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The Iron Dragon laid there on the bed in the room that he and PantherLily were assigned to. The room felt like a prison to him. He was trapped in Raven Tail, just as the script mage was. Only he was having to pretend that he was something that he's not. He looked down and saw the small Exceed curled up at the foot of the bed, trying to sleep. All he could do was stare at the ceiling, there was no way he was able to get a wink of sleep in this place knowing that Levy was only several floors below him.
After tossing and turning a few times Gajeel sat up quickly in the bed. PantherLily stirred as he looked to his partner. "What's wrong, Gajeel?" the Exceed asked, thinking that something had happened.
"I can't take it any more Lily, I'm going to see her," he said as he stood up and put his studded boots on.
"Gajeel, are you crazy? What if you get caught?" PantherLily asked as he saw his partner walking towards the door.
"Relax, I know my way around this place. There are some secret passages that few people know about" the dragon said with his hand on the doorknob. "I can make my way down there without anyone seeing me. It's just something that I have to do."
PantherLily closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright Gajeel, but don't take too long."
The dragon nodded as he quietly cracked the door and looked around outside, making sure the coast was clear. When everything looked good he slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Gajeel made his way down the hallway and looked around. If his memory served him correctly there should be a panel in the wall that opened up a passageway that was on this floor.
Gajeel moved his hand across the wall in one particular area. After a minute of searching he found the stone in question. He pressed it in and suddenly a crack in the wall formed. Gajeel grabbed hold of the door that was now visible and slipped through it into the passageway.
The passageway was dark but Gajeel couldn't take the risk of lighting a torch without someone seeing the light from it. Fortunately for him dragon slayers had pretty damn good vision, even in dark places. He descended down the narrow staircase that led all the way down to the dungeon level they were previously on. When he reached the bottom he pulled on a lever that opened yet another door. After looking cautiously outside of it he emerged, closing the passageway door behind him.
The passageway exited right next to the staircase that he had descended down earlier that day. He crept along the corridor silently making his way to Levy's cell. Gajeel wiggled the door handle...locked. After a second he raised his hand up and extended a finger as it turned into a sharp piece of metal. If he didn't have a key he would just have to pick the lock.
After a minute of trying to pick the lock he heard the familiar click of the door unlocking. He slowly and quietly opened the door.
Levy laid there on the cot all night. She couldn't sleep...of course how could she possibly think about sleeping after what happened to her earlier. Her eyes were hurting after crying for hours. She wanted out of this hell even more now, but after hearing Gajeel say that no one even noticed she was missing she began to despair again.
Suddenly Levy heard something outside of the door. It sounded like someone was trying to open it. She quickly sat up on the cot and looked around for something she could use to defend herself. The bluenette looked on the ground and saw the food tray that was brought in to her earlier in the day. She grabbed it and ran over to the door. She was going to at least try and fight her way out of this place. The door slowly opened as she raised the tray above her head, waiting for whoever entered the room. Just as the person walked into the room Levy hit him or her upside the head with the tray.
She was about to run out the door when she heard a familiar voice. "What the fuck," Gajeel said as he stood there hunched over and rubbing his head. Levy turned around and looked at him, her eyes were wide but she was full of anger at the dragon.
"Gajeel, you bastard! What do you want now, huh? Have you come to humiliate more?" she asked yelling at him.
Gajeel straightened himself up and looked at her. He had never seen such anger in her eyes. He took a step towards her, "Levy...I..." he said but his sentence was cut short. Levy had turned and ran out the door after he tried to approach her.
The iron dragon dashed out the door and chased after her. She didn't get far until the dragon grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled him towards her. She tried to scream but her voice was muffled by the dragon's hand that was covering her mouth. He dragged her back into her cell and closed the door shut.
Once they were both inside he released his grip on her. "Damn it, will you calm down and let me explain!" he said as he tried to move closer to her. But the closer he moved towards the bluenette the further she moved away from him.
"Don't come near me!" she cried out. "I don't want to see you!"
"I'm not leaving here until you hear me out!" he said, trying to not to yell at her.
Levy found herself backed into the wall with no place else to go. She thought about trying to make a dash around him but he's just too fast for her. She had no choice.
