A/N: So...Its been a while. I know some of you may be mad or upset with me (completely understandable), but thank you guys so much for still sticking with the story and sending me such sweet messages urging me to continue. It's a long story why I've been gone for so long, so if you want to know there will be a short explanation(?) at the end. If you don't want to read it, that's cool too. I still love you guys and thank you so much for all your love and support!! <3 Read the Previous parts on FF.net and AO3!
Once dressed, Levy walked into the room to see Gajeel pacing, fiddling with his hands nervously running them through his hair. His amber eyes shot up towards her when he heard the bathroom door close behind her. It only took him one large step to make it to her, lifting her up into a tight embrace. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him just as tightly, breathing in his scent.
She didn’t realize how much she’s missed him until he had his arms holding her close with his face buried in her neck. There were no words, just the feel of each other’s warmth. He didn’t want to let her go and she didn’t want to either. Eyes burning with tears as her emotions overwhelmed her, she refused to hold them back, letting them dampen his dark hair.
“I’m so sorry, Gajeel.” She choked on a sob, hugging him tighter as he backed them up towards the bed so he could sit with her cradled against him. He was so gentle with her, it made the tears pour faster; only she get to see this side of him.
He immediately shushed her with his lips crushing onto her, proving how much he missed and craved her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she kissed him back, their hands tangling in each other’s hair. Taking a much needed breath Levy backed away leaning her forehead against his, a small smile curling her lips.
“You’re here, you’re really here.” Gajeel sighed cupping her cheeks, swiping away tears with his thumb. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you I wasn’t feeling well, it was silly-“
“No, do not apologize.” Gajeel interrupted, pulling back slightly, so he could look her better. His red eyes were burning with so much fear and anger, it made her own eyes grow wide with confusion. “I should’ve paid more attention. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing I wasn’t paying attention to how you were feeling.”
He wasn’t angry with her, he was angry with himself. That broke her heart even more. How could she let this happen; let him carry this burden. “It’s not your job to make sure I’m healthy.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong. It is my job. Lev, I love you and I would do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again.”
Opening her mouth to argue back, she immediately closed it knowing that look in Gajeel eyes. His red irises were sharp and unyielding telling her that he wasn’t going to back down. They could go back and forth all day if they wanted too, but she knew it wasn’t worth it. Knowing that this argument wasn’t going anywhere, with her definitely losing, she nodded her head. She would rather not fight right now anyway now that she was back. Instead, she would rather be smothered by her King and never leave his side.
“Ok, you win.” The smile he gave nearly made her heart stop, reminding her one of the reasons why she fell for him. Averting her pink cheeks from his gaze she took another look around the strange room, asking, “Where are we?”
“This room used to be Wendy’s when she was younger; it’s connected to mine.” Gajeel pointed towards a dark blue door beside the bed. “When she was afraid to sleep alone, I transformed this stupid concubine room to hers. I let her pick out everything, the colors, furniture and did everything myself. Never liked it before I changed it anyway.”
Levy laughed at his comment trying to imagine the almost sea themed room into something more…provocative. It seemed wrong now that it was fashioned for a child, and she was now curious as to why he never liked it before. She always thought the rulers treasured the concubine rooms, knowing they could have their pick of ladies just waiting for them.
“What didn’t you like about it?”
“I didn’t want a concubine,” Gajeel said flatly as her attention turned back towards him. His eyes softened before he continued. “I wanted a wife.”
His words struck her in the heart causing her face to turn red and eyes go wide. He shot her a toothy grin, his signature laugh pulling a smile from her. Burying her face in his shoulder, she let out a muffled, “dork.”
“As long as I’m your dork.” He chuckled squeezing her sides affectionately earning a giggle.
-------
“LEVY!” Natsu shouted, pulling the small woman into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. “I’m so glad to see you! You should’ve seen metal face pouting and brooding around the castle. It was like he was walking around with his own dark cloud.”
“Oi! Shut up flame breath! I was not!” Gajeel defended crossing his arms over his chest. Lucy laughed patting Gajeel on the arm shooting him a sympathetic look.
The three including PantherLily and Happy all sat down for dinner, Levy clearly famished. Afterwards, Gajeel took Levy on a walk, never keeping the small woman out of his sight or away from his side. They walked in comfortable silence, Gajeel leading her to a part of the garden she never noticed before, by the hand. She slowed when she noticed a statue of a great metal dragon seemingly made of iron, sparkling in the moonlight. It was beautiful.
The stature reminded her of someone, causing a light chuckle to escape her lips as she smiled warmly at it. She could feel Gajeel’s questioning gaze on her, giving her a firm squeeze on the hand to catch her attention. Without turning around, she kept her eyes on the statue a small smile curling her lips.
She wasn’t sure how he would take her meeting his father, but if he really loved her, he wouldn’t think she was some crazed woman. “I was . . . just thinking that this statue reminded me of your dad.”
“Oh yea, this was made for him by my mom. I’m surprised you caught on to it. A lot of people think it’s just our house symbol.”
“The dragon has his stern face, but I know your dad has a softer side to him. Just like you.” They were both quiet for a moment, Gajeel staring at her in confusion with Levy thinking back onto the conversation she had with Metalicana. “When I was . . . asleep, I guess you could say, I was in between life and death. With the decision as to what happens to me being mine. I was there for what felt like an hour or two, but during that time I was reunited with my parents and I met your dad. I also met Igneel and Grandeeney.”
Gajeel’s eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, with his hand squeezing hers a lot tighter now, but not enough to hurt. “Your dad intimidated and scared the crap out of me, with just a look. He just sat there staring at me and if I had anything in my stomach, I’m sure I would’ve puked right then and there. But then Igneel and Grandeeney interrupted his silent interrogation causing his demeanor to change, slightly. Grandeeney was super sweet and pretty. I can see where Wendy gets her personality from and the interaction between Igneel and Metalicana reminded me of Natsu and you. And, Melly is a super cute nickname for your dad by the way and I’m not sure if I can call him Metalicana ever again. Melly has such a nice ring to it and I’m sure he’s cursing me from the afterlife right now for saying it.”
She wasn’t sure it was possible, but Gajeel eyes got wider and his mouth dropped lower with a hint of recognition in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, before he finally decided to close it blowing a large breath shaking his head.
