Gajeel woke first the next morning to a knocking on the door.
"What?" He mumbled rubbing his shoulder because of a slight twinge of discomfort that came from it. Like needles had poked his skin in the middle of the night.
"You two better get up or else you'll be rushing to get to the arena." Came Lilly's voice from the other side.
Two? He wondered then his memory came back of last night when the covers beside him shifted as the form under it rolled over, still deep in sleep.
He grinned, So it wasn't a dream.
Not that he still couldn't believe she was here, in his bed, espiecally after last night. He looked at the girl lying in her side and he could see the nearly invisible fang marks on her neck which marked her as his. The blanket had fallen off her so the edged fell along her waist letting him get a nice view of her upper torso. He was even more pleased when he noticed a few love marks on her skin.
Yeah, definitely could't believe she was here.
He turned his body to face her, brining a hand up and trailed his fingers along her smooth body and waist. At his touch the girls eyes flickered open and came to rest on him.
"Morning." She said smiling brightly and blushing. He looped an arm around her slender waist and brought her towards him and into to kiss.
"Morning." He said against her lips.
She smiled and soon pulling away from his kiss and sat up pulling the blankets up to cover her chest, now becoming aware of them being naked. She glanced over at Gajeel who had moved onto his back and laid his arms behind his head, the blanket now barely coming above his waist. She could't help but stare at the man in front of her thinking about what they had done. When she noticed him eyeing her back she blushed and looked away.
"What time is it?" She asked trying to change the subject.
"Some ungodly hour of the moring." He replied sitting up and sliding over to the girl kissing her shoulder blade. "We should go back to bed."
"Gajeel, quite being a pervert." She said but didn't try to pull away from his kiss now on her neck.
"Gihi, to bad, I get to do what I want with you now." He kissed her bite mark. "This says that."
Before she could reply a knock came again, this time more demanding then the last. "Are you guys up or what?!"
Gajeel turned his head to the door. "We're fucking awake cat so shut up!" He hollered before turning back and frowning. Lilly's interruption had given Levy the chance to slip out of the bed and grab one of the smaller blankets to wrap around her.
"Guess I'll take the first shower then." She said quickly pushing some hair put of her face.
"Fine." He muttered falling back into the bed and closing his eyes, tired again now that his chance was gone. He suddenly felt a small wet peck on his cheek and opened an eye to see the blue haired girl moving back towards the bathroom door after giving him a kiss on the cheek.
She got to the bathroom door and turned back and smiled. "Get up you lazy dragon. I think Lilly brought food," She closed the door and he heard the lock click.
He sniffed the air and found he could smell a tinge of iron and breakfast food coming from the main room. The girls getting better with her dragon senses, He though idly sliding out of bed, slipping on a his pants, and heading towards the food.
He saw Lilly at the table with take out bags and Iron bits and joined him at the table. He grabbed a bar of iron and took a bite out of it. He hardly got his first swallow down before Lilly was at it.
"You're blushing." He said and Gajeel scowled.
"Shut it."
But he didn't "So you and her finally did it? You're a quick one aren't you?"
Gajeel didn't say anything but only looked over at the bedroom door where he could hear the shower running, Not soon enough in my opinion. They sat in silence for a bit eating on their preferred foods before Lilly spoke again.
"You know it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows. Especially now that you to did it. Girls seem to have a sixth sent for that sort of thing" Lilly finished, popping the last lemon into his mouth.
"Can't fucking wait." Gajeel said sarcastically. "I'll get an ear full for this."
"More like a full on interrogation, it being MiraJane and Erza."
"More like torture."
They where laughing at that just when Levy walked out of the bedroom, fully dressed, and towel drying her hair.
"What are you two laughing about?" levy said coming up behind them.
"Nothing." they said at the same time and nodded to each other.
She eyed them suspiciously then shrugged, turning her attention to the bags of food. "Thanks for the food Lilly."
"No problem, I thought you guys would be hungry."
She blushed slightly and Gajeel stood up and headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."
TTT
When he walked back out, now clean and dressed he saw Levy strapping her sandals on.
