Hey Jealousy - A Fairy Tail Fanfic - Chapter 10

Of course Levy takes a shower at Gajeel's place; it wouldn't be a Fairy Tail fanfic if she didn't!

All characters property Hiro Mashima


Chapter 10 – The Promise

Levy decided that the only thing worse than being carried upside down through Magnolia Town by a Dragon Slayer was when said Dragon Slayer wouldn't say a word to her.

The bluenette had tried to engage Gajeel in conversation as they wound through the streets of the town, but the iron mage refused to respond. Instead, he just kept walking, which was frustrating Levy to no end. She had no idea where they were or where they were going, and Gajeel obviously had no intention of telling her.

"Not that the view back here is so bad," thought Levy, eyeing Gajeel's well-sculpted butt as he turned down what seemed like an alley from the girl's limited field of vision. "But hot ass or no, my head is starting to spin!"

"Are we there yet?" she complained. "I'm getting a headache back here!"

Gajeel stopped and Levy heard a key turn, followed by what sounded like a door creaking open.

"Quit yer whinin', we're here."

Gajeel walked over the threshold and kicked the door shut before heading through a dim, narrow hallway, still holding Levy over his shoulder in an unrelenting grip. He finally stopped in a pitch-black room where Levy felt herself being carefully lowered to the ground by two strong hands. As she recovered her balance, she heard the flip of a switch followed by a bright light that flooded her eyes.

The solid script mage blinked and tried to take in her surroundings as her brown eyes accustomed to the light. When her vision cleared she realized she was in a bathroom, of all places, with a scowling Gajeel towering over her.

"Here." The metal wizard thrust a towel at her.

Levy reached out to take the towel but was puzzled by the gift. "What's this for?"

"Your shower," replied Gajeel through gritted teeth.

"Shower?" Levy balked at his strange demand. "Why do I need to take a shower?!"

Gajeel squeezed his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because you got that flame brain's scent all over you, and it's driving me insane," he growled. "If you don't get it off like NOW, I'm gonna smash everything I see and Pantherlily's gonna kill me because he finally got this place cleaned up the way he likes it."

Levy gulped then nodded. "Okay," she managed to squeak out.

Gajeel, body tense, turned around and stalked off without another word. Levy jumped as the door slammed shut, leaving her alone in the cold, unfamiliar bathroom.

The petite girl let out a sigh and looked around to get her bearings. The bathroom, though plain, was clean and tidy. A waist-high cupboard next to the uncluttered sink was topped by a short stack of neatly folded black towels, while two robes – one large and one teensy – hung from metal hooks on the wall . Levy tiptoed over to the shower and peeked behind the black shower curtain to see various soaps and shampoos lined up inside in a similar orderly fashion. The shipshape arrangement was definitely Pantherlily's touch – the exceed must have learned the skill of organization from being in the military on Edolas, and she was glad to see he was enforcing it with Gajeel.

Levy turned on the shower and carefully undressed, making sure to fold her clothes into a neat pile so as not to disturb Pantherlily's otherwise spotless bathroom. Once the water temperature was to her liking, she got into the shower and closed the curtain behind her. As the water poured over her body she was suddenly glad Gajeel insisted she take a shower – it was a welcome relief to wash off all the dust and grime she had picked up from being dragged through the streets of Magnolia by Natsu. She hummed to herself as she picked up a bar of soap and worked it into a huge lather. She didn't think she smelled like the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, but she wasn't taking any chances!

"There, that oughtta do it!" she thought as she rinsed off a third lathering of soap. She turned off the water and covered herself with a towel, drawing back the shower curtain gingerly in an attempt to keep from dripping too much water onto the floor. To her astonishment, she saw that her clothes had disappeared and were replaced with another set of clothing that was much bigger and darker than what she usually wore.

Levy quickly dried herself off and inspected the replacement attire - a large black t-shirt and a pair of baggy gray shorts that were obviously Gajeel's clothes. She bit her lip as she wondered how she was going to wear them. The t-shirt reached past her knees and she was pretty sure she could probably put her whole body in just one of the legs of the shorts. Seeing no other choice, she tried to wear both but found herself drowning in cloth.

