A/N: Hey everyone who may have been reading this. I don't assume anyone cares about it anymore for real, and I don't blame anyone. I failed my goal of trying to update every month, I once again didn't update for almost 2 years. But I was almost done with chapter 7 and my boyfriend had reset my computer so I lost it. Then lost motivation when Covid hit and I had to work so much more and unfortunately screwed up my schooling. Life sucked for a while, but I'm going to try to finish this still. As I said, I lost what I had written for chapter 7, and while the original copy is on here and I'm still writing from it, I've decided to change it up some. So to whomever may still be reading this, I hope you enjoy this slight tension scene and possibly kind of long chapter? I wont promise you a frequency on posting chapters. But thank you for still reading.

The next morning, Levy awoke to warm sun beams on her face and the feeling of soft blankets around her. Her eyes cracked to see the light peering through the shifted curtain of the balcony. She went to turn her head to look around the room and groaned as the stiff muscles twisted. After not seeing the man or exceed who brought her, she attempted to roll on her side so that she could use her arms in attempt to sit up.

The bluenette knew that she was still very weak and that the more she moved, the more it was going to hurt, but she couldn't continue to lay there. She pushed herself up with a groan and started to move her legs over the side of the large bed. Taking a few breaths, she slowly slide down so that her feet touched the floor and tried to help hold her weight with the nightstand so that she could try to stand on her own. The pain that jolted through her legs as she attempted to walk towards brown door near the bed was so terrible that, by her third step, her knee buckled and she fell to the ground, timely rolling over as the door to the dormroom opened so that whoever was entering wouldn't see the open back of the blue gown she was still wearing. Her body still throbbing from the landing on the floor, she did let out a quiet sigh, relaxing at seeing it was Frosh with Rogue closely behind him. Following her moves from the bed, she tried to sit up again.

"Levy, what are you doing?" The shadow mage asked, stepping past Frosh so that he could assist the bluenette on the floor sit up. Then he slid one arm under the bend of her knees and the other carefully around her back as he gently raised her from the ground with ease. "You're not going to be able to do things on your own for a while, per the doctor's orders. I have already sent a message out and will be having one of the local doctors in town stop by to look you over again." He spoke as he placed the script mage on the edge of the bed.

Levy blushed as she felt the dragon slayer's arms around her and how gentle he was being with her. He was also really sweet as he took extra steps to look after her wellbeing.

"Well, I was trying to locate a bathroom.." Levy answered quietly, slightly embarrassed by the natural things she had to do. She didn't want to complain because Rogue had been so nice to her so far and very respectful, but she needed to go and she would really love a bath to help at least feel a little better.

A slight tint had also spread to the cheeks of the dragon slayer, but, without a further word, he stood and walked over to the brown door Levy had been trying to reach. He walked in and started the water to the tub so that it could be warming up. Once it was an appropriate temperature, he put the plug down so it could fill and added a few drops of oil and soap. While that was doing what it was suppose to, he stood and went back to Levy, picking her up and walking her to the bathroom before he gently placed her on her feet. His arm still around her shoulders as she braced herself against the wall and gained her balance before he removed his arm and turned to walk out of the bathroom.

"I'll send Frosh in to help you wash so you don't strain yourself." Was all he said as he exited and the exceed mentioned entered a minute later with a couple of towels. Levy turned to use the toliet after he left. Once done, she staggered against the wall to in-floor tub. She carefully moved her body to the floor beside the tub before removing the blue gown and underwear. After a few minutes of the exceed's careful help, her soiled bandages had been removed and discarded before she allowed herself to slide into the very warm water. She let out a sign of relief as the pain started to subside. She opened her eyes as Frosh was setting the towels beside the tub so they would be within reach but not too close to fall in as he grabbed the washcloth and went to a curtain that divided the bathroom, pulling it to the opposite wall.

Levy smiled at the exceed, glad for his help as she wet her hair before holding her arm up for him to wash. He grabbed a bottle of soap, dipping the cloth into the water before adding the soap and washing her arm, then her other one, and helping her with her back. The exceed hummed quietly and moved to help Levy wash her hair while she washed what else she could reach without much pain. Within a little bit of time, she could feel her muscles had relaxed and that the grime of traveling had been washed off.

"Thank you Frosh, I feel a lot better, and I really couldn't have done it without your help." She said quietly, moving to pull the plug and try to pull her self up on the edge of the tub. Alas, her arms were still too weak and the pain rushed to her shoulders, causing her to let out a small cry of pain. She noticed it wasn't as bad as before, but she wasn't going to be able to get out on her own. Grabbing one of the towels, she let the water finish draining before wrapping it the best she could around her. She knew the small exceed couldnt lift her out without hurting her, and he didnt have any larger forms like Pantherlily, so she realized her only option. Frosh was looking at her with a small look of worry before he asked the script mage.