"Alright...fine" she said crossing her arms with her eyes narrowed, still glaring at him angrily. If all she had to do to get him to leave was to listen then she would. "But don't think that I'm going to believe a word you say."
Gajeel rubbed his forehead as he motioned for her to take a seat on the cot. She glanced at it and then back to him. She hesitated a moment before she inched her way over to it, not turning her back for an instance.
The dragon paced in front of her back and forth in front of Levy a few times before he finally stopped and squatted down in front of her. "Alright look...I'm not really a member of Raven Tail, ok?" he said.
There was an awkward silence between the two. Levy narrowed her eyes at him, not amused by his statement. "So that's your big excuse for being here and doing the things you did?!" she said. "...you can leave now," she said, turning her head away from him as she pointed to the door.
Gajeel rubbed his head out of frustration. He was afraid to tell her too much about his double agent duty. She was already in danger but if she knew too much her life could become in danger. But he had no choice if he was to get her out of here safely.
"Look...I know that I hurt you, but I had no choice. If I didn't play the part of a member of Raven Tail my cover would have been blown.
Levy glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Cover? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Truth is...truth is that I've been a double agent the whole time I've been in Fairy Tail. Ever since Master Makarov approached me to join the guild that has been my duty. I only agreed to take on this job because he felt I was the only one who could do it considering my past history with dark guilds and...and to make amends for what I did," he said as he looked down.
Gajeel raised his head up to see that he had Levy's full attention now. "I lied when I said no one knew you were missing, I had to lie in order to get Ivan to let me get close enough to you," he said. "It was Master Makarov who told me that you were missing. He knew that I was the only one who could carry out this job which is why I'm here. He and I knew the danger of taking this job but I didn't care...getting you out of here is my only concern."
Levy's eyes widened when she heard Gajeel say that Master knew she was missing, but could she really believe him. "How do I know this isn't some more lies?" she asked sternly. "Why would you of all people risk your life to rescue me?"
Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He knows he told PantherLily that he would confess to Levy but this wasn't exactly the time or place for any of that. He looked at Levy who was starting to doubt him again.
"I knew it...this is just some kind of trick to-" she said but was quickly cut off by Gajeel.
"I came because I care about you, Levy!" he said, staring at the bluenette. He was hoping for a smile or something but instead she teared up.
"...you really are a monster aren't you? Now you plan to toy with my emotions as well?" she said.
Gajeel couldn't understand why she was getting this upset. Toying with her emotions? Why would she say that unless...unless, she had feelings for him as well.
Levy opened her mouth to say something else but she found it impossible as Gajeel quickly moved in on her and placed his lip onto hers. Her eyes widened more than ever as she felt his lips against hers. She clinched her hands into fists as she attempted to hit him. But the longer his lips stayed on hers, the less resistance she put up.
Finally Gajeel pulled away and looked at her. Levy was speechless. She raised her fingers to her lips and looked down. It felt as though she could still feel his lips on hers, it made her blush. She slowly looked back up at him, looking into his eyes. Levy could see that there was something different about him...something she had never noticed before.
"What...what's going on here?" she asked as her eyes softened up.
He raised his hand up to caress her cheek but she flinched, she remembered what happened last time he did that. He stopped and looked at her and then continued to reach out to her. She hesitated but allowed him to do so as he gently placed his hand on her cheek. Her cheeks were warm to the touch.
"I'm so sorry for what I did earlier and I know that no amount of apologizing will make up for it," he said, gazing into her eyes. "But I...I love you, Levy" he finally said as he felt his own face getting warm.
Levy's face was now completely red. Did she just hear correctly? Did Gajeel Redfox, of all people, just confess that he loved her? She had so many mixed emotions running through her now. Was he really telling the truth? Levy looked back into his eyes. They were gentle, not stone cold as they were earlier.
"Gajeel...please, be truthful with me. Is this another lie or do you really love me like you say you do?" She had to be sure, she wanted to be sure before she too confessed to him.
Gajeel placed his other hand against the other side of her face, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned in closer and kissed her again, this time with more passion as his tongue gained entrance to her mouth. Levy's face was now on fire. She could feel her eyes close as she kissed him back.
