Chapter 3

The next morning

Well, that was a nice stroll thought Levy as she walked out of the forest as dawn broke. She made her way towards her house with a basket filled with berries and flowers. After living near a forest for some time and with books about survival in the wild, Levy knew a thing or two about her surroundings.

But what she didn't know was that there was a strange man sleeping in her home.

As she entered her home, she cleared a space for her basket on her counter, seeing as it was cluttered with books. She found a vase and arranged the flowers into a nice bouquet. I think these would look nice on my bedroom windowsill she thought to herself. She grabbed the book she was currently reading and decided to continue the reading experience in her room. However, as she made her way through her living room, she dropped the vase and screamed. Holding the book over her head as a weapon she yelled to the sleeping man,

"Who are you?!And what are you doing in my house?!"

She slowly advanced towards the slumbering Gajeel when he didn't wake. As she got closer to where Gajeel had collapsed, she noticed a slight trail of blood coming from the door leading to a dark puddle around Gajeel. He's wounded. Putting down her book, she went to go find something to treat his injuries.

Cracking open his eyes, Gajeel awoke to the sounds of birds twittering and sunshine glaring in his face.

"Where the..fuck?" he said looking around. He had somehow ended up in a strange house.

I remember being at a pub last night. He grabbed his head as it started throbbing. I must've gotten drunk, my head fucking hurts. But how did I end up here?...Probably slept with another wench. Then why am I on the floor?

As Gajeel tried to get up to get a better look at his surroundings, a wave of pain seared through his body.

"Fuck!" he yelled.

He grabbed his abdomen, now I remember, i got into a fight with a bunch of idiots. Damn, they got the better of me little punks. I'm gonna- he paused. He noticed a strange lack of blood staining his fingers. Looking down now, he realized his wounds had been covered up so that he was no longer making a bloody mess.

"Awake I see," came a voice, along with it, a short blue haired woman.

"Who are you?" Gajeel said, a little gruffly. Did I...no it can't be, she's way too young.

"I should be asking you that sir," she replied. "I go out for a little walk this morning and I come home, only to find a stranger sleeping in my house! Not to mention you made a mess on my floor."

"Tch," Gajeel said, turning his head away from the girl.

"Excuse me," Levy huffed. "is that any way to act towards the one who treated your injuries?" She gave Gajeel a stern look and put her hands on her hips.

"If you were to treat my injuries, wouldn't it have been better for me to be resting on a bed or the couch?" Gajeel stated as a matter of factly, placing his chin in his hand as he stared out the window.

He smirked as he faced Levy, "oh wait, you couldn't possibly lift me because you're so weak and tiny."

Levy was losing her patience. I've only just met this stranger and he's already insulting me, the nerve of this guy.

"You should be thankful that I even decided to treat you in the first place, jerk."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her little end comment. "I see the shrimp has a little spunk after all."

"How dare you! Don't call me a-"

But Levy was silenced when Gajeel suddenly stood up. When standing at his full height, he completely towered over her. Both of them realized that Levy barely reached his shoulders. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked down at her. "What was that? I couldn't hear you down there," his smirk turned into a full out menacing grin as he lowered his eyes to meet hers. "shorty."

Red eyes met with hazel. His eyes were, extremely terrifying to look at but she wouldn't back down from their staring contest. She would show him that she wasn't afraid. Up close, she noticed that he had 3 piercings to replace his eyebrows, 3 on each side of his nose, 2 on his chin and 5 on each ear. His canines appeared sharper than the average human. He smelled of iron and the woods. A powerful aura seemed to emanate from him. This man is no ordinary human being.

Suddenly, she was no longer staring into the blood eyes. A new wave of pain hit Gajeel, he grunted and suddenly was falling down. When he expected the collision between the hard floor and his body, he felt nothing. The girl had caught him before he hit the ground.

"Idiot, why were you standing? You've opened up your wounds again." She said, scolding him. Struggling to carry his weight, she wobbled them over to her couch and let him sit.

"Oye, what did you call me?" he growled, despite his pain.

"Well, " she said as she untied his bandages. "seeing as you don't want to use proper names, I'll do the same." She stopped and looked at him again. "Besides, how is it that a man like you, is able to get injured so badly, in a little town like this?

If Salamander hears about that, he'll think he's stronger than me. "And how exactly would you describe a man like me?" he asked.

"The big brute that solves everything with his fists, and thinks of nothing else except for fighting, gaining power, women and getting drunk. " she said, all the while tying new bandages around his body.

"And I suppose you, sir, think of me as a helpless, naive, weakling." She finished her job, and then to Gajeel's surprise, she stood up at looked him straight in the eyes and said firmly, "Do not underestimate me."

He was surprised that someone like her would dare to look at him in the eyes, whereas most people avoided being near him altogether. They were all scared of him, scared that he would kill them with one swoop. He did look like a monster. He could make people flee for the hills, just by passing them by on the streets. He could make grown men, pee their pants if they accidentally pissed him off. He was anyone's nightmare. And here was this little woman, staring him down and telling him not to underestimate her.

"I'll take that as a challenge, runt."

"I have a name you know, you big oaf."

"You probably do, I just like using nicknames better."

"Most people would ask their saviour's name first."

"I'm not like most people."

She mumbled, "neither am I."

He look at her questioningly.

"I can see that sir. "

"No shit, shorty."

"Enough with the nicknames! I know my height isn't normal, but is there any reason for you to point it out with stupid nicknames?" Well of course he calls you by nicknames, you haven't told him your name yet. Said the little voice in her head. She sighed. "Seeing as there won't be an end to this arguing, and you aren't the gentleman type, I suppose I'll go first."

Sticking out her hand she said, "My name is Levy. Levy McGarden."

She looked at him and waited patiently. Though silent, he knew the look she gave him said I gave you my name now tell me yours. Now, Gajeel knew he was a brute who like to fight, but he was taught some manners. He just didn't like using them very often.

"Oho, so you do have a name. "

"And as a gentleman it would be appropriate to tell me yours. "

"I ain't no fucking pansy."

"Being a gentleman doesn't make you a pansy."

"Tch."

And mischievous smile crossed Levy's face. "If you aren't a gentleman, I guess I'll just have to call you Mr. pervert." Wide-eyed, Gajeel gaped at the woman's statement.

"Oye! I ain't no pervert!"

"For all I know you could be," she said nonchalantly. "Here I am, a young, innocent maiden entering her home only to find a strange man there. You could've put up an act just to do who knows what to me while I sleep.

"Do these look fake to you?" Gajeel said, motioning toward his injuries.

She pretended to take a few minutes to inspect him. "Hmm, I suppose not mister...?" She looked at him again.

"Gajeel."

"Excuse me?" She tried to cover her smile with her fake, innocent question. Her plan had worked.

He sighed. He grumbled to her direction, "If it'll shut you up, the name's Gajeel Redfox."