Chapter 21

He must be getting tired…

The planes on Gajeel's face grew deeper in light of the setting sun and his steps slowed. Even Levy's feet protested after their excursion through the entire market over the past few hours. Gajeel paused in the middle of the road to rub his calf, turning to look at the ocean just like he had done over a dozen times during the course of the last hour. Levy chewed her bottom lip, barely managing to keep the frown off her face.

She tapped her chin, waiting for Gajeel to continue walking, and tried to think of something else they could do. Something outdoors, but somewhere where they could rest for a while before heading back to the castle. Somewhere where Gajeel could sit and be still and overcome the bout of homesickness Levy knew he must be feeling.

An idea formed and Levy gave a satisfied nod.

"There's one more place I want to show you," she said, watching Gajeel carefully as they walked back towards the stables.

The livery doors stood wide open and the owner had already hitched her horse back to the borrowed wagon. A groom from the castle darted out of one of the empty stalls and offered to drive. Thankful for the lift, she and Gajeel hopped into the back of the wagon; rather, Levy hopped and worked to keep herself from laughing while she watched Gajeel heave himself into the wagon bed.

They settled comfortably in their new seats, feet dangling over the edge, and held on tightly when the groom drove forwards. Magnolia Town slowly became smaller and smaller as they crested the hill. Gajeel's head lolled with every bump and Levy kept a keen lookout for the landmarks she needed. Halfway up the hill, she asked the groom to stop and she and Gajeel hopped from the wagon. After giving the groom specific instructions to return to the castle, and after he had ridden well out of sight, Levy took Gajeel's hand and led him along the sea cliff.

A slow rising mist drifted from the ocean and dampened her hair. The oranges and reds from the setting sun shone brightly off the frothy waves. She quietly led them to a large outcropping of trees that clustered around a large section of the sea cliff. Gajeel looked around, a question hovering in his brow, but Levy simply led them deeper into the foliage. After several minutes of walking downhill, the trees thinned until they revealed a large, hidden lagoon. Willows and pines lined the outer edge of the lagoon and Levy squinted in the dimming light. She led them to a fallen log and lowered herself to the ground. She propped her back against the log and drew up her knees, sighing in relief. Gajeel sat next to her, his own silent sigh making his shoulders rise and fall.

With a soft smile, she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on her folded hands. The light of the fading sun grew dimmer and dimmer. The sky darkened to a midnight blue. Stars dotted the sky one by one, twinkling in the twilight.

"This is one of my favorite spots," she murmured, staring at the fading sunset, "I used to come here when I was younger. My father would ground me from sailing as punishment whenever I vexed him too much, so I would come here and just stare at the ocean. I would be gone for hours, the seabirds were so much fun to watch. And the sound of the waves always helped me calm down…at least, until I went back home and got into even more trouble for escaping the castle."

Levy laughed softly, looking at Gajeel. "It's probably silly to you, huh? That I spent so much time trying to get closer to the ocean, yet here you are trying to escape it."

Gajeel was silent for a moment. His mouth tilted and he gave her a silent shrug. Holding back a sigh, Levy lapsed into silence, the calls of the birds echoing over the crashing waves. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Gajeel play with the smooth part of his ear. The circular spots covering his ears and brow shone like metal in the rising moonlight. She glanced over his legs, his new boots on his feet, the way he kept rocking his heels back and forth on the soft dirt.

At some point over the course of the day, Levy realized she had forgotten that Gajeel wasn't actually human. Somehow, between walking with him around Magnolia Town and introducing him to all of her acquaintances, she stopped thinking of him as just someone she needed to teach and began to think of him as something…more. Something more precious, a dear friend whom she would treasure all of her life.

Who am I kidding…he's not just a friend anymore…

She didn't know when it happened. Perhaps when she watched him at the training yard, his brash competitiveness coming to light when he drilled with the other soldiers. Or when she watched him interact with the children in the marketplace, with their loud giggles and incessant questions bombarding them every chance they could.

