Chapter 4

"Fer someone who lives 'lone, ya sure have a lotta stuff, shorty."

Gajeel had made himself at home on her couch, flopping onto it with booted feet hanging over the back and armrest. Her apartment was fairly small, but now that all of her furniture was situated, and strewn about with moving boxes, it was like playing a crazy game to try and find a safe trail to walk through. She shuffled through the kitchen, leaping over a large box of pots.

"I think it's just because I haven't put anything away. Thanks for helping with my couch though. It wasn't too heavy was it?"

Gajeel wouldn't not reveal that he had almost crushed her with the couch when she wasn't looking, and in fact had almost crushed himself in the process of preventing her death.

"Nah."

Moving her in had given him a rather intimate look into her lifestyle. Her kitchen supplies (or lack thereof) told him she didn't cook much. She also had an absurd amount of books. Almost every single box he could see into had books. He hadn't seen any of her clothes, though they might already be hidden away in her bedroom.

"Oh shit, what time is it?!"

Startled by her urgency, he pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen.

"15 minutes past 4."

Wow. Had he really been here since noon?

"Crap balls, my cat!"

She stumbled over boxes and books in her haste, flying out the door. He jumped up and chased after her, grabbing his keys from the counter and slamming the door shut, trying to keep up. He followed her bobbing blue head until she reached the building labeled 'Front Office', and there she knocked furiously against a glass door, rattling it in its frame.

A brown haired, middle-aged woman in a grey suit opened the door, where she passed a black feline to eager hands. Gajeel could hear her fervent apologies from a good distance away. The woman did not appear angry or even slightly put off. She closed the door between them with a small wave goodbye as Levy approached where Gajeel was standing.

She wore a radiant smile and offered apologetic coos to the little animal, who in turn greeted her with affection, rubbing it's head under her chin.

"Gajeel, this is Pantherlily, my cat," she offered the black feline to him to hold.

He leaned away from the glaring animal that growled menacingly, doubtful it was safe to take it in his arms.

"Maybe...later? He doesn't seem...happy," he pointed to the cat's face and she turned the feline around, unaware of the hateful transaction.

"Oh. I'm sorry," she cuddled the little beast to her chest and started walking down the path towards her apartment. Gajeel followed.

"So I guess I owe you that lunch now, huh?"

He chuckled darkly, "Or...you could be my partner for that competition coming up."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye and she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I'd rather owe you lunch," she grumbled.

"I don't know, that couch was pretty heavy. Might be worth a little more than lunch, to be honest," he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. It was more for show than anything.

She hummed to herself, now pondering her options. She was quiet until they reached the door to her apartment and Gajeel was worried he might have pushed his luck too far. When she opened it, her cat pounced into the nearest box, declaring war on its contents.

She turned to him in the door frame, blocking his entrance. He had definitely overstepped a line.

"How about a compromise? I'll step in as your partner when you need me in class."

He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly dissatisfied.

"I appreciate your help, I really do, but you don't want me as your partner," she stated, a hint of sadness in her voice, "I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, she closed the door on him.

Gajeel walked away with a smile on his face. He may have lost today's battle, but the war was not over. He shoved his hands into his pockets, jingling his keys as he walked to the parking lot. He still had another two days, after all.

Levy riffled through a pile of leftover CDs near the stereo. According to Mira, Levy was not scheduled to work for another hour, which led her to filling out her employment paperwork, which took all of five minutes.

She had been assigned a studio, Studio M, and she wanted to take the time to get to know her new home. The rosin box by the door was in need of new shavings and she made a mental note to ask about it after work. The floor was recently swept and the stereo was up-to-date. She would have to remember to bring her iPod for the next class.

She had closed the doors to her studio to deter onlookers and popped a familiar CD into the open tray, pushing play. Lively notes of a piano drifted from the speakers and surrounded her in a grounding embrace. Her body automatically pulled her through her floor stretches, pushing her limits until a deep burn in her muscles ignited. She used the next two songs to prep herself.

When she was certain she was ready, she languidly positioned her body center-stage, turning into a well-worn pose. She was waiting for this particular song, it had haunted her for years.

A tired voice came over the speakers, too lazy to fully enunciate the lyrics. It triggered an internal countdown, submerging the ballerina into a different world. It was like dancing underwater. She knew the choreography so well that she did not need to check her form. She closed her eyes against the fluorescent lights and further pulled herself into her world of motion and heat and sound. She danced with her soul, feeling it swell in her chest and overflow through her fingertips. She poured her frustration and sorrow into her dance, using her emotions as the driving force behind every pointe, every turn, and every dip.

She was not alone in her blind world. She eventually came to the change of tone in the song that her partner would have stepped in at. Old tears spilled down her face as the ghost of her former partner completed the dance with her. She positioned her hands accordingly, imagining he was still leading her through the steps.

When the song began to fade, Levy stopped. The original dance required an intimate embrace, but as her partner was not present, she omitted the final pose entirely.

She opened her eyes, clearing her face of the teary evidence. A single round of applause behind startled her and she whirled around to find the dark studded giant in the door frame.