“You really met my dad, aunt and uncle?”
“Yes, and we watched you sing the most beautiful song. They told me what it meant and how could you make such a promise to me.” She blurted out hitting his chest with flushed cheeks at the memory of him singing.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her flush against him, flashing his fangs with a smile. Her entire body flamed up at their closeness and the predatory smile that curled his lips.
“Because, you’re mine Levy McGarden and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He didn’t even give her a chance to respond before pressing his lips to hers sealing his confession with a passionate kiss. When they finally separated her mind was hazy and her eyes were dreamy, but she had only one thing on her mind at that moment.
“You said that in the common tongue. You’ve been practicing.”
Throwing his head back, he belts out a laugh. “I tell you you’re mine and the first thing you say is I’ve been practicing?” Running his hands through her hair he looked at her with such adoration she was sure she was dreaming again, but this time she got to be close to him. “There’s only one reason why I’ve studied hard.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him get down on one knee pulling out a black box from his pocket. “Lev, will you marry me?” Her eyes barely registered the stunning ring that sat prettily in its cushion as she flung herself at him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she cried for the second time that night, a chorus of ‘yes’ tumbling from her lips.
Picking her up, he spun her around, her giggles spreading throughout the garden. After her tears stopped and he put the ring on her finger, she asked him a question. “How did you learn it so fast? I’ve been teaching you for months, but I’m out for a few days and you can speak perfectly.”
She felt him shiver as he twirled her hair while she sat in his lap. “Erza can be quite motivating and I’m sure I have a permanent lump on the back of my head from it.”
Rubbing the back of his head softly she kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do to make it better?”
Tapping his finger on his chin, seemingly to pretend to think even though they both knew he already knew what he wanted to say. “How about spend the rest of your life with a grumpy dragon?”
Repeating his pretend thinking process, Levy tried everything to hold back the smirk at the little pout Gajeel had the longer she stretched her contemplation. “I think I can do that, only if Lily can be the ring barrier.”
“Deal!” He agreed quickly, this time Levy leaning forward to pull him down towards her to steal his breath away.
This is where she’s meant to be, with him. She may miss her parents, but she has a future right here with the man that showed her she can still have a family of her own and be loved. Pulling away she leaned her head against his shoulder taking a much needed deep breath. “Thank you, Gajeel. For everything.” She didn’t need a response him pulling her closer to him was enough for her. They had the rest of their lives for idle words, but right now all they needed was each other’s warmth and love.
A/N: If you couldn't tell by the title this is the last and final chapter. I really didn't want this story to end. I loved it and the characters so much I didn't want it to end. I also wanted a supreme awesome ending but couldn't find it in myself to pull that off. I've tweaked this chapter so many times it's sad but thank you guys again for sticking with me and waiting oh so patiently. These past few months...almost year lol has been hard for me mentally. My anxiety and depression sky rocketed and I couldn't control it. I haven't had a bad episode like that in years. It was hard to deal with my mental health and work in the mental health field. My job is mentally, emotionally and physically draining it made it worse, but I'm better now! Everything's fine and I just want to say to all my friends, readers, to you that if you're going through something, anything. You will get through this! Everything will be ok! You are loved and I love you! You can get through this! You will get through this! <3
A/N: Thanks for all your likes and reblongs and reviews!! They really do keep me going and make me smile and laugh! :D I'm going to apologize in advance for this chapter, so please forgive me!! I will update again soon!! FF.net and AO3 are always available for previous parts and notified updates!
The very next day, Levy awoke to a light itch in her throat. Chalking it up to Gajeel, Lily and her talking late into the night, she didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t uncommon for her to talk herself hoarse, especially when she was in a heated debate with a particular stubborn dragon. That was until it got worse. After two days of the itch in her throat progressing, she also felt an increasing dip of her appetite. It too wasn’t uncommon for her to forget to eat while she was researching a topic, causing her actions to seem more normal than not. The honeyed tea that Ms. Carrie brought in was the only thing that aided her.
Taking her books outside early that morning for some much needed fresh air, she sat with Lily curled up beside her, near the vines of kiwis they found the other day. The warmth did wonders for her, but she wished the sun was out. Thick clouds blocked the sun she wished would warm her skin even more. Summer was slowly coming to end, letting her know that she had only a few more hours of daylight left, if the overbearing clouds don’t release an onslaught of rain first.
Rubbing the feline’s head, Levy collected her books. “I’m going to take these back.” Lily cracked open an eye, meowing lowly his protest.
“There’s no need for you to come with me. Mystagon is here…somewhere.” She motioned her hands around her, knowing that the ninja of a man was indeed somewhere close by. “Plus, I’ll be right back as soon as I put these up.”
Lily was hesitant before letting her go with a, “if you’re not back in a few minutes I’m coming to look for you.” Agreeing with a slight salute, she made her way back to the library. Her body felt sore from the constant curled position she’d taken in the past few days, hoping the walk back into the castle will stretch her tired muscles.
Her eyes started to water and her throat burned as she tried to suppress the sudden urge to cough, as she walked faster back into the castle. Discarding the books onto Gajeel’s desk, she used the edge of the old oak for balance as her body shook with a torrent of coughs. With slow raspy breaths, she raised a shaky hand to her head as she felt light headed and dizzy. Stars sprinkled her vision as she tried to get a grasp on herself. Her muscles felt even more stiff and sore and her mouth felt as dry as cotton, letting her know what she’s been neglecting for the past few days. Her health.
The office seemed to get darker, causing Levy to look up towards the large office window. A streak of lightening brightened the room before it darken once again, a loud crash of thunder and rain following it quickly.
“Oh no. Lily.” Levy breathed, running quickly out of the office. She stopped short of the library doors, Mystagon standing in her way.
The man shook his head, holding his hand up for her to stop her approach. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re clearly sick and going out in the rain will only make things worse.”
“Mystagon, please! We have to get Lily. He’s terrified of thunder.” she begged, using her scattered mind to think of a way around him. He was just as quick to refuse her, demanding she sit down, so he can fetch a doctor. The heavy footsteps of guards interrupted their conversation, bursting into the library. They were looking for her and Lily, most likely from Gajeel’s request. The guards were confused and immediately on guard by the newcomer they haven’t been introduced too, turning towards Mystagon for questioning. She wanted to help him, but she wanted to help Lily even more. Mystagon was a big boy and could handle himself. Taking the distraction as a blessing, she darted out of the library at a lightening pace.
