Even when she didn't speak, Gajeel newest little treasure frustrated him.

While he liked to nap in his den, most of the day he spent in the glory of his hoard, organizing his precious items and entertaining himself with all the things he'd collected. He had a massive library and many instruments that he'd like to play, so his day was never too dull. Well, he could barely read any of the books, but the fancy script and pictures were at least interesting.

The tiny fairy, Levy, was not as fun. When she wasn't glaring, she was curled up in her golden cage, the glow of her pixie dust wearing off more every day. That fiery spirit only returned whenever he tried to interact with her, in which she'd snap at him and turn away. She wasn't a music fairy that could perform for him, and she certainly wasn't very funny. He did feed her well, of course, but she always shoved the meat out of the cage grumpily. Were all fairies vegetarian?

It had gone on like this for about a week, and when Gajeel entered his hoard one day, he decided that her moping was over. His only company had been trolls for about a hundred years; this fairy needed to talk to him.

"Fairy!" he called out as soon as he entered the great cavern, glittering with endless mounds of gold and gems and priceless artifacts. "Stop broodin' and do somethin'."

She may as well not even heard him. The fairy was sitting at the edge of her cage, head buried in her arms and knees. Gajeel approached where she was hung from a bookshelf, frowning through the golden bars. With a jolt, he realized that Levy was shivering. Of course; she was in a thin and small dress, used to warmer temperatures. Maybe she would talk to him if she were warmer… and perhaps more comfortable than a metal floor.

He scrambled over piles of treasure to the fine silks and blankets in a pile near the corner he liked to look at the book pictures in, snatching up the thickest and softest cushion and fuzzy cloth he could find and rushing back to the cage. "You know I can catch you if you try to escape," he warned before opening the little door to spread the cushion over the bottom and the little blanket over the top. She didn't try, but maybe because she looked to be too much in shock to do anything but flutter in the top and stare at the little bed he'd given her.

He locked the little door again, raising his metal eyebrows at her. "That better? Now you'll talk?"

Levy floated back down to the floor of the cage gave him an incredulous look, and continued in her silence.

"What do I gotta do to get you to do somethin' other than sit there?" Gajeel sighed, slumping down against the bookshelf.

The voice was so small and scratchy that he almost missed her say, "If you let me go, I'd probably do something interesting. I'd probably fly home."

"No."

"Why not?" she demanded, standing on her cushion as he glared at her dully. "I'm obviously of no use or entertainment to you."

Gajeel scoffed. "You're part of my hoard. I can't just let you go. Don' be stupid."

"That's not a reason."

He sputtered, wondering what could be a better reason. His hoard was… his. He couldn't just… give part of it away! What a ridiculous idea. "You can't give up your hoard! You make no sense."

"And you're a greedy, repulsive troll," the fairy spat, turning away from him and sitting back down. "I don't talk to you because I can't stand you. Leave me alone."

Anger boiled in his gut. "W-well I can't stan' ya either!" He stood abruptly, marching off past the bookshelves and into his far corner where she was out of sight.

Though he didn't want to acknowledge the emotion's existence, Gajeel couldn't ignore the hurt that spiked into his heart. He gritted his teeth at the pain of it, growling to himself. What did he care if she didn't like him? He'd never had a friend before; he didn't need one now.

From his seat on his cushions, Gajeel glanced around for a distraction. His crimson eyes traced the shelves, following the lines of books until he realized he'd already flipped through each of them. Followed the wall of instruments until he realized he'd played them all. Followed the ring of weapons and training material where he better taught himself to fight, until he realized that each of the moves now bored him with their repetition.

Levy was the only novel thing in this place, and she hated him.

Knowing how to make someone like him wasn't exactly something Gajeel had ever needed. Metalicana, his father, had often laughed about the unpleasant expressions Gajeel would make, but the comments had never really bothered him. He figured that made him fierce, a true dragon that struck fear into the hearts of minor beings of the Binding World. But now… hidden in this cave with only trolls to fear him, he found it not quite as appealing.

For the first time, he felt a bit of… anxiety. How does one be nice? The most loving thing a dragon could to for another other than actually mating was to share their hoard… but he couldn't do that. Maybe just a tiny bit…

With determination he stood, marching over to the main room and picking up two gold coins. But as he stared at them, he swallowed thickly. His mind chanted, mine, mine, mine…

Breathing out deeply, Gajeel returned to the cage. And, though it almost physically pained him, Gajeel pushed the coins in and onto her cushion. He waited.

Levy turned slowly to the sound of the new items in her cage, frowning down at the coins. "What are those for?"

