Hey, so here's chapter five! I hope you enjoy it, as always, I'd love to hear from you! :)

(For those who did review, you guys are the best! Thank you so much!)

Oh by the way I'm on tumblr now too with the same name! :)

Anyway, to our favorite ship!

Chapter Five: A Dance with Death

Gajeel was not the type of person who preferred to take the easy route in life. He thrived on action and relished in the opportunity to join in a good brawl. Needless to say his life was considerably different now and the most action he'd had since coming to this godforsaken castle was with a bloody door.

Gajeel clenched his fists and continued his glaring matches with any idiot who dared to allow their gaze to linger on him for too long. His fists ached to punch something as the tension and restlessness built up in him again. Despite his immense frustration, he clenched his jaw and instead cast his gaze around, searching for a shot of blue hair.

He stood along the wall along with multiple other guards as a grand feast was being held. The room was brightly lit and filled to the brim with people. Gajeel hated it. Tch, why did he even have to be here? There had been no threats on Levy's life since Gajeel began to work for the king and, if he was being completely honest, it annoyed him. It's not like he was waiting for the girl to be attacked or anything, he just wanted a damn change from the tedious trips to the book stall or to the children's shelter or to these endless, godforsaken horrors they called balls. How people even enjoyed these things was beyond him.

He surveyed the room, Levy sat at the head of a long table that was laden with appetizing food. Many lords, ladies and knights were seated at the table and their raucous laughter and cheer gave a pleasant, easy atmosphere to the evening. Beside Levy sat that blonde girl who the fire brained idiot never ceased to talk about. But Levy claimed the majority of his attention. She looks rather beautiful tonight, he thought grudgingly to himself. She wore a dark emerald green dress that revealed her delicate shoulders. Her blue hair was pulled back into a loose knot with intricate loops and spirals woven through it, however two long tendrils had escaped at the front and framed her face, curling slightly at the ends. Her large brown eyes were shining as she chatted easily with those around her.

Gajeel sighed and felt her eyes shift towards him. She excused herself from her conversation and rose to go to him, Lucy watching her every move with a blatantly amused look on her face.

"Would you mind not glowering at my guests please? And maybe try to look a little like less like this ball is actually causing you physical pain," She said as she smirked up at him.

He snorted charmingly at her.

"Oi, music is my thing, not actin' shrimp. Ye would be asking for a damn miracle."

She looked at him in surprise but a smile pulled at her lips.

Shit. Why did she always seem to make him divulge a little more information than he intended?

"Oh really?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

He grunted at her in response.

"Ye should go back to your friends shorty, you're wasting your time with me," he grumbled at her, uneasy with just how comfortable he'd gotten with her in such a short span of time.

A frown flitted across her features, "I wouldn't say that."

His stomach flipped a little at that and the ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Honestly, do you actually enjoy these things?"

She inclined her head slightly "I don't see what makes them so unappealing to you," she replied.

He looked at her incredulously.

"Seriously?!"

She rolled her eyes in irritation, "well maybe if you stopped glaring at everyone and socialised, you wouldn't hate them so much!"

"I'm pretty sure I'd hate socializing more."

"You're impossible. My point is, you don't have to just stand there, you can rotate with another guard!"

"And what do you suppose I do?"

"Whatever, dance or-"

"Dance!? With you! ?" he spluttered.

"Not specifically with me! But I don't see why that would be so awful!" The color rose in her cheeks as she realized she'd said too much.

"Id rather a good brawl, nothing good ever happens around here."

"Well I'm sorry that no one has tried to kill me in the past two weeks, Gajeel! " she hissed at him, visibly fuming now.

A few curious glances shot their way.

What the hell? Why was she taking everything like a personal insult, why would she care what he thought? He attempted to diffuse the now evident tension but she cut in abruptly,

"So You don't care what happens to me!?"

"I ain't said that!"

"I'm weak. I'm small. I'm sorry that it's such an inconvenience for you to have to defend me," She would have slapped him then, hell, she sure as hell looked like she was close to it as she frowned up at him, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"Stupid Gajeel" she threw at him before striding away just as a call went up for the tables to be shoved aside and the dancing to commence.

Levy attempted to ignore the tears that pooled at the corners of her eyes as she desperately tried to put space between herself and her infuriating assassin.

He was treating her solely like his job, she hadn't even realized that she'd started to hope he saw her as more. This man who had broken down her door, teased her incessantly and had her opening up to him when she'd been determined to dislike him had managed to swoop in and steal her heart.

She had thought, foolishly thought that something had changed between the pair of them. She thought he was beginning to care, that the walls of initial prejudice and wariness were beginning to fall but she was wrong. So incredibly wrong.

Jet appeared before her suddenly and she bit her tongue to resist sharply telling him to leave her alone.

"Levy, are you okay?" He asked concern seeping into his voice.

"I'm fine Jet, it's nothing."

He looked at her with uncertainty but decided not to press it any more.

"Will you dance with me then?"

She looked around, baffled, only just now noticing that the tables had been pushed back and a band had begun to play. She answered without thinking.

"O-oh um, of course."

He took her hand and led her to the center of the room

As he placed his hand on her hip she attempted to shove thoughts of the assassin far from her mind but it was no use. As she spun out, she glanced around and spotted Gajeel in the same place she had left him and she realized with a start that he was glowering at her. His studded brows were pulled into a deep frown over his sharp, garnet eyes.

NANI!? What the hell had she done wrong? She was meant to be the angry one here, not him! Just then, Jet snapped her back into his arms and she felt a pang of guilt. She knew how he felt about her, was it wrong for her to have agreed to this dance?

"Jet, I-uh just need to speak to Lu for a moment." Disappointed flitted across his features but she steeled herself.