She was already throwing the doors open and running through the pouring rain before the guards and Mystagon knew where she was. It took only seconds for her clothes to soak through, and her coughing fit to tingle her throat once more. The rain felt like mini icicles on her burning skin, as her body shook once again with another coughing fit. Her chest burned and ached with every breath she took, feeling as if a demon was trying to claw its way out of her chest. Even so, she refused to relent her race, ignoring the demon, intense pounding in her head and aching muscles.
When she finally found Lily, he was curled under a nearby bench shaking more than she was. Collapsing in front of the bench, she attempted to catch her breath as she crawled under the bench, wrapping her arms around the large ball of fur.
“It’s ok,” she reassured him, as another crash of thunder filled the air, causing the feline to let out a louder string of whimpers. “I’m here, Lily. I’m here.” Her breathing became more ragged as her vision blurred before her. The need to get them both inside was urging her to get up and drag Lily inside or at least grab the attention of the guards shouting their names in the distance. She attempted to open her mouth and scream out to them, but she could barely lift her head. Everything hurts.
‘I want to sleep. I’m so tired.’ Was the only thing she could think of as her eyelids started to become too heavy for her to keep open. Even though Lily was just as soaked as she was, he was a lot more comfortable then the hard ground. “Gajeel is going to be livid when he finds out what I did.” She muttered, but it sounded more like incoherent grunts.
“They’re over here!” Someone announced, before she lost consciousness. At least she knew they would be safe when she wakes up.
----------------------
Slowly opening her eyes, Levy sat up taking in her new surroundings. She wasn’t in Gajeel’s bed, or even in one to begin with. Plush green grass cushioned her and tickled her bare arms and legs as she sat up, observing the seeming never ending meadow and blue skies.
“Where…where am I?” She asked aloud, standing up slowly unsure of how steady her limbs were. “Am I dead?” A surge of panic seized her as she frantically looked around for answers, anything to clue her in on what was going on.
“Not exactly.” A voice spoke, causing her body to go rigid at the male tone. Turning around slowly, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the two people she wasn’t expecting to see at all. “Hello, my sweet child.” Her father beamed, as her mother smile was just as wide.
Tears poured down her face as she ran into their open arms, hugging them tightly, committing their scent and warmth to memory. If it wasn’t for her father’s firm hold, she was sure she would’ve crumbled to her knees sobbing with happiness. She’s missed them so much.
“How are…what are…I’ve missed you guys so much.” She sobbed, her mind jumping from one question to the next. Her father shushed her, as he pulled away, all the while still keeping his arm around her. His shaggy blue hair and mustache looking the same when they last saw each other.
“Look at her honey, she’s gotten so beautiful.” Her mother gushed touching Levy’s wet cheek, her brown eye’s softening as she tucked a brown curl behind her ear to analyze Levy’s features.
“She gets it from you, my love.”
Even now, her parent’s love was still apparent, for her and for each other. Oh, how she’s missed them. Hugging them again, it took them another few minutes to let go.
“We know you have a lot of questions, and we will answer them within reason.” Her father said smoothing her hair down. “We only have a limited time with you.”
“When I asked if I was dead, you said, not exactly. What did you mean?”
“You’re in the in-between place; you’re neither dead, nor alive. But, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to fight for your life or let go.”
An image of Gajeel, immediately appeared in her mind causing her to bite her lip in anxiety. She missed her parents dearly and would love to stay with them, but she couldn’t leave Gajeel or Lily. They needed her, she needed them and she would miss Ms. Carrie dearly.
“Thinking about your boyfriend?” Her mother sing-song with a teasing glint in her eyes, causing Levy cheeks to burn from embarrassment. “He’s a handsome one.” She said, looking over Levy’s shoulder.
Looking behind her she saw an oval shape swirl appear before them, an image displaying Gajeel at her bedside, clutching her hand tightly with his head hung low. A lump formed in her throat at the image of herself, laying almost lifeless in a blue and green room she’s never seen before, and Gajeel looking close to breaking. She’s never seen him look so fragile, so breakable. He was cute when he was pouting, but this, she didn’t want to see.
“I’m so sorry, Gajeel.” She whispered, wiping the fresh tears with the back of her hands. As if he could hear her, she watched as he squeezed her hand tighter resting his forehead on their combined fingers.
A firm hand turned her attention away from the image, towards her father. “Of all the people, you chose one of my favorite and most troublesome students.” He said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m glad it was him though, Gajeel is a big softy at heart and I’m sure you’ve brought out that soft side more.”
“How did you know?”
Her mother was the one to answer, “We do get to look on our loved ones and ever since he’s found you, we didn’t need to constantly check up on your wellbeing.” She was thankful they didn’t bring up The House of Purity. Just thinking of them watching her struggle and be punished made her heart ache even more. They didn’t deserve to see their little girl be treated in such a way.
Levy didn’t know what to say or do and her parent’s knew that. “Levy, as much as we miss you, we don’t want you to stay here with us. You belong with him, you deserve to be happy and have a family of your own.”
A soft sob escaped her lips as she embraced them again. “But, you are my family.”
“And, we always will be, but you deserve to live.” Her father, kissed her on the top of her head before releasing her. “You deserve to experience everything life has to offer and it offers Gajeel. You love him don’t you?”
She nodded her head, “I do. I love him so much, papa, mama.” She didn’t really understand the extent of her feelings for him until that very moment. It’s funny how once life gives you a glimpse at what you could miss, everything becomes clear. Hesitation becomes irrelevant and just a hindrance. What a waste.
“Honey, our time is almost up.” Her mother stated to her father, causing Levy to look back and forth between them. No, they can’t leave, not when they just got here.
“Where are you going? Please, don’t leave me.” She croaked, more tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
With a soft pat on the head, her father kissed her head once again. “We’re not the only ones who wanted to see you, plus we will see each other again. Promise.”