"You," he said gruffly, glaring at the opposite wall and sliding back down the bookcase once more.

"And… what am I supposed to do with these?"

Gajeel was confused. "Uh… keep them?"

Levy's expression seemed to match his own. "...why?

"B-because!" Gajeel stammered uncomprehendingly. Were there really creatures that didn't want riches to possess? The idea simply didn't compute.

"What do I need it for?" Levy muttered, tracing a tiny finger along the meaningless letters in the circumference of a coin. "I would only need it to buy books or food, but only if I were home. As long as I'm here it's useless to me. Why do you need these things when you never leave the lair, anyway?"

"It's mine," Gajeel said, not able to understand. "I need it."

Levy stared at him levelly for a moment. "I used to admire dragons. They're beautiful, majestic creatures, were wise and willing to help others, and they lived in loving nests. Perhaps I was wrong about them-"

At the word 'nests', Gajeel shot upward. "You know nothin' about dragons!" he snarled. "Nests have a passion for one another like the Bond itself couldn't compare to, and when that's broken…" His voice came to a halt, cracking. Instead, he jabbed his finger at the cage. "Well it's nothin' a pipsqueak like you could understand! After that, a hoard is all the damn comfort they have, so don't you get all high and mighty on me!"

She had retreated to the far end of her enclosure, fear flickering in her brown eyes. Gajeel winced in slight regret. Perfect-his attempt at being a nice person spiraling from awful to hellish. Gajeel didn't have the energy in him to try anymore; it wasn't going to matter. He was terrible at this. It was better when he had no one to talk to instead of being reminded of his pathetic lifestyle. Lone dragons… weren't exactly looked well upon in the first place.

He spun on his heel, stomping back off the way he'd come. That is until he registered her say softly, "Black Steel?" Making a sour face, he regarded her for a moment. Her small face had softened, and her pale arms were wrapped around one of the coins. "Thank you," she said.

He blinked. "Oh. Uh. You're wel… uh…"

"Why do you only look at the pictures?"

He blinked again. "Huh?"

"In your books. I saw you read them, and you only look at the pictures."

Heat made its way up his cheeks. "Um… I don'... I never… learned how ta read."

The new silence was awkward, until she said, "Well, I am… a guardian of words. Perhaps… I could read to you?"

His eyes narrowed. "You're tryin' to get me to let you out of the cage."

"You're pretty dumb, but I know you're not dumb enough to fall for that," she sighed, earning an indignant noise. "I can do it right from the cage if you want. Besides, you made those huge metal doors to this place. I don't know magic that could get me out."

Temptation gnawed at him; he'd always yearned to know what was in the books; stories about dragons? Magic spells to improve his strength? A map of the Binding World so that he could find more treasures? This was a perfect way to be entertained by her…

"Fine," he muttered, plucking the cage from its hook and carrying her over to the shelves. Levy squeaked and held onto the bars to keep from tumbling around. "I wanna read this one," he told her, picking out a storybook with a dragon on the front.

"Okay," she said quietly. Gajeel propped the cage up against some cushions and set the volume in front of her.

One Month Later…

"One more sentence."

Gajeel groaned, pushing the book away with a huff. "I already read the whole last page! And it had that one word in it that was a different language! How dumb is that?!"

"Oh, hush," Levy laughed, flitting up from her seat on the book to land lightly on his shoulder. "I wouldn't ask you to do it if I didn't think you could! You've been catching on so quickly."

Feeling heat dust his cheeks, he reluctantly pulled the book closer. When he'd clumsily recited the next sentence, Levy gave a little cheer and settled on his hand. "Alright, that's fine for today. Tea time!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. The little fairy always insisted they have tea together every afternoon, since a few weeks ago when he'd first let her out of her cage. He'd hoarded some rare and expensive tea years ago, but he'd never intended to use it. But since she told him repeatedly that it was good for him and would give him strength, he'd agreed.

"Fine," he grumbled, though he'd already started walking over there before she said anything. Levy twirled through the air behind him, hopping along bookshelves and exclaiming over titles she'd missed on her last walkabout. "Oh, Gajeel! This one is in such an ancient Fairy language… oh, an encyclopedia set from Earth! Probably collected from the elves… Look at the drawings in this! I think this is gold leaf!"

"'Course it is," he grumbled, viewing her happy twittering in amusement. He'd never seen any creature so animated about books. To Gajeel, they were expensive treasures that were coveted by others, scrawls and pictures on parchment, but somehow they were more to Levy. When she'd read, her whole body would twinkle, cheeks reddening in excitement as her tiny hands lovingly stroked the paper. He'd even found her smelling them before, the scent leaving her looking as if she were intoxicated. If Gajeel were the kind of creature to find things adorable, he might describe her that way. Luckily, he wasn't that kind of creature.