Or perhaps it was the way he looked at her with a warmth that made her toes curl and made her heart flutter wildly in her chest.

Levy bit back a groan, her face growing warm despite the cool breeze. She couldn't possibly fall in love with him! Especially since they never had a full, proper conversation since the moment they met.

But as Father always tells me, actions speak louder than words. And by the mages, his actions sure have been loud…

Shaking her head, she picked at a piece of grass under her boot. She glanced at Gajeel where he sat unmoving by her side. He silently watched the ocean rise and fall, his strong jaw clenched tightly and a frown between his eyes. Levy bit her lip and scooted closer to Gajeel's side, arguing with the voice in her head that it was simply because of the cool night air that made her want to be closer to her merman.

Her movement cleared the lines from his face. He glanced down at her, an eyebrow raised in question.

"It's nothing, I'm just glad I could share this with you," she whispered, heart thudding in her chest.

Gajeel gave a silent snort, pointing to his throat and hair. Levy rolled her eyes, scooting closer until their arms bumped into one another.

"It actually hasn't been so bad. With all of your scowling and snorting, I know exactly what you're thinking about."

Gajeel curled his lip, brows furrowing even deeper before he caught himself. He turned up his nose and flicked her on the forehead. Levy giggled, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair back under his bandana.

The dark strands slid softly through her fingers. She played with the ends, marveling at the silky softness now that the shells and braids were gone. Gajeel's breath hitched and Levy's face burst into flames. She dropped her hand, an apology on her lips, but Gajeel caught her fingers in his.

With his free hand, he cradled her face gently. His deep, red eyes bored into hers. Levy's breath caught in her throat even as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Gajeel's head lowered and she closed her eyes, everything inside her freezing.

A soft warmth brushed against her forehead, so fleeting and swift that she almost missed it.

Levy opened her eyes, realizing her hand clutched the front of Gajeel's shirt. Gajeel rested his forehead against hers. Levy could see the sharp line of his jaw, feel his thumb tracing her cheek. If she tilted her head just right, their lips would meet.

With a heavy sigh, Gajeel shifted until her head was tucked underneath his chin, effectively blocking the temptation. She wrapped her arms around his middle and felt the warm weight of his arm cover her shoulders. She shifted her legs into a more comfortable position, safe and warm snuggled up against her merman's side. With her forehead still tingling from Gajeel's kiss, she watched the moon rise over the dark ocean and only gave a brief thought as to why her chest was tight with disappointment.

The sea cave echoed with the shatter of broken sea glass. Acnologia pivoted on his tail, creating small whirlpools in his wake. Sting and Rogue darted for the safety of the sea shelves. Acnologia growled in their direction, reining back his anger before he blasted his henchmen from the cave.

"How is this possible…" he muttered to himself, snarling at the glowing orb hovering above his bubbling cauldron.

The orb darkened, the sun having set long ago, yet the two love-fish sat snuggly next to one another in their own little world. Acnologia shuddered, his scales itching as his mind replayed the innocent forehead kiss he had witnessed.

"That buck is better at this than I thought…it's only a matter of time before…"

He already knew his nephew's mind was filled with sea foam…how else was he to explain how the buck managed to fall in love with a human he met only once? But what he hadn't expected was the way the human princess looked at the merprince. A warmth shone on her face and started to become brighter with every passing moment the two of them spent together. If he wasn't careful, it would be that silly human girl, not his nephew, who ruined his plans.

"I need to separate them," he froze where he swam, glancing at the orb where the two young fries watched the moon. "If I can separate them for the last day, then this…this infatuation will die. I can still win…it's not over yet!"

He rushed over to his wall of potions, tossing them over his shoulder into the cauldron. The cauldron bubbled and writhed, the magic activating his wonderful plot. He cackled and swam over the bubbling potion. His necklace hung safe and secure around his neck, the magic growing in power.

"Too bad our little contract says nothing about my interference," he laughed, feeling his magic swirling around him, "You best be ready, my dear nephew!"