They hugged once more, before stepping away from their daughter. “We love you, Levy and remember the choice is yours.” They faded out, Levy crumbling to her knees as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. Thinking it better to just lay down in the meadow before fainting and hitting the ground hard, she let her eyelids close.
Waking up again, she was surprised to find herself this time in a forest reclined against the trunk of a tree. The sky was dark with the stars and moon shining brightly in the sky. The familiar sound of a fire, urge her to get up and walk towards it, the popping sound getting louder as she approached what looked like a small campsite. The trees opened up to a small circular area with four logs positioned around the bonfire. One man sat on one of the logs with his back facing her, his presence screaming importance and intimidation.
“Well are you gonna keep standing there or are you gonna come and take a seat?” The man’s voice was deep and it sounded as if it rumbled from his chest like thunder. She let out a small squeak as she hurried to take a seat on a log across from him.
A gasp slipped from her lips as she realized who exactly she sat across from and who else wanted to see her. The campfire was just low enough for them to see each other, while still illuminating their features. A sly smirk curled the old man’s lips exposing pointed fangs at the look of realization and shock on her face. Short grey almost platinum hair brushed his broad shoulders, shaping his angular jaw. Deep red eyes, glued her to her seat as she tried to even her breathing.
“You’re…..Metalicana, aren’t you?” She didn’t even need to ask, him and Gajeel were almost the spitting image of each other. The pictures in the books clearly didn’t do him justice either and also didn’t show the many piercings he had. He and Gajeel had similar piercings decorating his face, ears, and arms.
“And, you must be the little thing that has my son wrapped around you’re little finger.” He quirked a pierced eyebrow at her, as if challenging her to say otherwise. “Let’s have a chat, shall we?”
A/N: PAPA METALICANA HAS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE! I've been planning their interaction from the very beginning, so i cannot wait for you guys to read the next update! (Yes, I've been planning for Levy to almost die just for them talk. I'm evil i know.) :D
A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!! Here's my Christmas gift to you, an early update!! :D Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger! Thank you so much for all your comments and likes!! Don’t forget you can read on FF.net or AO3!
If anyone dared to say Levy doesn’t have a good poker face, they are liars. Even though she was screaming internally and ready to run for the hills, she sat proudly with a stiff spine and neutral look on her face. The only thing that could give her away was the bead of sweat that was starting to accumulate on her brow. But if he asked, she’ll just say it was the fire’s intense heat, even though it was a steady warmth. Metalicana seemed to smile even more at her reaction, eyeing her up and down with a scrutinizing eye.
She wished for him to stop and to finally say something instead of letting them sit there in silence. They say silence is golden, but it was excruciating and grating at her nerves. When a voice spoke, she nearly sighed with relief, if it was coming from the man that sat across from her. No, it was coming from the trees, along with footsteps.
“Yo!” A man yelled breaking through the trees with a boyish grin that looked all too familiar. “You made it hard to find you.” The old man had dark red hair, with a scar that sliced across his right eyebrow and cheek, along with a smile that screamed Natsu.
“Wait for me!” A female voice spoke, following close behind the red head. Metalicana groaned, leaning his head back as he ran his hand down his face, cursing loudly. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting company to join them.
A woman with long white hair seemed to float into their little area, stopping when her blue eyes met Levy’s. The woman was beautiful and held the regal air of a queen. “You’re so much cuter in person!” The older woman smiled, taking a seat beside Levy, continuously to stare down at her with a bright smile.
“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Metalicana growled, glaring holes into the two adults. “I told you two to stay away.”
Ignoring his statement the white haired woman turned back towards Levy asking, “Was he giving you the silent interrogation?” Unable to answer, Levy nodded her head, too stunned to trust her words. She was sure who the other two were, but she wasn’t sure if her eyes were deceiving her or not.
“Melly! I bet you were scaring the poor girl.”
“That was the fucking point, Grandeeney. I don’t want my son dating some wuss and don’t call me Melly, in front of other people!”
The red head, who she could only guess was Igneel slung his arm around Metilacana shoulders, tsking his brother. Metalicana quickly shoved Igneel away from him making him fall off the log and onto the forest floor.
“Uncalled for, Melly.” Ingeel pointed at him from his position on the ground, earning a growl for the nickname. The two bickered back forth, Levy seeing the brotherly love and where their sons get their nicknames from. Metal face and flame breath were obviously passed down.
Grandeeney knocked her shoulders with Levy, catching her attention. “They’re going to go at this if we don’t interrupt them.” She smiled looking down at the small woman before looking towards the fire. Waving her hand slowly in the direction of the flames, the orange hue quickly swirled to life, showing the image of Gajeel again.
He was arguing with Porlyusica and she in return smacked him upside the head for his bad mouthing, telling him shut up and let her do her job. Igneel chuckled shaking his head, “Porly was always a bitch.”
“Iggy!” Grandeeney chastised, Igneel shrugged his shoulders as he sat back besides Metalicana. They turned their attention back towards the fire, Gajeel taking his seat at Levy’s bedside with Lily curled up by her, resting his head on her legs.
“He still has that nasty look in his eyes.”
“He’s your son, Melly, you both have a nasty look.” Grandeeney teased, smiling when Igneel chuckled at her comeback.
The metal dragon was about to respond when Gajeel’s voice broke through, putting them into a trance. He was singing, and it was beautiful, with his deep raspy singing voice. Her heart seemed to stop and her breath hitched as she realized what he was singing, it was the tune she always hummed since she couldn’t remember the lyrics. The song sounded more beautiful with words attached. It was in Dragonic, and even in the harsh language it was bringing tears to her eyes.
“He’s singing the song of love,” Grandeeney breathed as awe decorated her features. Levy wanted to ask her what she meant but she was too entranced by the heart breaking tone Gajeel sung. The image disappeared as soon as he finished singing. Levy wanting desperately for him to come back, but knowing if she reached out towards him, she’ll just burn her hand from the fire.
All eyes were on her and she immediately felt like she did something wrong. “Do you know what that song meant?” Metalicana asked, a deadly serious look on his face that frightened her. Maybe she did do something wrong.
Unsure of how to answer she only spoke what she heard. “It was about a dragon falling in love with a human and-”
“I didn’t ask what it was about, I asked what it meant.”
