A Saiyan Among Wizards
Chapter 8
Words, Said and Unspoken
Author's Notes: I'm really having a great time writing this since I have so much free time. Thanks for staying with me this far!
*insert TFS disclaimer. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Funamation. I don't own any other property I mention thoughout either, applying to past chapters as well as future ones.
As we walked, I looked around with interest. I have only been to Hargeon once and that was when Erza was dragging my unconscious body through the streets chasing after Natsu and the others. I had passed out on the train ride there and I still have no idea how she dragged me around without me waking up untill we were on the pirate ship that she hijacked. I guess I'm a pretty heavy sleeper. Anyway, the fair was being held near the docks, the decorations could be seen from the hill top street we were on. But it looks as though it hadn't began yet, at least from what I could see. Bored with looking, I began to see if I could go half super saiyan, turning half my hair gold and it only spiking halfway. This proved to be difficult and had entertaining results.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gajeel questioned as I started my first attempt, failing and going full on super saiyan. "And why did your hair and eyes change colors?" Noticing the spiked, golden hair still in a hair tye and my now turquoise eye color. I had, like Goku, trained to reduced the stress put on my body so I could transform almost without thought.
"Oh uh, you don't remember the first time you saw this form, do you?" I inquired, eyebrows raised.
He shook his head. Sighing, I explained that I did this when I retrieved the Senzu for him back in Phantom and what a super saiyan was. "...50 times that of what I am capable of normally. Right now I'm trying to see if I can stay in between forms." He just laughed at me as I continued with my experiment. The best I could was either get my hair to spike and not change color or change color and not spike. I think Gajeel liked the former, since it was similar to his wild hair style.
"Fuck it!" I cursed, throwing up my hands in defeat and returning to my usaul apperance as we approached the manager's office, where our client wanted us to meet them.
Gajeel knocked this time, the door opened to a bespeckled, short haired, brunette woman that both of us easily towered over. She kinda reminded me of Sheska from Fullmetal Alchemist. I kinda nailed that one, cause she acts like her too.
"AAAAAAHHHH"she shriecked, nealy blowing out our eardrums.
"Ah, what you screaming about?" I asked, twisting a finger in each of my ears in attempt to stop the ringing that now assulted them.
"I'm sorry. I'm not that good with people and your friend is more than a little frightening." she said shakely, seeming to trust me more. Maybe it's because I look a bit kinder than Gajeel to her. Thankfully, he was still a little deaf from the intial scream to only hear half the conversation.
"No problem," I chuckled, readjusting my glasses. "Took me few seconds to get used to it, but he's actually a great guy when you get to know him." I whispered assuredly to her so Gajeel couldn't hear. "Anyways, this is Gajeel and I'm Marcus, we were sent here from Fairy Tail to respond to your request." I said, suddenly business-like. I don't know why, but I tend to do this with every job I take, it seemed to serve me well in giving Fairy Tail a good reputation. For jobs at least, cause we all know how notorious they are for drinking. I rolled up the sleeve of my hoodie to show the crest on my arm to confirm that my words were true.
"So your the ones your master said he was sending to help." She said, evaluating how helpful we'd be by our build. She seem heartened that we looked as though we could handle ourselves in a fight.
"Yes ma'am." I answered. "He told us that you've had trouble with people sabotaging the fair the past few years."
"Mhmm" She said, "We begining to suspect it's the work of a near by dark guild, Werewolf King." showing us a crest that depicted a pair of wolf ears and a tail wrapped around a crown. "Though we have no idea why."
"We'll keep an eye out." I promised, noticing that Gajeel was letting me do all the talking. Our client noticed as well and said, "He doesn't talk much, does he?"
"More than you would think, you should hear him sing." I boasted, succeeding in lightening the mood.
"I'll take your word for it." She snickered, "Here," handing us tickets, "why don't you guys enjoy yourselves while you work"
"Thanks." I said gratefully as we took our leave.
Since the fair didn't start till tommorow, we began searching for a hotel to stay for the week. During our search, I asked Gajeel why he had remained silent when we took the job. "I was deaf from her scream." He admitted, "Anyways, from what I could hear, you had it under control. Didn't know ya had such a head for busieness."
"Not really, just good manners." I chuckled," Something I found that is always useful when taking on jobs, gives Fairy Tail a good name."
Finding a hotel soon after, the Sleeping Dragon Inn, unpleasent thoughts unabiddenly crossed my mind, some from a few weeks ago and those that had lodged themselves in my mind yesterday. To avoid an uncomfortable situation, as I asked the cleck at the front desk for a room, I hid these thoughts and the emotions that accompanied them from Gajeel. Taking a room a couple floors up, I had plenty of time to think about how I was going to approach Gajeel with these insecurities as we walked up the stairs. Since we got here early, we had an entire afternoon to talk if need be. The room that I had paid for in advance for the week at the desk was the size of a small apartment, complete with a kitchen, a couple of loveseats, a king sized bed, a large, beautifully crafted desk, and a enclosed bathroom. This place was defenitly worth 25,000 Jewel, and for a week too!