"Where's Lil?" He asked sitting on the cough and reaching for his boots.
"He had to go catch up with the rescue party." She looked up finally and smiled when seesaw him.
"What?"
Levy only moved closer and leaned in to straighten his headband giggling. "It's suites you."
He slipped his hands around her head and pulled her down into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him falling into the kiss instantly. He pulled back after a bit. "I think you suit me better."
"Gajeel!" she tried to pull away but he pulled her all the way into his lap and kissed her again. She resisted a little but she soon melted into the kiss. "We better get going, the first will have a fit if your late." She said between kisses which Gajeel growled.
"I don't care at the moment." he mumbled.
Levy pulled back and put a hand over his mouth. "Gajeel," she said sternly. Her face became serious.
He growled under her hand and nodded before she moved it. It really pissed him off that she could influence him like that.
"I know." He said. Part of the reason he didn't want to leave was because of the girl, he was worried about her, what with everything she told him the night before. All he wanted to do was hide in here and screw everything else. But he knew Levy wouldn't allow that. Damn, he never thought he would be like this to a anyone, but he didn't care when it came to levy.
"I feel the same," she sighed as if reading his thoughts. "I wish I could hide in here with you forever but we can't. I feel like something bad is going to happen. But then again We are fairy tail, if there wasn't something strange going on we would be losing our touch."
Gajeel chuckled at that. "This guild has gotten me into more shit then I bargained." he smiled, ruffling Levy's hair then trail a hand down her neck and stroke his bite mark with his thumb. "But I got you in return, shrimp, so I guess I'll stick around."
"You guess?" she laughed and got up and headed to the door ready to leave but Gajeel stood up and hooked an arm around her shoulders bring her into a hug and her kissing the top of the head.
He was quiet, just hugging her for a moment to take her in before speaking. "Everthing will work out, Levy."
Levy blushed and grabbed his hand. He may not say a lot but when it did it counted. I'm was with him, and if we're together it would all work out, she prayed silently.
She held his hand, or more like him cupping his around hers, and smiled up at him. He squeezed her hand gently and she pulled him out the door back into reality leaving the comfort of each others shadows behind.
TTTTTTTT
As the two made their way towards the arena Levy heard her name shouted behind her in the early morning streets. She turned to see who called and saw non other than Charlie, who was trotting briskly towards her. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as if he wasn't use to walking so fast, his face was already flush in the process. He waved a hand out for her to stop.
"Charlie?" She called out trying hard to not laugh at the interesting sight. She stopped so he could catch up to them.
He came up to them slightly out of breath. "Levy my dear, I saw you as I was making my way to the store and I just had to stop you-" he stopped and looked up at Gajeel eyeing him curiously eye, like an old man sizing up a teenager. "Hello have we met?"
"Oh! sorry." Levy said forgetting her manners "Gajeel, Charlie." Gajeel nodded at the small man who nodded back. "He owns a book shop near here, the one I bought the book from my first day here remember? Turns out hes and old friend of my dads. And Charlie, this is Gajeel, my fri-"
"Boyfriend." Gajeel said and levy couldn't help but smile slightly to herself.
"Boyfriend." she corrected before Turing a curious eye back to Charlie. "What is it you wanted though?"
He had been staring at Gajeel and seemed confused for a second at her question. Then his eyes lit up at remembering and gave an excited look. "Oh! Right, I just got a shipment of old books on Dragons an other ancient creatures. Some are very rare that I hadn't seem in ages and I wanted to let you get first picks. Seeing how enthusiastic you ha been about that first book."
"Dragon books?" She repeated, feeling excitement herself. "I would love too..." She looked back at Gajeel then to Charlie. "But I can't, we need to get to the games."
Charlie looked heart broken but nodded all the same. "I understand, how-"
"Why don't you go?" Interrupted Gajeel. She looked back raising an eyebrow and he shrugged trying to look indifferent. "You got four hours before the games. You can take a quick look and get to the games with plenty of time."
"But Master Mak-" she asked but he cut her off.