“It means, you’re the only one he loves, Levy.” Igneel spoke up for her, an unnatural serious look on his face. It was just as frightening as his brother’s. “That is a song we do not take lightly in our family. When we sing it to a loved one, it means you’re the one they choose.”
“Like a soulmate,” Grandeeney continued. “No matter what happens, he refuses to be with anyone else but you, so if you die, he chose to stay alone forever.”
The weight of their words hit her like a ton of bricks. She would never wish for him to do that and she hoped they knew that. Voicing that would be a great idea, but a sob threatened to interrupt her words as she starred absently into the fire, trying to hold back tears.
Gajeel, you idiot.
“You love him.” Metalicana said matter-factly. “I’ve never seen him care for no one other than his family and Lily, but with you it’s different. So…why’s that?”
“Way to be father-in-law of the year,” Igneel shook his head, but that didn’t deter the intense gaze the older man was giving her.
It took a moment for her to respond, but when she did, she was proud that her voice didn’t waver. “I don’t know, to be honest. I’m still surprised sometimes by how much he cares about me. When I first met him I didn’t really know what to expect from someone of his caliber. He could’ve treated me anyway he liked knowing that he could get away with it, but he still treated me with more respect and care than the past persons that had me in their care. I love your son, Mr. Redfox, way more than you could imagine. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt him.”
Metalicana seemed to stare into her soul as if trying to identify if she was telling the truth or not. When he was satisfied with whatever he was looking for, he shot her cocky smirk, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud huff.
“Well then little fairy, I approve.” Levy let out a breath, Grandeeney squealing as she pulled Levy into a side hug. “He talks a lot about you to me. It was a pain when he was deciding if he should confess to you or not.”
Igneel raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? I remember you ecstatic that he was even interested in someone and wishing you were there to help him.” Metalicana shoved Igneel again, telling him to shut his fiery mouth the two quickly falling into another verbal fight.
“Don’t tell him I told you, but the big bad iron dad over there already approved of you before you came,” Grandeeney whispered. “He just wanted to give you a hard time.”
Levy thanked the old woman, finally seeing how alike she and Porlyusica looked. Before she could comment on it, Grandeeney stood up with a clap of her hands catching her brothers’ attention. “Alright you two, it’s time to go. Let’s say our goodbyes.”
The men followed her instructions with grumbles as they stood up. “It was nice to finally meet you, Levy.” Metalicana grunted out clapping her on the shoulder, a look on his face he didn’t want to voice in front of the others.
‘Please take care of him.’
“It was nice to meet you too and I will, don’t worry.”
Igneel came next pulling her into a hug, beaming a bright smile when he released her holding her by the shoulders. “Welcome to the family, little blue.”
Grandeeney pulled her into a similar hug. “I’m so glad our little mini Melly found someone to share his life with. Take care and be sure to keep us updated.”
As she bid them goodbye, she couldn’t help but laugh as Metalicana and Igneel shoved it each other with Grandeeney groaning, calling them childish as they faded into the trees. Her surrounding immediately changed back into the spring meadow as soon as they were out of sight. Spinning around she was confused by the sudden daylight and even more confused by the woman standing in front of her now.
“Aquarius?!” Levy nearly yelled, as the blue haired woman stepped closer to her. “You’re dead?”
Nodding her head, Aquarius usual stern gaze softened. “I know Lucy has been looking for me, so please tell her if you can that she can stop.”
“But, how did you die?!”
Her blue eyes flared with anger at the memory. “I died that day that crazed dragon king attacked us. I went home to find Scorpio dead, along with a dozen of the kings guard dead around his body. It was all a trap and I was too late to figure it out. I was attacked as soon as I realized what was happening. Taking us out would be easier for him to get to Layla, Lucy and you. ”
“I’m so sorry, Aquarius.”
Shrugging her shoulders, the woman smiled proudly. “I didn’t die so easily and took a great number of his fleet with me, plus I’m with Scorpio so it’s cool.”
Leave it to Aquarius to smile at her own death. Levy would do the same if she was half the badass Aquarius and her husband was. A thought popped in her head of Gajeel chastising her, telling her that she was in fact just as badass as Scorpio and Aquarius.
“I’ll tell Lucy. It might hurt her, but I think it’ll bring her some closer.”
“Thanks, Levy.” She said, patting her on the shoulder, before straightening with a serious look on her face. “Now. Have you decided, whether you’re staying or going?”
Needing no further explanation, Levy nodded her head. It was an easy decision her parents and Gajeel’s relatives reassured. There was no way she could leave Gajeel and Lily alone. “I decided to go back.”
“Good,” Aquarius nodded her head. “This may hurt, mainly due to getting the sickness out of you. You ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Taking that as a go, Aquarius cocked her hand back, slamming it into her chest. Levy felt like she was underwater for a few seconds before coming out sputtering, but instead of spitting up water on a beach, she jumped up in her bed coughing.
Lily jumped ready for an attack his eyes landing on her. He meowed loudly leaping towards her, rubbing his head against her face, purring loudly. “I’m starting to have a tendency to make you worry, Lily.” She croaked out, her voice hoarse from misuse as she hugged him with weak limbs.
The door opened, showing a surprised Lucy. “Levy!” She yelled, flinging herself onto the bed, hugging her tightly around the neck. Levy patted her friend on the arm, gasping for air. “I’m sorry! We were just so worried about you. Natsu and I came right away. He finally got Gajeel away so he could get some fresh air.”
“I should get him right away.” Lily meowed, leaping off the bed and out the door. Finally taking a look at her surroundings, she noticed that almost everything was either in a shade of blue or green.
“Where am I?” Levy asked. The bedspread reminded her of a mermaid’s tale with its shimmery blue and green scale designs. The carpet was a pretty dark blue with the walls painted a turquoise green. “I’ve never seen this room before.”
Lucy looked around a small smile curling her lips, “It’ll be better if Gajeel explains that, but how are you feeling?”
Her headache was gone, so was the intense itch in her throat and stiff muscles. Stretching her limbs, she attempted to get out of bed. “I feel a lot better, but I think I need a bath. I don’t want to see Gajeel knowing I haven’t bathed in a few days. How long have I been out, anyway?”