"Not bad, especially for how cheap it was." admonised Gajeel, throwing his bag on coffee table between the two loveseats.
"Yeah," I said quietly, dejeceted. "it's great." Like a mask crummbling to show my sorry state, all these thoughts came to the surface.
"What's wrong?" He asked, eyes full of concern. Don't do that you'll make it worse. I thought, close to tears.
Pulling from a fading strength, I pushed back the tears and said "There's something we need to talk about..." thinking for a second, "Several things actually." I felt rather scared and exposed about what I was going to say.
"Okay." He said, weary and sensing what I was going to say wasn't easy. He sat on one of the loveseats and I took the one opposite of him, arms resting on my calves and wringing my hands a little.
I was silent for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and asked, "Before I start, I want to make sure that anything said, by you or me, is judgement free." He nodded in agreement. "Alright," I continued, "what I have to say isn't easily put to words, but I'm gonna try." He motioned for me to continue. "Well, the thing is I'm still haunted by what I did in Phantom to you. I'm confused as to why you actually accepted my offer to stay when I had almost killed you. And then there's our current relationship, I'm happy about it don't get me wrong, but I have this gnawing doubt that this some kind of cruel punishment in retribution for what I've done. Not to mention you hardly know anything about me and what Gramps said earlier about rushing things like we are. I just hope that what ever is happening now is for the best." I said in a torrent, tears streaming down my face. "I can't help but feel like I derserve all of this." I finished quietly. Bringing my feet up on my seat and hugging my legs, I buried my face in my knees, crushing my glasses a little bit, as sobs racked my body slightly.
I heard Gajeel sigh, get up and walk over somewhere, and come over to me. There was a rustle of cloth as I was wrapped in a blanket. He then sat down next to me pulled me close and asked, "Better?" I didn't answer right away, but I eventually calmed down and nodded shakely. "Good. You shouldn't beat yourself up like this, I don't hold a grudge for what you did. It was an accident and you've more than made up for it. I took that offer as your apology, even though I didn't trust you at first. I'm not doing this to get back at you, I do like you a lot. And what I know about you is that I love you, if that don't cut it, tell me about your past, we've got time and I'll tell you about mine." He said in attempt to comfort me. He really means this. I thought looking up at him in disbelief through clouded glasses.
"Promise?" I asked. He nodded, smiling slightly. "Thank you!" pulling him into a deathgrip hug.
"AAHHH, Easy!" He exclaimed in pain.
"Sorry." I said subdued, letting go.
For the rest of the night, we talk about our pasts. It was easier for me than Gajeel. I told him about my generic childhood, the days I was bullied in school, the depression that followed, being near suicidal for a time but never having the conviction to go through with it, how I realized that opinions don't matter in the great flow of things through "one is all and all is one," and how I still suffer from bouts of depression from time to time that are almost triggered randomly, especially when I screw up majorly and that I keep them a secret from others. In turn, Gajeel told me about his time with Metallicana, though barely, how he was treated horribly in Phantom Lord, and that he was punished terribly when he screwed up a job by his previous master, Jose. He never expressed his feelings on these matters, but I sensed the hurt in his voice as he told me these things. I realized how hard it was for him to trust someone, so it was amazing that he shared all of this with me and conviced me that he really did love me. Why else would he confess to these events?
"We really are damaged aren't we? But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?" I surmized, looking up at Gajeel from his lap, my legs draped over the arm of the couch.
"Yeah." he said distantly. The shadows on his face shifting as the Sun set.
Looking to lift the wieght of the conversation, I put in, "I just remembered, I offered to train you in energy manipulation yesterday, didn't I!"
"Yeah, you did." He responed, remembering as well.
"So, what's your answer?" I asked expectantly.
"I don't see why I shouldn't. So why the hell not?" He answered confidently.
Smiling, "Great!" I said, "Obviously, we can't train now but I can teach the basics as we work. Give you a head start."
"Sounds good." He replied.
"And it might be a good idea to take the day off after we complete this job, so you're at your best when we start." I said thoughtfully, completely forgeting who was supposed to be visiting the guild on that day.
"Not a bad idea." He looked out the window to see that the moon had risen. "We should get to bed, the fair starts tommorow." Gajeel said, getting up.
"M'kay." I said tiredly, cleaning my glasses and setting them on the bedside table. Taking off my shoes, shirt, and socks, I collected the blanket from the couch, bumping into the cofee table during the process, and joined Gajeel in the bed. Hugging him tightly, I snuggled into his chest as he nuzzled the top of my head and placed it under his chin. We fell asleep, closer than before, and feeling secure in each others arms. I love you Gajeel. Being my last thought as I drifted off into a peacefully slumber.
ARRGGH! I'm begining to run out of thing to say at the end of these. Anyways, as always, please leave a review and continue you support. Chao!
