Hello Minions!

I am sorry about all the false updates - for some reason I can only update one story per day or else my other update turns into code. No idea why.

So here's an early update to apologize for the false alarms!

Chapter 8 will be up on Thursday!

Enjoy!
=)

Chapter 7

Levy awoke slowly. There was a dull pulse in her skull, and she brought her hand to her head. Her fingers came away slick with sweat and she brushed back her hair that had stuck to her skin.

The evening's events came back to her and she looked at the empty space next to her. She sat up slowly, pulling at the clasp around her throat and drawing the black fabric closed tightly.

She was still naked.

She had slept with another man.

She looked down at the space between her legs. Did they—?

"Yer up."

She gave a slight squeak of surprise, looking over her shoulder. Her savior was dressed in a light colored muslin shirt that tied at the collar. He had the sleeves rolled to his elbows and she noticed the same silver piercings in his face also graced his forearms. The style of shirt accentuated his large frame, but it was thin. She could see right through to his scarred skin beneath it. They were light, compared to how dark the rest of him was, and feathered over his shoulder until they stopped at his right wrist. He looked as though he had once fended off a wild animal. She shuddered to think what the animal looked like now.

Her eyes drifted down to see that he wore dirt brown riding pants with knee-high black leather boots. They were shiny and looked incredibly expensive. Levy was still ogling him until his fingers snapped in front of her nose.

"Y'okay, shorty?"

She blinked and turned away from him, thoroughly embarrassed by her actions. What was wrong with her?!

"Did ya hear me?"

"Huh?" she looked back at him with confusion.

"Clothes," he pointed to the neat pile folded on the opposite side of her, then at the sky behind him, "Rain. Got it?"

She nodded in understanding and he disappeared. The opening to their cave was small, but she was still exposed, even though she couldn't see anyone outside. She picked up the clothes next to her, unfolding the cloth. The shirt was a linen blend, but the collar was too wide to drape around her neck. The pants were ungodly big; she wasn't sure how she would manage wearing them. She unclasped the cape from around her neck, sparing a moment to touch the purple stone pendent between her cleavage. It had survived. She looked around the cramped space for her bag. Had her other things made it too?

Not seeing her possessions, she pulled the cotton shirt over her head. It was just as she suspected: too big.

She wasn't sure how she was going to handle it until she settled the collar off her shoulders, tying the fringe in the front into a delicate bow. She stood and was pleased to see the opaque fabric ended just above her knees. She unthreaded the cord from the pants and tied it low around her hips as a belt. It looked like a shorter version of her robe, but with more sex appeal.

She ran her hands over her hair, knowing it was a wild frizzy mess. She finger-brushed what she could and left the rest up to fate.

The sky indeed grew darker and she stepped out into the dim morning. At least, she thought it was morning. The clearing was entirely empty and void of other people. There were remnants of other campfires, but all had been extinguished. Petrichor scented the air, foretelling the rain to come.

"Done?"

He had snuck up on her again, and she jumped at his sudden presence. He seemed to enjoy her terror as he laughed.

It was a throaty chuckle that sounded just as strange as he looked. His shoulders bounced and he held his stomach, probably trying to contain his mirth. When he exposed his teeth in a smile, she noticed his canines were unusually long. It was a terrifying, yet contagious expression. One that made her forget her anger and smile in return.

Remembering himself, Gajeel ducked inside their little den and retrieved the remaining bedding and items.

"What's your name?"

The question was innocent enough, but he started at it anyway, trying to play it off with a roll of his shoulders.

"Gajeel," he replied.

She seemed to take the answer in stride, but what he didn't notice was the way she whispered it to herself; rolling it off her tongue and tasting the way it sounded.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, turning to watch him.

He was tying off the rumpled blankets and already had his cloak hooked around his shoulders. Noticing how large it was on him, she thought she must have looked as though she were drowning in it when she wore it. She missed it's comforting heavy weight.

"Gone ahead. We'll meet up after Magnolia."

He stepped out of the shelter and whistled for his horse who came trotting in from behind the outcropping. In the daylight, the horse looked much more fearsome and he intimidated her.

Gajeel strapped on the bedding and adjusted the saddle and tack for a tighter fit. The animal didn't move an inch despite its master's tugging. She noticed the red strap of her bag peeking out from one of the saddlebags. He packed it for her?

"Get on," he commanded.

He walked around to the side closest to her and laced his fingers together in a makeshift step. She crept closer and placed her bare foot in his hands, but before she could step up, the animal swung his great head around and gnashed his teeth at her. She stumbled back out of reach and puffed her cheeks in irritation.

"He was going to bite me!" she practically screeched.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and gave a half-hearted swat to the animal.