Lucy helped her out of bed and towards the bathroom that was decorated similar to the bedroom with it multitude of blue and green shades. “Three days. Natsu and I got here on the second day.” She drew Levy a bath, helping her into the water before running off to find something for her to wear. When Lucy placed the clothes on the vanity, Levy urged her friend to come sit beside the tub.
“I really thought we were going to lose you,” the blonde sniffled as she kneeled beside the tub, brushing Levy’s wet hair. “You should’ve seen Gajeel. I’ve never seen him look so….vulnerable. He really loves you, Lev.”
Levy was unsure on how to tell her that she knew exactly what he looked like and it broke her heart just to see him like that as well. “This may not be the right time, but I have to tell you before I forget.” Levy said, stilling Lucy’s movement’s with her hair. “I did see Gajeel while he was here. I also saw my mom and dad and….Aquarius.”
Lucy took in a breath her body shaking, her eyes wide with shock. “You mean she’s…dead?” Levy nodded her head, filling in the blanks for her with the information Aquarius told her about how she died. Levy also explained where she was and how she saw Gajeel. Even though it seemed impossible, she knew her friend believed her.
Lucy pulled Levy into another hug, her wet form soaking Lucy’s gown. “Thank you, Levy. I really don’t know what to say, but I’m so glad that you’re here with us. Please don’t scare us like that every again.”
“Can’t make any promises,” she giggled as her friend released her, the two smiling fondly at each other. After a few more minutes of them talking as Levy cleaned herself, Levy chuckled. “I think I’m ready to come out and you’re ready for a change of clothes. I don’t need you getting sick.”
With a helpful hand, Lucy pulled Levy out of the water, just as the bathroom door was nearly kicked in.
“Levy!” Gajeel roared, his eyes landing on her naked form causing his face to turn beet red. Levy let out a scream as she attempted to cover herself.
“Quit staring and get out of here, Gajeel!” Lucy yelled, tossing the hairbrush at him to break him out of his trance. It bounced off his chest, clattering to the floor. He didn’t say a word as he quickly turned around and ran out, slamming the door behind him. “He nearly broke the freakin’ door down.” Lucy muttered as she wrapped the towel around a still stunned Levy.
A bubble of laughter formed in her chest and burst out as she used her friend for support. That was not how she pictured their reunion, but she had to say it was pretty hilarious.
“We’re gonna have a sit down and talk about how all this transpired between you two before I leave.” Lucy giggled along with her friend. “Are you ok to dress on your own?”
Levy nodded her head, already pulling on her underwear. “I’ll be fine and I promise to tell you everything.”
Pointing towards her with an accused finger, Lucy declared, “You better. I want all the juicy details too.” She left to let Levy change so she could most likely do the same, promising to come back with Natsu
A/N: Melly and Iggy are children and Grandee is like the mom of the three! And of course Melly just want to give people a hard time! Thank you so much for reading and Merry Christmas Everyone!!
A/N: I'M BACK!!! Took me a while but I'm back!! Lol! Thanks for the wait guys and loved your thoughts on Karma one-shot (if you haven't read it, it's under Levy Day on FF.net and AO3)!! It really made my week! :D
You can read previous parts on FF.net or AO3!!
Rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, Gajeel made his way outside to the gardens, relishing in the suns warmth. Being stuck in meetings most of the morning, desperately made him want to get out and stretch his legs. And especially see the small blue haired woman that’s been distracting him all morning.
He planned to ditch one of his appearances just to have lunch with her, but Wendy reprimanded him, saying she’ll take the woman food herself. He couldn’t help but agree, especially with Erza backing her up. There’s no way he was going to argue with them both. A cold chill ran down his spine, causing him to involuntary shiver at the thought of Erza’s stern face.
The sound of her soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts, as he got closer to where Lily and her where. He stopped, an amused smirk curling his lips as he observed her. She was laying on her back, knees bent occasionally rocking them sideways or raising her foot to wiggle her toes in the air. Her boots sat beside the silver platter that she stole fruit from, dropping them into her mouth almost comically. Inbetween chews, she talked animatedly to Lily waving her hands around, the feline responding with his own deep grumbles and meows causing the girl to release a string of giggles.
Gajeel approached the two, leaning over the girl with a triumphant smile as she squealed at his sudden presence. She abruptly sat up, clutching her hands to her chest. “Gajeel! You scared me,” she frowned turning around to face him.
He apologized with his unique laugh, watching as the girl rolled her eyes at him. “How was lunch with the baby dragon and the red head?” Sitting with his legs crossed, he watched as her cheeks tinted a pretty pink. He wanted so desperately to reach out and touch her, but knew better. It wasn’t time for that yet, no he wouldn’t ruin his surprise. He has better self-control over himself, at least, he hope so.
“It was fine. I’m sad they’re leaving though.” She pouted with a lowered head, playing with her fingers. Lily noticed the woman’s change in mood and immediately crawled closer to her, rubbing his head on her thigh.
Smiling down at the panther, she rubbed underneath his chin earning a hearty hum from the animal. Gajeel had to stop himself from being jealous of Lily. He was internally screaming, wishing that Lily and he were in different positions. Curse him, for wanting to lay his head in Levy’s lap and have her run her fingers through his hair. His heart warmed at the thought of something so simple. Oh Mavis, please give him the strength to plan this confession out properly, instead of being a selfish bastard and letting his jealousy get the best of him.
Her voice pulled him out of his trance, “yea, you’re right Lily. It won’t be too soon before they’ll be back again.”
Gajeel watched her golden brown eyes looked up to him expectantly, and instead of him agreeing, his breath was stolen from his lungs. Maybe it was the sun hitting her just right, her disheveled hair from laying in the grass, those big brown eyes and bright smile or her being the reincarnation of an actual fairy. She tilted her head to the side and scrunched her eyebrows, a look of concern coloring her features as she asked him if he was ok. He couldn’t imagine how he looked from her eyes, but he could guess he looked either startled or upset. Who knows with his face.
“I’m ok, shorty.” He smiled, patting her head. He really was using any excuse possible just to touch her, now. “Just gonna miss them as much as you.”
Her startled gasp and hands clasped over her mouth, confused him. “Here I am, feeling down, when it’s your family.”