"Does Levy need Rogue's help out?" After recieving a slight nod from a reluctant script mage, Frosh ran out of the curtain and Levy could hear the bathroom door crack as the exceed slid out to get the dragon slayer in question. After a minute, the script mage heard the door creak as the dragon slayer hesitantly pushed it open a bit more.

"Levy?" His voice was quiet and cautious. "Frosh said you needed help getting out? I don't want to intrude on your privacy."

"Yes, I can't pull myself out.." the bluenette whispered, trying to hide the shame in her voice while knowing he would still hear. She tucked the corner of the towel into her side so that it would hopefully cover her enough as she heard Rogue's foot steps entering and saw his figure behind the curtain before he slowly pulled the curtain to the side, looking more at the floor than at the script mage. She felt another blush spread across her cheeks when he finally did glance up so that he could bend down and wrap his arms around her before lifting her out of the tub. Keeping her head down, she felt her hair dripping onto her bare shoulders and no doubt probably wetting his cloak.

As he turned and walked back to the bedroom, he kept his face slightly turned away from the bluenette so that his hair hopefully covered the heat in his cheeks. He tried not to think about his hand feeling the smooth skin of her leg where the towel slightly parted open, or the fact that she was complete naked besides the towel in his arms. It didn't help that he now realized that she had used his soap, and while her usual scent of ink and paper with a slight mix of cherry blossom still lingered on her, it was now mixing with his choice of scent of cedarwood. It was not a combination of smells he ever condisered, but it was one he found he liked being around.

Attempting to stop himself from other thoughts pertruding his mind, he stopped beside the bed and sat her down against the edge like before. He could feel the wet spot where her hair had dripped onto his cloak and another across his middle from her towel against him.

Levy attempted to adjust the towel to feel as if it covered her more as Rogue reached for her bag of clothes and placed it next to her on the bed. She nodded her thanks before she began to search for an outfit and he turned to go back to the bathroom. He removed his cloak and shirt, tossing them into a hamper as he went to the vanity and searched for clean bandages. Once he had them, he returned to Levy's side, kneeling on one knee in front of her legs at the side of the bed.

Levy had just found an outfit that hopefully would not hurt her too much to wear as she noticed the, now shirtless, dragon slayer walk back into the room to her before kneeling before her. She couldn't stop her mind from the few images it flashed her as a product of her secret love for romance novels. She knew to shoo those thoughts out of her mind quickly as she watch the shadow mage prop her foot on the knee of his not on the floor, and, with very delicate hands, began to redress her wounds.

The bluenette knew she shouldn't allow thoughts like that to cross her mind. He was just becoming one of her friends, and she knew she was just feeling more nervous around him since they hadn't known each other long. Still, he was being so sweet and careful to her. Still, it didn't help that the slim, but still well muscled man was shirtless and kneeling before her. His fingers were so soft as they barely brushed against her skin, slowly going up each leg until he reached the last few marks above her knees on her thighs. She barely remembered to shift the towel to keep her most intimate part covered, keeping her eyes at the floor next to the dragon slayer.

Once Rogue had finished with the ones on her legs, he moved to sit on the bed next to her so he could do her arms. He was avoiding her gaze as much as she was his, only mumbling a quiet 'turn' so her back was do him, placing new bandages where needed there. He reached to his bedside table and grabbed his brush and a hair band before he started to brush her slowly drying hair as carefully as he could, pulling it into a small ponytail with a few strands of her bangs framing her face.

Levy didn't protest to Rogue's help with her bandages or hair, knowing it would be to hard and hurt too much for her to lift her arms or bend in any way too much. She stared blankly at her clothes until she had to adjust her head so he could replace the final bandages around her neck. She felt his hands move away and the script mage let out a quiet breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Is that too tight or uncomfortable in anyway?" Rogue asked, looking down at the bandages along her back before carefully standing up off the bed, so not to shift her.

"No, they're fine. Thank you for taking such good care of me." Levy said, preferring not to look at the man before her at this moment. He gave a slight nod before moving towards his dresser and pulling out a new shirt.

"I'll step out and let you dress. Just say something when you're done, I'll take you down and get breakfast." Rogue spoke, keeping his back towards her as he walked to the balcony, slipping past the curtain and pulling it closed. Levy could hear the windowed doors of the balcony close, letting her know he had completely stepped outside.

She carefully dressed, sliding on a new pair of underwear and some soft legging shorts so that nothing would press against her wounds on her legs. Though it was kind of embarassing, she decided against fighting to put on a bra or tank top and just slid on a t-shirt that was slightly big to her form, but still comfortable.