"Bad horse. Now let's go."

Levy glared at him with puffed cheeks and he groaned, standing upright and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Maybe if y'apologized fer makin' him go swimmin' in that fuckin' cold river, then he wouldn't be s'mad at ya."

She contemplated the idea, then dismissed it.

"He's a horse. He doesn't understand."

The man addressed the black beast next to him, "Ya hear that? She ain't sorry fer runnin' off. No 'thank you' fer savin' her ass either."

The horse snorted as a response and shook his mane. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that that animal actually understood what he said.

She steeled herself with fisted hands and walked around to the front of the animal, giving him a wide girth.

The man watched her with growing curiosity. She gave him a tired look of disbelief before he gestured for her to continue. The horse raised his head expectantly, ears turned towards her.

"I'm very sorry you had to get in the water...," she paused, trying to think if she even knew the beast's name.

"Pantherlily," he interjected.

She quirked a quizzical brow at the man before continuing. Apparently, he read minds.

"I'm very sorry you had to get in the water, Pantherlily," she emphasized and added, "and thank you for saving me."

The horse bobbed his head in acknowledgment.

"Now pet him," he instructed.

The horse had lowered his head down to her level for the expected affection.

She reached out a shaky hand tentively. She patted his fuzzy nose and the beast leaned into her palm, eager for more attention. The animal pressed his face into her torso and she rewarded him with a hug and smiles. She was genuinely pleased to have earned the horse's acceptance. Gajeel was quite smitten when Lily had started nibbling her ribs, causing her to giggle. It was that gentle peal of laughter that made him hide his feelings beneath the hood of his cloak.

"Rain's comin', shorty. Let's go."

She placed a kiss on Lily's nose and hopped into the saddle with his help. She rode like a man this time, sitting with a leg on either side of the horse. She wasn't sure how she felt about having to sit on the hard leather for hours on end, though. She scooted as far forward as she could to give the man room to climb on.

He placed his foot in the stirrup loop and swung himself up behind her. She settled her rear-end against his groin and he physically stiffened at the contact. He dug inside his pack for a stray blanket and pulled it free. He rolled it into a decent cushion and gave her thigh a brazen tap.

"Up," he directed as he placed the rolled blanket beneath her derrière. It gave her a few inches in height, a delightful relief from the hard leather, and protection from him. She would have never guessed him to be so considerate.

Satisfied with the seating arrangement, Gajeel spurred Lily into a gallop, sending them through the wood to race against the rain.

"So why Magnolia?"

The little watchman had been trying to strum up a conversation with him for hours. Without his armor, he was slowly being driven mad from the light touches he received from said little watchman.

He liked how her attire displayed her shoulders. They were pale and delicate. He salivated at the thought of running his tongue along the curve where her throat conjoined with the smooth muscles. That cloister robe covered up far too much and he was grateful it was packed safely away.

"You ask too many questions," he pointed out. Truly, her attempts were starting to get on his nerves.

"Considering the fact you destroyed my home, I don't think a few answers in return are such a big deal."

Her tone of voice was biting and it made Gajeel feel more like a prick for it. If he talked, maybe she wouldn't bring it up again.

"Its closest. And it has a library. I figured if y'needed somethin' to help ya figure it out, it would be there."

She perked up at this new bit of information. She had so few memories outside of her home, so visiting an archive that she hadn't memorized was a treat.

"My home had a library," she pointed out, stressing the past tense.

He snorted and contradicted, "No it didn't."

His remark angered her. How would he know?

"Is it big?" she asked.

He hadn't been paying attention to her words and her question triggered the erogenous part of his brain.

"Bigger than you could handle," he grinned shamelessly. He could make such a face without fear of her seeing what he really meant. He leaned into her back, forcing her to bend forward to avoid the low-hanging branches.

She was quiet for a few moments and he thought she might have recessed back into her thoughts. The silence became pleasant for the first time since they started out this morning.

"Can we stop?"

He slowed Lily to a walk and took in their environment. She was tired, but he had noticed a few miles back that they were being followed.

"No."

She groaned, "How do you ride for so long?"

Levy chaffed her thighs with her hands, trying to ease the soreness.

"Practice," he stated, slightly miffed, but continued, "it helps if you have a foothold."

He wiggled his booted foot in the stirrup for emphasis. His horse nickered under him and pawed the ground. He shifted nervously and peeled his ears back, alert to something they were not.

"What's wrong?" she asked, nervous about Lily's strange behavior.

He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye in the forest off to the right. A blur of fur farther ahead, as well.

"Time to go," he whispered hurriedly, not taking his eyes off the predator hiding in the bracken before them.