“No need to worry shrimp. You’re here with me, so you’re part of the family too.”
He didn’t understand the weight of his words, the way he said it or the way he looked at her. “Oi! Levy!” He yelled in a panic grabbing her shoulders, as stray tears ran down her cheeks.
Apologizing rapidly, she wiped her face with the back of her hands and fingertips as she sniffled. “I-I’m just happy right now. Thank you, Gajeel.”
A selfish bastard, a really big selfish bastard, that’s what he was. He tried to hold himself back, but he had to do something. Anything to show how happy she made him. Moving his hands up to the sides of her face, he leaned their foreheads together, a feeling of relief washing over him as she relaxed into his touch. His heart soared as their warmth seeped into each other, filling their hearts with love as they sat there in a comfortable silence. With closed eyes, Gajeel was too afraid to open them fearing Lily’s shocked and knowing gaze. Of course, she didn’t know the true meaning of this, at least that’s what he hoped. This was a true act of love and trust for his family, as if he was officially welcoming her into the family.
Pulling away reluctantly, he shot her fanged smirk admiring the redness that spread across her cheeks as she smiled back. “I better go help Elfman before he comes looking for me,” he spoke softly stroking her cheek with his thumb. “What are you gonna do until dinner?”
“Probably help Ms. Carrie.”
“Walk with me?” He asked, earning a nod, helping the small woman as he stood to his full height. He took the silver platter, while Levy carried the basket as they made their way back into their home, a comfortable silence falling over them.
As soon as they entered the kitchen Ms. Carrie shooed Gajeel away, saying Elfman was waiting for him to get to work. Levy’s face was still beet red as she watched him steal some rolls. Stuffing one into his mouth and holding three close to his chest, Ms. Carrie tried swatting his hand away before he could get more. A smile spread across her lips as he winked at her before running away with his treats.
Turning to look at the older woman, Levy was confused to see her smiling at her with raised brows. “What?” Levy asked, earning a chuckle as the woman turned back to the counter kneading dough.
“Must’ve been really hot outside for your face to be as red as a tomato.”
Lowering her head in embarrassment, Levy quickly went to work separating the herbs that were in the basket. “It-It was a little warm out.”
The cook let out an amused hum, eyeing the girl as she busied herself, Levy trying her best to avoid eye contact. Levy took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her rabidly beating heart and clear her mind. The stillness of the kitchen with the only sound of flour being spread across the counter and dough flopping onto it seemed to irritate Levy’s ears as her mind and heart refused to slow down.
Tying the last batch of plants together, Levy placed them back into the basket sighing heavily. “Something happened,” she whispered, hearing the older woman stop her movements waiting for Levy to continue. “Something I’m not sure how to feel about.”
Looking up, Levy caught the older woman eyes urging her to continue talking. “He did the headbutt thing,” Levy touched her forehead lightly, a blush reappearing on her face.
Her hand was snatched away from her head, grasped tightly in the older woman’s. When did she get over to her? And how did she move so fast? Was all Levy could think about as Ms. Carrie searched Levy’s eyes with an urgency she couldn’t comprehend.
“Levy,” she whispered, “do you know what that means?” Levy nodded her head. “Does he know, you know?”
Shaking her head no, she slowly took in a breath. “I doubt it and the only reason I know is because he gave me full access to his library.”
Over the time she has been there, Levy found a few books on the mysterious Dragon Slayers. There were only the two that she found, but they were detailed enough for her to learn a lot. Their traditions and stories that were passed down from generations and generations. One of them being how they show affection to the people they loved.
Ms. Carrie’s laugh caused Levy to look up at her bright smile. “Leave it to you to find some old family secrets in books. So, what are you going to do?”
“I-I don’t know, I have a lot to think about.” She sighed, running a shaky hand through her tangled locks. What were she going to do? Should she tell him that she know or should she confess her own feelings? Was that technically a confession or was it a way for him to welcome her into the family? Everything was starting to get complicated and she didn’t know if it was for the best or not.
“It’s not easy being in love,” the old woman spoke softly, squeezing Levy’s hands reassuringly before letting them go. “But you know what they say; sometimes the heart needs time to accept what the brain already knows.”
Levy shot her a weak smile, nodding her head in agreement. “Want to help me make dinner? It’ll help clear your mind a bit.” Ms. Carrie offered, Levy not hesitating to take her offer.
__________________
The next morning Gajeel and Levy were standing outside, wishing Wendy and her crew goodbye. Wendy hugged Lily goodbye before bouncing over to Levy and Gajeel. They each hugged the little girl, sad smiles curling their lips. Erza and Elfman said their goodbyes as well, before ushering the small queen into her carriage.
“It’s going to be quiet without them.” Levy sighed, waving as they watched the white horses pull them away.
“Yea.” She felt his arm drop on her head causing her to look up. “Maybe one day we can visit them.”
“Really?” Levy beamed at the thought of visiting the baby dragon’s kingdom. “We’ll have to be sure to bundle up though.”
Remembering one of the books she read a long time ago about where the different kingdoms where, she pictured the mountain ranges and snow caps that the Sky Kingdom was located. It sounded like a very beautiful place, almost like a winter getaway.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’ll be a warm shrimp.” She pushed him away rolling her eyes, as he laughed at her.
“So, what now?” She asked, trying to change the subject as they walked back into the castle.
“I have some paperwork to do, wanna keep me company?” She nodded her head, enjoying the way his mouth quirked into a wider smile. She still haven’t figured out what she wanted to do, but she settled on enjoying his presence before possibly ruining their relationship.
A/N: Welp, I planned to post this a few weeks ago but my baby nephew (he's 3 months) and i got really sick, and we finally feel 100% better. I haven't been sick for a long time, so that cold really knocked me off my feet and into my bed. Thank you guys for the wait and the comments! :D Don’t forget you could read previous parts on FF.net or AO3!
Levy woke up with a yawn, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she basked in the warmth that surrounded her. Black fur blocked her vision and by the sound of soft purrs, she knew that Lily was sound asleep in front of her. A sleepy smile quirked her lips as she reached out to stroke his fur. As soon as she moved, a heavy arm drew her backwards slightly into a warm body, feeling a nose bury in her hair with a deep breath. Looking down at her waist she saw a familiar arm bulging under the dark comforter causing her face to erupt in a bright shade of red. Covering her face with her hands, she desperately tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, desperately trying to grasp how she got into this situation.