"Solid script BELT!" Levy cried in desperation. The word "BELT" appeared as a thick leather strap that she buckled around her waist, turning the t-shirt into a makeshift dress. She then wiggled out of the shorts, deciding that going "commando" was better than wearing the bulky bottoms. She stood on tiptoe to look into the mirror and tried to do something with her freshly shampooed hair, but after a few minutes of tousling with it soon gave up. Taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and padded out into the rest of the apartment, where she found Gajeel sitting on a couch and twisting a pair of dumbbells into knots in frustration.

Gajeel's keen dragon senses had no trouble picking up Levy's presence. He looked up at the girl almost as soon as she entered the room. Catching his forceful gaze, Levy's heart thudded into her chest, but she continued over to where he sat on the couch before her courage could leave her. She was pleased to see his tight body relax as he let out a huge sigh of relief at her approach.

"You don't smell like him anymore," said the iron mage, his arm pulling her straight to him once she was within reach and pressing her stomach into his nose.

Levy blushed at the intimacy of his touch but made no sign of complaint. Instead she placed a hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair.

Gajeel wrinkled his nose. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" asked Levy, worried she hadn't washed Natsu's scent completely off herself after all.

"Well now you smell like me and that's even MORE distracting," Gajeel muttered.

Levy couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Are you EVER satisfied?" She shook her head.

Gajeel glared at her, but instead of answering her question he stood up and sat her down in his place on the couch. "Sit," he ordered.

"Gajeel, I -" the girl began, but he interrupted her.

"No talking yet shrimp, I go first," he growled. The young man kneeled down then reached into his pocket and pulled out something that Levy couldn't see. When she saw his two hands reach out for her neck, however, it caused her to close her eyes and flinch, remembering the one time long ago he had made a similar move on her. She tried not to, but she couldn't help it.

Gajeel sucked in a breath. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Levy. In fact, I'm never gonna hurt you again. Open your eyes so you can see what I mean."

Levy slowly opened her brown eyes and gasped. In Gajeel's hands was a delicate silver necklace, on which hung a finely detailed silver charm in the shape of a dragon.

"Oh, Gajeel," she sighed, reaching out to touch the dragon charm. "It's beautiful!"

"It took me freakin' forever to make it," he smiled with satisfaction. "You like it?"

"You made it?" The awed look on Levy's face filled Gajeel with pride. The blue-haired girl beamed back at him. "I love it!"

"Good, cuz you're gonna wear it every damn day, understand?" he said as he placed it carefully over her head and around her neck. "There, now everybody will know you're my girl when they see that."

Levy looked up at him with a hopeful expression that twisted the Dragon Slayer's heart into a knot tighter than the one he made with his dumbbells. "I'm your girl?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that? Cuz neither one of us has a choice in it!" he snapped, not used to these types of feelings the little mage created in him.

Levy furrowed her brow, a little insulted by that last comment. "What do you mean we don't have a choice?!"

Gajeel jumped to his feet and pointed at her. "Listen up shorty and don't interrupt cuz I'm only gonna say this once!"

Levy's eyes widened as Gajeel began to pace. "Look, I'll be the first one to admit you deserve a hell of a lot better than an asshole like me," he began, "especially since I pretty much beat the shit outta you the first day we met. Since then I've tried to make it up to you, telling myself that I was only doing it as part of my plan to prove to everyone I was loyal to the guild.

"But then you had to go and be all freakin' cute and nice and forgiving, and awesomely smart, and stronger than you look and have a hot little round ass and blow my plan out of the water!" he snarled.

Gajeel looked at Levy as if expecting her to protest, but she wisely kept her mouth shut. The young man nodded and went on.

"Everyone in the guild likes you – that much I figured out right away. Especially those two dumbasses you call your teammates," he spat.

"Hey!" Levy bristled at his insult of Jet and Droy but Gajeel ignored her.

"What I couldn't figure out is why I started likin' you too. Eventually I stopped trying to figure it out and just accepted it. But I knew that someone like you was too good for a lowlife like me, so I made a deal with myself. If another guy liked you, I would stay outta his way but only on one condition – he had to be able to beat me in a fight."

Levy gave him a wry look. "Not a very fair condition if you ask me, tough guy."

"Never said I was fair," Gajeel grinned. "Anyway, of course any guy that showed interest in you was a total weakling. I pounded a couple into the ground no problem, but then one day I realized something." He stopped pacing.