Seeing her that way had made letting her out of the cage worth it. Reading from behind its bars had gotten difficult for her, and it had been annoying trying to position books in a way that she could see them. Not to mention, if he were to fully appreciate his treasure, she needed to come with him, and it was irritating to carry a cage. Every night, Gajeel had usually put her back in the cage, but the last two weeks he'd fallen asleep in the cushions behind the bookshelves, book in his lap and Levy curled up in his cupped hand.

Then the next morning, it was back to grumbling while he pulled down tomes that she wanted to see, too heavy for her to remove but surely she'd sulk or ramble about the books' possibilities if he didn't retrieve them. For hours, she'd sit atop the book and read while occasionally watching him train in combat and magic. Sometimes, she chose to soak in a bubble bath, the tub in actuality was one of his food bowls. Hours after, they read. One, hour, two hours, on it went until some days it was nighttime and they'd forgotten to eat.

Now, he stopped short at the cabinet that normally housed the expensive tea only to see… nothing.

"Crap," he said to her, cutting off her next exclamation. "I forgot-we finished the last of it last night."

The sound of light fluttering came close to his ear as she zoomed over and landed on his shoulder again. "Hmm." Levy frowned. "Well, that's okay! I know some leaves outside that I can gather and put in the kettle. That's what I'd do at home; very fresh taste, and many flavors. Especially if you pick some flowers…"

She trailed off, likely at his wide eyes. Gajeel's mind seemed to come to a stop. Outside? Oh no, she couldn't possibly be let outside. None of his treasure was ever supposed to see the light of day again.

"Please?" Levy said hesitantly. "I need a little time outside, Gajeel. I may not be an elemental nature guardian, but I still do need to be in the sun, in nature to replenish my strength. My pixie dust is nearly gone and then… then my magic will be gone. It would feel like my heart has been torn out. I can regain it outside."

Closing the cabinet, Gajeel shifted uncomfortably, staring at his boots. "M-maybe I could put in a glass window…"

"It does me no good to see outside," Levy sighed. "I have to be outside. I haven't seen sunlight in a month, Gajeel…"

He swallowed, shaking his head quickly. "N-no. Can't… can't let you out."

"I need it, Gajeel. The strain could kill me."

Putting his hands up against the wood and leaning forward. He just kept shaking his head. No, surely she'd fly away. She'd leave. Levy would leave and… he'd be… alone?

Before, that might not have bothered him. Gajeel was always alone. It was best that way. But now, without a small voice reading with him before bedtime, someone to share his meals and secrets with, tease, laugh, fight with… what would he do?

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!

You're a greedy, repulsive troll, his memory echoed her voice.

And then, the memory of what she'd told him just last week. I'm sorry for what I first said about you, Gajeel. There's more to you than a selfish dragon; you're kind and good and if you weren't my captor, I may consider you a friend. This last month has been… actually fun.

The strain could kill me.

Kill.

"Okay," Gajeel said, voice scratchy. "Okay. We'll get some tea leaves. For a few minutes."

With a cheer, Levy lept off his shoulder and twirled down to his hand, where she hugged a finger. "Yay! Let's go right now!"

The things I do for you, pipsqueak, he internally sighed, following her to the great, iron doors that were molded into the entrance. With a wave of his hand, the intricate, heavy locks began winding their machinery, clicking and whirring until the doors slid apart, shaking the stone frame.

The trek outside was nausea filled and made cold sweat drip down his face. She won't fly away. It's just getting tea leaves. She won't fly away.

Finally, the mouth of the cave appeared, and Levy put on a burst of speed, spinning out into the light and spreading her arms while she twirled. He cautiously came out behind her, then halted, staring. Levy was glowing, sparkling in the sunlight that beamed through the trees. Her smile radiated, hair drifted around her, eyes closed in the bliss of nature and the magic that was clearly flowing back into her.

Gajeel had never known that such tiny things could be so beautiful.

"Come on, Gajeel!" Levy laughed. Her brown eyes shone like gold. "The breeze is so lovely!"

Grumbling darkly and wincing at the sun, he trudged out. He squinted through the light, along the bushes. "Which of these can be used for tea?"

Levy scanned the area, hovering at his eye level. "Those little yellow flowers should do-they're camomile. Then some of those fuzzier leaves there, yes, that's mint. Get down and get picking!"