The dragon broke away from the kiss, his cheeks were now turning red themselves. "I promise...this is no lie. If you think I am lying, then you can strike me dead" he said as he pulled out a small knife he had tucked away in his tunic. He handed it to her as she took hold of it.
Levy sat there holding the knife in her hand and looked up at Gajeel. She could always tell if people were being truthful by the look in their eyes. She felt her lower lip quiver as the knife fell out of her hands and onto the floor. The bluenette threw her arms around Gajeel's neck, bursting into tears of joy.
Levy couldn't believe that this was all happening. She had no idea what Gajeel saw in her, she didn't even think she was the dragon's type. She expected someone more strong and voluptuous like Erza...turns out she was wrong...and happy about it.
The bluenette buried her face in Gajeel's thick raven haired and then whispered, "I love you too, Gajeel."
Gajeel was stunned himself now...he never thought he would hear those words spoken from anyone's mouth. But hearing them coming from Levy's lips made him feel like the happiest person in the world right now. He pulled her away from him so that he could face her. Her eyes were gentle once again, the same gentle eyes that he came to love looking at. He kissed her gently one more time before getting back to business.
The dragon picked the knife back up and handed it to her. "Hold on to this. Don't hesitate to use it" he said as he stood up. Levy nodded but was looking confused, he seemed to be rushing for some reason.
"Gajeel, what's wrong? Aren't you taking me out of here?" she asked.
He looked down at her, "I can't just yet. I have to get back to my room. PantherLily will start worrying if I'm gone too long. Plus if they find out that I released you then my cover is blown."
"Wait, Lily? Lily is here too?" She was surprised to hear this. "Don't tell me he's been in on this too?" she said rubbing her forehead.
"He had no idea about my ruse until Master briefed me over the plan. I brought him in on it all as an extra set of eyes...and muscle" he said grinning at her.
Levy nodded, she didn't like the idea of being trapped down here anymore but after hearing the truth from Gajeel she was more at ease. At least the guild is aware of her disappearance. She hid the knife under the cot's mattress for now.
"Go" she said. "If you need to get back then go. I'll be fine now that I know you're here to help me" she said smiling.
Gajeel didn't want to leave her, but he had too. "I swear, on my life...I will get you out of here" he said as he slowly opened the door.
The bluenette nodded as she watched him close the door behind him. She leaned against the wall with her shackled hands up to her chest. She couldn't help but smile after finding out that Gajeel was in love with her and that he was going to get her out of this hell. She laid down on the cot and closed her eyes, hoping that now she could get some rest.
Gajeel made his way back down the corridor and to the secret passage way that brought him down. He quickly went back up to the level that his room was on. He reached the end of the passageway as he slowly pushed open the door. The dragon looked around and saw that the coast was clear. He slipped through the door and made his way back down to the room.
He opened the door to see PantherLily pacing back and forth across their bed. "Gajeel!" he said, glad to see that his partner was back. "How did it go?"
Gajeel closed the door and nodded at PantherLily with a smile. "I explained the situation to her" he said as he sat on the bed and took his boots off. PantherLily could tell by the smile on his face that he finally did it.
"So you confessed to her, didn't you? gi hee" the Exceed said grinning at the dragon. Gajeel was surprised that PantherLily could tell just by the look on his face but he didn't deny it.
"Shut up you damn cat" he said smirking at his partner. "We need to try and get some rest" he said as he laid back on the bed, hoping that now he could get some rest as well.
Moments earlier...Flare was patrolling the guild when she stopped in her tracks and hid behind a hideous statue that was in the hallway she was walking down. She hid in the shadows and only looked to see who was there. The red hared Raven Tail witch was surprised to see Gajeel sneaking around in the middle of the night and coming out of a secret passageway. She pressed her body up against the wall, trying to hide herself in the shadows. She waited until she heard Gajeel enter his room.
She merged from behind the statue and tapped her chin with her finger. "My, my, my Gajeel. Whatever are you doing sneaking around?" she mumbled to herself. She knew all too well where that passageway led to...all the way to the bottom, the dungeon level. She never trusted Gajeel and this was all that she needed to implicate him as a traitor.
A sadistic smile came across her face as she turned to walk away. "Master Ivan will be pleased to hear what I have to say about his precious spy!" she said gleefully as she strolled away.