"Oh?" Levy asked, wondering who those two poor souls were that Gajeel had pounded.

Gajeel looked at her. "Do you remember when I took that hit from Laxus for you?"

"How could I forget?" she shuddered. "That's when I knew I could trust you."

"Well that's when I knew I couldn't trust myself," he said. "I realized that if someone with Laxus's strength decided he wanted you, I still wasn't gonna give in. I am NEVER gonna give you up, Levy. I never felt like this for anyone else, so if someone else wants you he's gonna have to kill me first. Cuz if I can still stand up for you I ain't gonna stop gettin' up until I can't get up ever again." He punched a fist into his hand.

Levy placed a hand over her mouth, tears shining in her eyes. "Oh, Gajeel," she said.

The iron mage knelt back down in front of the girl and took her wrists into his hands.

"I once put metal on these wrists and I've regretted it ever since," he said, referring to the first time they had met – a memory that filled him with shame at the violent actions he had committed that fateful day. "Now I'm putting metal around your neck as a promise I'm not gonna hurt you again." Here he took her left hand into his and took a deep breath. "And one day I'm gonna put metal on this ring finger when you're ready, and that's gonna be my proof that I will protect you for the rest of my life."

Gajeel looked up at Levy, who had tears streaming down her face. "Hey, sorry you're stuck with me, but no cryin' alright?" he objected. "You're just gonna have to deal with it!"

"Deal!" Levy laughed, throwing her arms around the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Deal, deal, deal!"

The young man pulled back from his girlfriend's embrace and eyed her warily. "So you're not pissed at the bum deal you got?"

His suspicion soon turned to surprise as the girl answered him with a searing kiss.

A wicked smirk formed on Gajeel's face as Levy laced her fingers behind his neck, all the while her lips roaming over his. A deep rumble of desire escaped his throat as he crossed her legs behind his back before grabbing her butt and raising himself up to carry her to his bedroom. Levy dimly felt the rush of air as she was raced backwards through the hallway, then gasped at the feel of a bed at her back while her raven-haired boyfriend positioned himself over her body. Her hands clutched at his immense biceps as their mouths hungrily devoured each other, each feeling that no matter how close they were it still wasn't enough.

When they broke to catch their breath, Levy's sparkling brown eyes looked into Gajeel's burning red ones. "To answer your question," she panted, "I would have to say that being an Iron Dragon Slayer's girlfriend is definitely NOT a bum deal!"

"Gi-hi-hi-hi," Gajeel chuckled. "You got that right, babe! Although, I wouldn't mind having the Salamander's fire magic right about now."

Levy's eyebrows shot up. "Why in the world would you want that?"

"To burn those clothes of yours that still reek of that idiot," he grumbled.

The bluenette blushed. "But then I wouldn't have any clothes to wear home!"

"First of all shorty, you're not goin' anywhere for at least a couple days, and second, the only thing you're gonna be wearin' while you're here is that necklace!" Gajeel murmured in her ear as his hands roamed underneath his t-shirt that she wore. It was his turn to blush however when he discovered that she wore absolutely nothing underneath the borrowed clothing, sending the girl into a fit of giggles.

"I guess I can deal with that," said Levy in a queenly manner after her laughter subsided, "but only on one condition!"

Gajeel cocked an eyebrow, secretly loving how confident she was with him even though they were both well aware he could crush her at any moment. "Oi? What condition is that?"

She winked. "That I'm not the only one wearing just metal for the next couple days!"

Gajeel eagerly ripped the shirt he wore into shreds. "Oh that can definitely be arranged!" he said, leaning towards her for another kiss, which she had no problem submitting to. His hands just as easily tore through her solid script belt, which he tossed aside, allowing his t-shirt she wore to drape freely against her body. He slid a hand under the shirt and along the curve of her hip, inspiring her to trail her fingers along his defined abs, making him shudder in delight.

"Where the heck did you learn that?" he gasped.

Levy gave him a sly smile. "It's amazing what one can learn in books," she teased.

"So what else have you learned bookworm?" Gajeel grinned at her.

"Come here and find out," she challenged.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi!" he laughed. "Way ahead of you, short stuff!" And with that, he captured her mouth in a kiss so hot he was sure he could give that pink-haired idiot yet another run for his money.


A/N - Yup, that Pantherlily keeps Gajeel in line! lol