"I'll pass along the information, and when you get there we'll talk more."
"But-"
"Go, have a little fun."
"You're boyfriend is a very wise man." Added in Charlie who was already hooking his arms threw hers ready to leave.
She looked back unsure but he smirk. "Get lost shrimp. I'll catch you before the game."
"Alright." She said not feeling all to bad of being pressured into going. She saw Gajeel think something over then lean in turning her head up to his and kiss her quickly. She was surprised but didn't mind. Maybe he was warming up finally to them being public. Or for some strange reason he wanted to show Charlie that she was with him. Either way it was cute.
"I'll catch you before the game." He said ruffling her hair as he walked off.
She watched him go a bit before turning back to Charlie her eyes twinkling. "So these books..."
TTTTTTTTTT
"-It's one you're father quite enjoyed reading if I remember correctly." He said unlocking the door to the small shop. "They have quite elegantly drawn pictures. Those ancient creatures must have been quite amazing to behold."
"I can't wait to read them." Said levy.
"Well you won't have to wait long." He tossed the keys on the counter and walked around it. "Now, they're in the back room still, the far back wall where you found the first book. Go down the hallway there and you'll see a stack of red books, can't miss it." He began to dig under the front desk for who knows what and Levy found her way to the back wall and down the hallway. The hallway was behind a curtain that didn't stay open and she found it quite dark and hard to see.
"Where's that light switch." She mumbled, trailed her hand on the wall looking for one. "found it." Her fingers touch the cold light switch and flicked it on it on.
And let out a scream.
In front of her laid a twisted, swelled body, bound in ropes, gagged. It was ling in the corner os of tossed their it's body in an unnatural position. But what scared her even more then the body itself was that it was definitely the same man she left at the front desk.
Charlie.
She tumbled back in shock bumping her shoulder hard into the entrance of the hallway. She spun around on impact and was about to run out of the place when a different sight stopped her cold. At the other end of the hall was Gajeel, leaning against the wall a dark grin on his face.
"What's the matter shrimp?" Said Gajeel in his cold voice.
"Gajeel?" She couldn't believe it. He had walked away to the arena. He couldn't be here. Yet here he was,She stumbled back into the room with the dead body. "How, why?"
He let out his familiar cold laugh and took a step closer. "Surprised Shorty?"
"What are you doing? What did you do to Charlie?" He said nothing only taking a step closer and grinned like a lunatic. It scared her.
"Gajeel?" He was scaring her, memories flashing through her head she'd rather have forgotten, she glanced at the body next to her, the smell finally getting to her. "Did you kill him?"
He laughed. "Didn't mean to. It made things difficult when he died."
What? She glanced at the dead body then turned to Gajeel. "This is not possible you're not the real Gajeel. I was with Gajeel and Charlie at the same time."
"Cool trick eh?"
He's trying to get into my head. "you're not the real Gajeel. You're using transformation."
"Sure about that?" He shot a metal arm at her and pinned her around the neck into the wall. "I wouldn't be able to do that then if I was using plain old transformation?" He moved in close keeping her neck pinned. "Or would I know about last night?" her breath caught in her throat and he chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you girl but I'm the real deal." He poked where his bite mark was. "And I had you wrapped around my finger, hell never knew I'd get lucky. If you could call it that, it's never fun with newbies though. I like them when they know what they're doing."
She shook her head disbelieving.
He leaned in close. "You where so easy to play. You really are an idiot. Just like the rest of you mages."
"Stop it. Let me go!" She yelled but he pushed on her neck making it hard to breath. "I trusted you." She gasped.
"Never trust anyone in this world shrimp. Most of all me. Thought you earned that by now."
she kicked out and he growled pressing the metal harder against her throat. "Play nice, the fun is just starting."
She clenched her fist and eyes shot opened. She tried to say something but no words came out due to the pressure on her neck.
"Speak louder bitch." He said pulling back the metal in her neck slightly.
"I said." She coughed out through gritted teeth, it was still hard to breath. "You're not Gajeel."
"Wrong again."
