throat, interrupting whatever second insult Gajeel intended to throw at Levy. "Thank you," came Lucy's honest yet confident voice, "for helping Levy when I had to leave her at the university the other day. I truly appreciate it, and I'm eternally grateful that you made sure she was alright after she gave her talk as well."
Knowing Lucy meant well, Levy sighed in exasperation. "Lucy, I can thank people myself, you know."
"I know, but I wanted to thank him, too."
Levy's lips quirked when Gajeel suddenly awkwardly coughed. Wendy giggled and Natsu snickered nearby. "Uh...sure, no problem." Levy could picture the flustered look on his face, the red that crossed over his nose and cheekbones. Her lips pressed together. For the first time in a while, Levy wished that she hadn't destroyed her own eyesight years ago. She wished desperately that she could have seen Gajeel.
"Hey, Luce," said Natsu suddenly. Levy heard his feet on the hard floor of the museum as he moved around his cousins to stand before the blonde. Gajeel snorted. "Long time, no see."
Lucy copied Gajeel's amused snort. "Right. I saw you like five hours ago, didn't I?" Levy flashed a quick smile, amused with her friend's attitude. "And don't worry, I brought dinner and cookies for everyone. I didn't know what you'd like," she added to someone - Gajeel, Levy supposed. "I brought you the same as Natsu if that's okay?"
"I eat anything," said Gajeel, confirming Levy's suspicions. "Thanks."
"Why don't you hand out the sandwiches?" Levy suggested, her own stomach rumbling eagerly at the thought of food and drawing a blush to Levy's cheeks. Not that anyone would see it with the sash tied around her eyes to protect them from harsh stares. She elbowed Lucy playfully. "Then we can get this tour on the road."
Before long, the group of five were making their way through the museum. Lucy had handed out sandwiches before they'd started, so the start of it was fairly quiet, filled only with the sound of people chowing down on a sandwich. Levy led the way, her cane clacking this way and that as she used it to guide herself, ignoring Lucy's silent offer of assistance.
As she listened to her friend and the three cousins chattering amongst themselves, stopping whenever she offered information, Levy's heart tightened with pain again. She nearly burst into tears when Wendy suddenly expressed particular interest in a ratty pink bow that had somehow survived the centuries, claiming it would look cute on her cat, as well as when Natsu found the scarf again.
It was a normal thing for her. Levy always felt like crying. More so lately than ever before. She had always, always, always struggled with what she knew and what no one else seemed to know. What everyone who came through her museum and commented on various antiques, but couldn't understand why they were so attracted to those antiques. The tall presence pacing quietly just a step behind on her left made her want to burst into hysterical sobs.
She'd known for so, so long, the truth of everything. She'd imagined a thousand scenarios in which she'd be able to confront him, the one beside her. But this...she hadn't imagined this. She had remembered everything they didn't and couldn't remember and the differences in them and the people she remembered….
It broke her heart.
She wanted to go back.
She wanted to go home, where people remembered what she remembered, felt as she felt, loved her as she loved them. Instead, she found herself trapped in a world where she was blind and helpless and only Lucy knew her, where everyone she loved fiercely could care less about who she was or what she felt.
But, despite all of that, Levy said nothing. She chose to keep her mouth shut. To speak about her pain and suffering would only bewilder and confuse and upset them. They would figure it out eventually, she hoped. Lucy and Natsu's dreams had given her far more hope than she'd ver had. But...as they figured it out, it kept her at a distance, and it hurt her to know what she knew when they didn't. It was that pain that made her reluctant to openly flirt as she wanted to with Gajeel, who didn't seem to mind the idea. Because flirting brought those differences into her mind along with the memory of what they had been, once upon a time-
"The fuck?" Gajeel said suddenly, his voice full of horror. "Why the hell are you crying, shrimp?"
Horror flooded her and Levy flushed, touching the sash. It was damp - no, it was soaked through. "Oh! I didn't even realize…" She scowled, pretending to be merely inconvenienced. "I apologize, I don't have any working nerves around my eyes...damage and all that fantastic stuff." She and the rest of the group stopped as she rested her cane against her leg, instinctively reaching up to untie the sash and dab the tears away. Lucy knew what she looked like and didn't mind, and Levy knew he wouldn't mind at all because he'd always had scars, too-
She froze, fingers on the knot as Lucy called her name, shocked that she'd even consider taking it off in front of three practical strangers.
This wasn't him, Levy remembered again. This man barely knew her, barely knew who she was, and-
"Levy," Lucy repeated, voice low and near her ear. A hand touched her shoulder.