"Well good luck with that, I think her attention has already been fully claimed."

And sure enough when Levy sighted the blonde, she was laughing and talking with Natsu. He grinned at her, his whole face lighting up and a blush brushed Lucy's cheeks.

Levy was loath to break up their conversation; after all, they spent far too much time dancing around each other and hiding their evident mutual affection.

She shot him a false grin, but pulled from his grip nevertheless, and headed for Lucy and that's when she saw it.

Red.

Dark but vibrant red hair, exactly like her dream.

Fear suddenly rose like bile in her throat but she shoved it down.

A dream Levy. Just a dream, you're fine, she assured herself.

The woman turned slowly. Her dress was rather revealing, certainly enough to make some of the Ladies raise their eyebrows in clear disapproval, it plunged into a deep v at the front and dipped at the back exposing her pale skin. The dress too was a dark red. Her head hung at an angle and a menacing, hair-raising grin tugged at her lips as she turned to face Levy.

She seemed to drop into a curtsy as Levy stood where she was, a few paces from her, frozen in shock. But when she rose up to her full height again Levy thought she saw something glint, like light bouncing off of a mirror . The couples continued to dance around her, utterly oblivious to the strange happenings towards the edge of the room. The atmosphere remained light and cheerful, her guards chatted and hummed along to the music and blind panic invaded Levy's senses.

Stop it Levy. It was a dream, nothing more, she just reminds you of it. Nothing is going to happen. But the woman continued to watch her with that malevolent smile. Her eyes were a deep auburn that matched her long, fiery hair.

A clear path formed suddenly between them and the red woman sprang into action, she moved with such speed and grace that Levy barely had time to acknowledge the dagger that spun through the air towards her.

But it never found its mark, another flew through the air with lethal accuracy and knocked it the floor, this dagger however was less steel like in appearance, it looked more like... like iron.

Gajeel.

Screams pierced the air as the daggers crashed to the floor, the guests finally noticing the threat this woman posed. The room erupted into uncontrollable chaos. The guards snapped to attention and desperately made to protect their princess and sole heir to the throne but the red woman was faster.

She nimbly leaped forward and drew a longer dagger, malicious intent clear in her expression. With an almost girlish giggle she launched herself through the air and Levy knew this was it. She wouldn't have the time to move, let alone scream.

She raised the dagger above her head and brought it down in a neat arc, a perfect killing blow

But again Levy McGarden dodged death, after only being a hair's breadth from it.

Levy squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact, bracing for the end, when a gruff grunt had her eyes flying open. Gajeel stood before her with his arm raised as he took the brunt of the blow.

The dagger ripped through his skin easily and he hissed in pain before clutching his arm to him.

"Gajeel!"

"Get out of here," he ordered through gritted teeth, his voice nothing but serious and laced with pain.

The woman shrieked in irritation, the sound piercing the air.

"You're in my way!" She howled before drawing another weapon from a sheath beneath the long sleeve of her dress but Gajeel was just as quick, if not faster. He drew two lethal looking daggers with serrated edges with relative ease, considering his now profusely bleeding wound. They rested easily in his hands and looked as though they were a part of him as only blades can in the possession of an incredibly skilled assassin.

"What are you waiting for Shrimp, go!" He yelled at her. Her guards reached them then and pulled her away as more rushed to ambush the woman.

Overwhelmingly outnumbered now, she threw herself out of the way as Gajeel launched his attack. She darted for the window, running at a breathtaking speed. Gajeel cursed in anger before flicking the dagger back in his hand and launching it through the air. His aim was perfect, lethal.

But she was too quick.

It sailed through the air, glinting in the lights of the chandelier and lodged in her shoulder just as she collided with the glass of the large window and fell alongside the shattered pieces that glinted in the moonlight.

Shouts of "after her!" Rang through the room but Levy barely paid attention.

She stood gaping at Gajeel who was retrieving the fallen daggers. Never had she seen such wicked accuracy and such grace. She understood now why her father had entrusted him with her life.

She would have died tonight if it had not been for him. She could not protect herself, she saw that now with an awful clarity, and it made her sick to her stomach. She clenched her fists and tears streamed down her face despite herself. No. She would not, could not remain so weak!

She trembled and shook as the guards called her name in concern.

"It's shock," Gajeel said as he approached. He reached out and seized her cheek with his palm. His calloused hands caught at the softness of her skin. The gesture was oddly tender and Levy stiffened in surprise.

"You're too small to see in such a crowded ballroom so next time, don't leave my side," he said, blunt and gruff as always.

Levy could only nod mutely and averted her eyes, a light blush dusted her cheeks. She focused on the arm that lay limp at his side. The ragged gash was becoming quickly inflamed and was swelling at an alarming rate.

"Gajeel!" She seized his arm and he jerked in surprise as he took in the sight

"Those bastards! They were taking no chances."

She stared at him in disbelief

"...poison! Gajeel! You've been poisoned! We have to get you to the infirmary!"

He swayed on his feet and lurched forward, the adrenaline ebbed and the poison rapidly spread, dominating his body, demanding he relent to it. Levy lunged forward and caught him, steadying him. Black spread out along the veins around the wound, the poison travelling alarmingly fast. He clutched his head, panic seeping into his expression as she placed a hand over his at his face.

The room violently spun, and his ears began to ring, nausea overrode his senses and his knees buckled.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried out in alarm, fear woven in her cry, fear for him.

The blood, his blood was seeping into her beautiful gown.

He moaned as the wound throbbed. The poison was strong, too strong. It would have already killed a smaller person but Levy was safe, Levy was safe for now, that's what mattered. His vision blurred as heat seemed to rush through his body, he wouldn't make it. It was too late.

The darkness claimed him.