Levy smiled as the memory of Gajeel giving it to her after one of the first missions she had accompanied him and Pantherlily on crossed her mind. It wasn't anything fancy, and he had found the smallest one in stock, but it was just a black t-shirt with simple cursive that said "If I can't bring my books, I'm not coming". He had found it at one of the stores in the town while on the mission and bought it to thank her for her help since the main reason he asked her to join was because there was a literature translator needed.

She honestly loved it, because that mission had allow their friendship to actually start and gave them opportunies to move on from the past. Tying the end of her shirt into a small knot so it wouldn't cover her shorts, but still being big at the top, she called out to Rogue that she was pretty much done.

Rogue had pulled the balcony doors closed before he turned to look out at the city below and put on his shirt. He tried to think of anything but the image in his head of the bluenette, seated at the bare edge of the bed, looking away from him with a red tint to her cheeks, one hand slightly behind her for balance, and the other holding the towel's corner between the slight part between her thighs. He tried to shove the thought away before he ended up with a nose bleed, watching the people below walk the streets as he took a few deep breaths.

He couldn't think of her way. The script mage had asked them to come with her as friends and for protection. He had failed to protect her, so he had to silently vow to be the best friend he could, and that meant doing everything he could to help her and not cross a line. He was very grateful that him helping her with her bandages hadn't crossed one with her, but he needed to talk to her soon about what he and Sting had discussed the night before.

Before he knew it, Rogue heard Levy's voice barely calling to him, and he turned to go back inside. Opening the door and easing the curtain open to actually allow sunlight into the room, he walked over to the dresser again and picked up her sandals he threw on the floor when he sat the bags down. He slid them onto her feet before gently picking her up again and starting to walk out of the room.

Rogue walked them out of the dorm, making sure the door closed behind them, before carrying Levy down the stone hallway, passing the only other door on the opposite wall before connecting to another main hallway. He turned left and walked a for a minute, passing artwork displayed on the walls and a couple of slightly smaller doors until they came to a staircase. He was extra careful as he descended the stairs, finally meeting the floor of the main guild hall, but near the entrance doors.

Levy kept her gaze on her hands in her lap as Rogue carried her, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone at the moment as he walked along the side wall to a booth in the corner and sat her in the seat before turning and walking to the bar to get them something to eat.

While he was away, Frosh ran up and hopped up in the seat across from Levy before climing on the table with Lester right behind him.

"You alright now, Levy-san." Her small green friend asked, recieving a smile and a small heat pat before her anser.

"I'll be alright, Frosh. Thank you again. Hello, Lester. It's nice to see you." She manage to say before also giving the brown furred exceed a pet to the head as well.

"Hello, Miss Levy. We're glad to see that you're doing better today. If you need anything, just let us know." Lector replied before the two exceeds settled on either side of the script mage. Rogue was returning with food for them. He placed grilled cheese sandwiches with apple juice in front of the two exceeds, a bowl of warm apple cinnamon oatmeal with tea in front of Levy, and had a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, a couple biscuits, a side of gravy, and coffee for himself.

"Thank you, Rogue." The bluenette said again before taking a sip of the hot tea, letting it coat and ease her throat. Reciving a nod from the man who settled across from her, she smiled and picked up her spoon to begin eating.

She watched as Rogue finished his rather large plate not long after the exceeds finished their grilled cheese and juice, while she was only halfway through. She watched as the exceeds gathered up most of the dishes and hopped down to take them back to the bar. Once they were just out of their ear shot, she heard Rogue say her name.

"Yes?" She looked back at the dragon slayer.

"I know that when we originally planned the mission, you had told Fairy Tail you should be returning today. Given your current condition, I wouldn't blame you if you still wanted to return home and be surrounded by your family and friends while you heal. I will take you home myself," There was a slight pause in his voice before he continued on, "or, you may stay at Sabertooth until you heal completely, and I will watch over your care personally as you suggested on the train."

Levy blushed as he brought up her little tease on the train, setting her spoon down.

"It was only a joke, I'm sure you have better things to do, or mission you'll have to complete." She wasn't actually protesting, but she wasn't wanting to make him feel like he had to.

"I'm aware, but I'm serious. I failed to protect you, the least I could do is help you heal. Unless you don't want to be here, or around me, then I would understand." Rogue replied. "The invitation is there. You are welcomed at Sabertooth and I will do everything I can for you."

Levy was quiet for a second, searching Rogue's half covered face. While it didn't show much emotion in itself, she could tell the look in his eyes was sincere.

"Alright, if you're sure." She said weakly, recieving a nod from the dragon slayer.

"I am. Then I shall let Sting know so he can set up a video lacrima with Fairy Tail." He said before noticing a female with a white coat entering the guild and looking around until he caught her eye and waved her toward them. "It seems the doctor is here early. I will carry you up so she can check you over and then I'll find Sting."

Rogue stood before picking Levy up, doing just as he said, the doctor following behind them until they got to the room. He placed her down on the bed and then left to find his brother.