"I'm...I'm fine," Levy asid, clearly not. Her voice shook violently. "I forgot that people don't like my scars," she added to the trio watching her curiously. "Usually it's just us, you know? Forgive me."
Natsu was the one to speak first. "Don't worry, we don't mind scars. Gajeel's covered in 'em. Dunno how he still looks human, to be honest - ow!" Gajeel hissed at him to shut up and Levy supposed he'd smacked him or something similar. "We've got plenty of scars between all of us. I've got some nasty ones, too. You'll fit right in, Levy!"
Appreciating the attempt, yet startled, Levy could only give a high-pitched laugh. "No one likes mine," she said dismissively. "Lucy cries whenever she sees them." Lucy protested, but Levy ignored her friend and instead checked her eye-cover to ensure it was in place. "I'll leave it for now and change it out later." She waved off everyone's concern, determined to move on before people started asking questions. "Shall we continue? There's some cool dragon carvings. They're made of iron. I thought you'd like them," she added to Gajeel with a smile, although her lips trembled.
Lucy faltered, but Gajeel, as if sensing that staying on the subject for much longer would break her, said in a rather curt tone that wasn't at all meant for Levy, "Yeah. I wanna see 'em."
Levy nearly missed it, but heard Natsu mutter in a quiet voice to Wendy behind her, "He's like an entirely new person. It's gonna pile up and when we get home, we're screwed."
Wendy's giggles drove away the negativity in Levy's mind and reminded her of something she often times forgot: she needed to live in the here and now, and she reminded herself that there was nothing she could do to change her situation. The past was the past - even if it was where Levy longed to be.
Gajeel couldn't honestly say why he'd taken such a shine to Levy McGarden. He'd spoken with her twice now. Once at the university, while walking her to and from her talk, ensuring that she reached safety despite her determination to do it on her own. The second time had been moments before, on the private tour she'd invited them to. She'd waved after them, standing beside Lucy, and he'd admittedly been reluctant to leave her there like that. There was something about her…
Something that had made him turn back, storm up the steps that led to the museum, and ask quite bluntly, "Can I show you something sometime?"
He couldn't forget the way she'd smiled brightly, delighted despite the distinct sadness still coiling around her. "Of course. When and where?"
Now he had a somewhat date that both Natsu and Wendy were aware of, and it frustrated him that they were, although he couldn't say he wasn't looking forward to seeing Levy again. He fully intended to take her to a park that he often times visited alone. It held a beautiful piece of metalwork that had been gifted to the park by his father.
As he drove Wendy and himself back to the house the three of them shared - Natsu had stayed behind to help Lucy and Levy with something, eagerly offering his help when Lucy had brought up the fact that they still needed to move a bunch of things - Gajeel found himself thinking about the strange feeling that sometimes crept beneath his skin. It hadn't shown up in some time. Not since his father's death.
But it had started creeping underneath his defenses again, ever since he'd met Levy.
Whatever it was, it made Gajeel jumpy - made him shy when he usually laughed at the way other people acted when it came to dating. He couldn't give a good enough reason as to why he was feeling this strange sensation when he was around the woman, who he admittedly barely knew. It made him want to slam his head against a wall and demand to know what he'd come down with. Metalicana would have known.
Metalicana had always known.
His father had worn that knowing look as he'd gazed down sorrowfully at his son. He'd worn that look on the days when he'd turned his back on the pain his son suffered at the hands of his "friends," on the days when he'd apologized for nothing Gajeel could understand.
It was the same knowing look that Levy held, a look that he could see without so much as a glimpse of her eyes. It was the feeling she gave off consistently, as if she knew more than what she was telling. It was what had originally drawn him to her, in those first few moments he'd spoken with her. Alongside her attitude and no bullshit personality, of course.
He thought about all of this as he drove, not noticing that Wendy was watching him. It wasn't until she spoke that he even remembered she was in the car.
"Natsu's got a girlfriend."
Lifting a pierced brow, Gajeel glimpsed her way. He noted how her dark eyes shone with mischief, which meant this was something Natsu didn't want Gajeel to know. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, he invited her to our tour," Wendy told him with a smirk.
"Wait," Gajeel said, sitting up a bit more and nearly jerking the wheel. "Bunny girl?" The blonde with the food? Seriously? Gajeel was stunned. She was everything his cousin wasn't. Of course, he'd noticed that Lucy and Natsu had been quite animated when speaking, rarely taking their eyes off of one another, but…
"Lucy," Wendy said confidently. "Why do you think he stayed behind? I bet he'll go to her bakery after they're done. He's been going almost every day lately."
Gajeel gaped.
When the hell did she get so nosey?
Re-written as of August 2nd, 2018!