"No, I'm not." She looked at the man in front of her. She still doubted her intuition. He looks so much like Gajeel. Acted like him, moved like him, smelled like him new thing only he would know. Even his powers were the same, which should be impossible with transformation. It scared her how much he was like the real one. She still wasn't sure that it wasn't the real Gajeel. It was only a small mistake that he made that gave her this thought. Please let this not be the real Gajeel, "You want to know why?"
"Enlighten me." He said mockingly taking his grip off lightly. Another move Gajeel may not have made. He tended to ask questions later.
She smiled. "He wouldn't have forgotten something important."
The Gajeel in front of her raised an eyebrow.
"My head isn't the dangerous part about me." She brought her hands up and gave a quick prayer that it would work.
dragon script: lighting.
In an instant a bolt of light formed in front of her and hit the false Gajeel in the chest, sending him flying backwards into the wall causing it to crumble. Dust and fragments filled the room leaving a slight electric taste in the air.
She coughed and jumped over the body that still flickered of lighting and into the main part of the library. I need to get out of here.
She made a dash for the exit, or as close to one she could make as she stumbled in the dark, cluttered,store. At the moment she cursed this library for having to many books. She came to the end of the book shelf and saw the door that was her escape. She heard movement behind her were she had left Gajeel and made a final break for it.
Only to be ricocheted off some type of invisible barrier and falling back into a bookshelf hard causing the books to tumble down on her. As she struggled to get up she heard someone making a tsking sound.
"Now now, Levy McGarden. I wouldn't want the guest of honor leaving the party early."a voice spoke and it echoed around her making it hard to pinpoint.
She got up and looked in the direction of where she guessed the voice was coming but saw nothing.
"Show yourself!" She yelled standing up and whirling around to look for the voice.
"If you'd like." Came a voice beside her ear she spun around and stumbled back and looking around at the figure who spoke. it took her a second to recognize who it was but when it clicked she was shocked. This is impossible, he looked so different yesterday? And shouldn't he be at the arena as well?
"You're-!" She started to say but someone grabbed her arms painfully, twisting them behind her back, making her fall to her knees.
She looked up behind her and saw the Gajeel there grinning.
"Thought that would be all that took to keep me down. And I thought you knew me?" He mocked.
"Let go!" She said an struggled to free herself but to no avail. She looked up at the shadowy figure in front of her. "What do you want with me?"
"Oh, I need you for a very special reason," He bent down and grabbed her chin roughly. "Or I should say, I need the Knowledge Dragon Slayer. And I've been waiting a long time for 're that last piece I needed for my plan." He stood up and turned to walk out the door.
"Plan?-"
Gajeel pulled her arms and she gasped. "No talking."
"Now, now, be nice to our guest. Take her to the gate and get her ready. I have a few last things needing taken care of." Then, as an after thought," "And not to many scratches, yet. After I've used her to her extent you can take your revenge."
Revenge? None of this was making any sense to her. She strained to look back at the one holding her. "Who are you? I know you're not Gajeel."
"Guess you ain't as dumb as you look. But I'm surprised you can't reconize me. Don't you remember an old friend?" He leaned down and as his voice spoke it changed and his face started to shift. "I'll give you something to spark your memory."
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear a phrase that made her bones turn to stone. "Let go play a game Levy."
"No-" she knew that voice. She watched in horror as Gajeel form changed, his black long hair turned a short, choppy and blonde. His red eyes blue. A distinct burn scar grew on his face and levy's eyes grew wide and her heart stopped. It can't be. He, he was dead? he died in the prison fire- or so she had thought. It was him the other night.
"Zarin." She choked out, all her courage leaving her voice. Of everyone, it was him. This was not happening, non of this is real. She couldn't believe it was him. Not him. It's impossible. Yet something deep inside her felt this was the real form she was seeing. This wasn't some type of copy.
His cold calculating smile grew on his face, one that hadn't changed over the all these years. "It's been far to long Levy."
His face was the last thing she saw before he swung his fist and she fell onto cold darkness and shadows.