With a heavy sigh, Gajeel knelt, plucking the flowers and leaves from the ground and adding them to the small pouch he'd brought along. Levy fluttered down to the ground beside him, tugging upward on plants and flying them to his bag. It was a mindless, relaxing sort of work, and he found himself zoning out. Reach down, pick, pocket, reach…

A small chipmunk scurried out from its hole, blinking at him. Gajeel snorted at its confused expression, turning to see Levy's reaction-

Levy. Where was Levy?

"Levy!" he called out through the trees, panicked. He'd called her by name only once before. "Levy, where are you?!"

He stood immediately, bones filling to the brim with dread. Gajeel hadn't heard, with his enhanced senses, any sounds of a scuffle, no cries or signals of a disturbance. Phantoms were the only creatures clever enough or thought it worth their time to catch a fairy, and they didn't wander this part of the woods, and never at daytime. She couldn't have been taken, nor gotten lost without him hearing her call for help.

That left only one explanation.

Gajeel fell to his knees, then sat back on the ground, hard. His red eyes stared, glazed, straight ahead. Of course. She'd flown home. If he'd been kept from his nest, he would've flown home first chance as well…

Had he really been such a monster as to keep her?

Dropping his face into his hands, he drew a shaky breath.

I should've known.

She wasn't being nice because she was his friend. She was being nice so that he'd trust her enough to let her outside, let her go home. Her tinkling laugh echoed across his mind.

Alone. I'm alone again.

The thought was enough to make pain clench at his stomach and make him groan. So stupid. Of course she'd leave. There was nothing for a fairy here but a selfish dragon and a prison.

He was a cruel beast and he was stupid to have dreamed up the possibility that she'd want to stay.

Gajeel felt like a hatchling again when he hugged himself and rocked back and forth. Just once. What now? Now that Levy was gone… his hoard would feel empty without her as his greatest treasure. Nest dead, treasure gone… what else was there to even live for?

What was there when you weren't worth staying for?

"My, there's such a large patch over there! Sorry, I came as quick as I could; didn't realize how far I'd gotten. What do you need?"

Gajeel looked upward, gaping. There she was, blinking at him innocently with her delicate wings reflecting a rainbow across her bright face.

Levy's smile faded, head tilted. "Did you… think I'd flown away?"

Scrambling to his feet, Gajeel looked away, hoping to hide the heat in his face. "N-no," he grumbled, crossing his arms. "Y-you're not that dumb." He cursed himself internally for being so soft. Of course she wouldn't leave; she'd think that he'd sniff her out, and she couldn't leave without her valuable book.

"Gajeel." Her smile had returned. "Were you sad because you thought I'd left?"

"No way, shortstack! Now shaddup and let's get back into the lair."

Levy's knowing, glowing smile was all she gave; she didn't continue to argue. But she said, "It's so nice out. Do you think we could boil a kettle out here and sit in the sun for a while?"

Though the usual growls about all the stupid effort it would take slipped through his lips, Gajeel collected the kettle and spit, striking a fire from some flint. He brought Levy an Earthen history book for her to pour through while she sat in the sun. Their little clearing outside of the cave was flat and green, giving a view through the trees far off into the Scorch. Zaltana, the High Elven city, was too far off to see, but the shine of the Bond was always visible, a bright blue in the sky.

The book was on his lap, her hopping across the pages to the new information. When his cheeks began to hurt, he realized it was because he'd been smiling. Too much.

Some part of him held the deep desire that she was human sized as he. What he'd do then… Gajeel didn't really know, but he wanted it.

When the tea was ready, he poured it into the smallest cup he had for her; she scooped it out and drank it with a fairy sized spoon, sitting daintily atop the porcelain handle. He drank from his iron tankard.

"Gajeel?" Levy said his name eventually. He raised an eyebrows down at her in acknowledgement, to which she continued, "I'm very worried. I have been for all the weeks I've been here. About that book you got from me."

"It's bein' kept in a safe place, I promise," he assured her, taking another swig before reaching for the kettle.

"No, I mean what was inside it," Levy insisted, sliding down to the saucer to stand with her hands on her hips. "The High Elves sent it to me, ordered by the Celestial King himself. As the head Summer librarian, I was to search it for any hidden meanings, translations, and possibilities it held that could be dangerous. I was supposed to bring it to Spring to show my findings and let them have a look; the elves were expecting it back by now, and they're probably worried sick."

Gajeel lowered his mug. "The Celestial King? Jeez, didn't think this tiny book was that big of a deal. If it's so important to them, why don't they have another copy to go fret over?"

"It's not usually tiny," she sighed with a roll of the eyes. "They shrunk it for me to read more easily. It's not just a book that can be replicated. It's filled with intense magic."

"If you was so worried about it-"

"Were," she corrected.

Gajeel ignored her. "-then why didn't you just tell me earlier? I coulda sent a message through a troll. Hey, elf-ass! I'm keeping your fancy book and your librarian pal. Forever. Don't wait up! Signed, Big Deal Black Steel."

Pinching the bridge of her tiny nose in obvious exasperation, Levy said, "It's not like that. I didn't tell you because I didn't think I could trust you with the information, but I've decided that it's time. Gajeel, what you stole from me is the White Grimoire. The Book of the Bond."

He dropped his mug, and minty tea splattered on the grass. "The White Grimoire? Damn, I feel proud of myself now."

"Gajeel!"

"Wait…" Frowning, he muttered, "Well, that book has probably existed a long time, eh? Why would they send it to you to look through now, anyway?"

"Because the Zodiac saw patterns of human cults gathering at Bond connections on Earth, and the King suspects they may be trying to damage it."

Gajeel's heart skipped a beat. While he gave very little care about the rest of the world and its problems, he knew how essential the Bond was. Metalicana used to take him to the top of the mountain at night, where they could see the Bond like a beacon in the distance, shooting from the ground and into the endless sky.

The beauty of the Bond is a reflection of the beauty of the worlds, my son, Metalicana's deep voice had told him one memorable night, when the stars were just beginning to gleam. They are always one, and good always prevails, no matter how loud evil shouts. The Bond keeps this balance between good and evil, light and dark, life and death. The balance between Celestial Realm, Binding World, Earth, and Hell. Because of the Bond, all creatures with a soul across every dimension are equals. Nothing is more important than protecting that Bond, Gajeel, and us dragons must do anything to keep it safe. Remember that.

"That's bad," he summed up.

"How articulate," snorted Levy. "In any case, my findings are dire to report to the elves. When I came outside, I was most relieved to see the Bond still there, but I don't know… how long it will last without this information."

His metal eyebrows creased. "Surely mere humans couldn't manage to hurt it?"

Her expression was grave.

He swallowed, throat dry. "You found something important, didn't you?"

"Yes. I should've told you sooner, but I thought you wouldn't care. That was wrong of me."

"Levy." Gajeel breathed out, closing his eyes. "We… we have to do anything to protect that Bond. At least, I do. It's what a dragon does."

"So… you'll fly me to Zaltana with the book?" Levy tried hopefully.

The idea of leaving the lair for a place so far was so foreign and sudden that Gajeel couldn't find it in him to respond. Coming outside with Levy had already been a challenge for the day.

Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, but then-

A terrible, screeching, moaning sound seemed to blast from across the Scorch, coming in a wave and making Levy scream as she toppled into his stomach. Gajeel fell backward at the shockwave, little fairy tumbling up to land smack on his forehead. The trees seemed to be pushed by a great wind that Gajeel didn't feel physically; it was pure magic power. That much impact could only come from-

"The Bond!" Levy gasped, pointing forward and to the sky as she shook herself off and leapt into the air. "Look!"

Gajeel gaped. The blue streaks of light seemed to crackle, as if they were being electrocuted by black lightning. The forest was still, other than the frightened cries of birds and shouts of far off centaurs. Pulsing with its expansive strands twisting as if in pain, the Bond shuddered before suddenly, it all stopped. But several strands in the sky… seemed to be loose. Like a fraying fabric of the heavens.

Levy's hand was clapped to her mouth. "Gajeel… We must go."

It was decided. "Of course. Let me make you something to ride in safely. We're getting the Grimoire over there."

Her brown eyes turned to him, and they glowed like her pixie dust. "You're willing to give up something in your hoard?"

Nausea clenched at him at the idea, but Gajeel swallowed it down. "Anything for the Bond."

HOLA DELUXE TRASHCANS,

It's been a while-sorry! Well, here's what happened to Levy, chillin with her dragon boy. The characters are almost all together now!

A lot of the next chapter is already written, so I hope to have that out soon. I'm determined to finish Double Dad Dilemma before I start back up on The Way We Smile, because three multichaps is a bad idea. Well, I've had a new twoshot out called Pass It On and will be updating Make A Wish at some point with the TKOF Kool-Aid prank story, as requested on tumblr XD

As always, a gazillion tons of thanks to my dear friend Akela-Nakamura for editing this chapter and all the rest. It would be a mess without her and her conversations give me life.

My computer wasn't working,, so I submitted this with my phone. Be amazed.

Until next time, weeaboos!

Mizpah,

~LoneStorm