She remembered laying on his bed, while waiting for him to take her back to her room. She thought he’ll wake her up when he was ready, but guess not. She tried to wiggle out of his arms, but he only pulled her closer grunting incoherently.
“Gajeel,” she spoke softly, tapping his arm lightly. “Wake up.”
“Five more minutes, Lev.” He mumbled into her hair, holding her tighter eliciting a soft whine. He wasn’t hurting her, but at this rate Levy is going to pass out from all the blood that was rushing to her face.
Lily lifted his head observing the red faced girl with a sleepy grin, as Gajeel held her in a death grip spooning session. Levy watched as the cat unraveled himself, stretching with a loud yawn before flopping back down on the bed.
“Do you think you can help me?” Levy pleaded, earning a nod from the feline. Lily sat up, slowly moving his paw over her and towards Gajeel.
He patted Gajeel’s head lightly earning a groan and a swat from the large man. Levy couldn’t help but giggle at the action as Lily’s face turned fierce. Lily gave a look and a soft growl as if saying, “He’s going to regret that.” Starting again, Lily raised his paw high above Gajeel, then slammed it down onto the side of his head.
“FUCK!” Gajeel yelped, jolting up taking poor Levy with him. “What the fuck was that?” Gajeel yelled, rubbing the side of his head. Levy was sitting sideways in his lap, staring up at an angrily confused Gajeel, then over to Lily who was now laying down pretending to be asleep.
Looking back up at Gajeel, she would’ve been embarrassed by their position, but the laughter bubbling out of her eased the tension. She used Gajeel for support, leaning her head against his chest as her laughter shook her body.
She felt hands grab her cheeks, motioning her head upwards towards the squinting king. “Was it you that hit me?” He asked, squishing her cheeks together as her laughter died down to a soft giggle.
The usual frown on his face tried to remain as it desperately tried not quirk up in a smile. She shook her head no, causing him to ask, “So it was Lily, then?”
“Nope,” She said between squished cheeks, as Gajeel eyebrows shot up.
“Then who was it?”
“My loyalty is to the King!” She declared with mock determination in her eyes and a playful smile.
“But, I am the king.”
She was quiet for a second, before saying, “oh yea. I blame my still sleepy brain and you nearly throwing me off the bed.”
Gajeel squished her cheeks some more, eliciting a giggle from the small woman, “And who’s fault is that, young lady?”
Her cheeks hurt from smiling and the light pressure Gajeel had on her face. Her vision was partially blocked from her pushed cheeks, but she didn’t miss the small smirk on his face or the way his eyes sparkled with emotion as he looked at her. It felt like her breath was stolen from her lungs, as his eyes stared down at her. It was as if he saw her differently, with the way his usual hard eyes softened. He was still so unreadable, but she could tell that the wall he usually surrounds himself was starting to fall.
If he asked, she would say her sudden red cheeks would be from him squishing them, but she prayed he didn’t feel the sudden warmness of her skin.
Raising her hands to circle around his wrist, she spoke his name softly, until she was rudely interrupted by her growling stomach.
Her eyes shot wide as he stared at her for few seconds, before bursting into a fit of laughter. Letting go of her face, she pouted as he shook his head. “I guess you wanted to tell me you were hungry.”
“Yes,” she whispered covering her stomach as it growled again, sliding off him to sit beside Lily. That’s not what she wanted to say, but now that the moment was gone, she’ll keep her thoughts to herself.
He ruffled her hair, getting out of the bed. “Alright, I’ll go get us some food. Stay here.” He said, pointing at her, daring her to disobey his orders.
She watched him leave, closing the door with a gentle click. Flopping down on her back, she turned over to see Lily displaying a small smile. “I would never betray you, Lily.”
Stretching her limbs, she saw how wrinkled her dress got from sleeping in it and desperately wanted to shower and change her clothes. Looking over to Lily, she knew he was down for anything.
“Want to help me sneak to my room, so I can shower and change?” She asked, eliciting a cheshire grin from the feline. He leapt off the bed, telling her they better hurry before he got back.
Levy tried her best to suppress her giggles as they ran down the hallways. They started their game, as soon as they agreed to try to beat Gajeel back to the room. When they made it to her room, she quickly grabbed a set of clothes and ran into the bathroom.
“Come on, Lily.” She declared, racing out of the bathroom, running a hand through her damp hair. They had maybe 2 minutes before he got back.
Bolting into the room, she was immediately lifted off the ground with a yelp from the sudden movement. “Well, look who’s feeling rebellious this morning.” Gajeel said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he looked up at her. His arms were wrapped under her butt, and her hands were placed on his shoulders for balance.
“You disobeyed the King’s order, shorty. That is punishable by death,” he said tossing her on the bed and climbing over her, “by tickles.”
His fingers danced across her torso, squeals erupting from the girl that squirmed underneath him. “G-Gajeel! S-Stop it!” She tried to speak inbetween giggles, trying her best to swat his hands away.
“Say, I’m sorry.” He commanded, smiling when she did as he said. “Ok, now say, Gajeel is the sexiest king alive.”
“NO!” She yelled, trying to escape from him, only earning my more tickles.
“Say it, and I’ll stop.” He taunted in a sing-song voice, not missing the way the little woman face flushed a bright red.
“Ok! Ok! G-Gajeel, is the sexiest king alive.”
“See, was that so hard?” he asked, stopping his torment to let the woman catch her breath.
“The hardest,” She teased with a smirk, earning an equally teasing smirk as she sat up.
“Would it be too hard for you to eat breakfast with me or are you still feeling rebellious?”
Rolling her eyes, she gave him a mocking bow in her seat, “Never for you, my king.” He snorted at her, playfully pulling a strand of her hair, calling her a smartass.
She eased herself off the bed, following the king to the balcony where he led them to a small table that had a plate placed in front of the two seats.
They ate in a comfortable silence, the two enjoying the warmth of the morning sun and each other’s presence. Once they were done, Levy collected their plates, placing it on breakfast cart that was placed in the corner of the balcony.
“I have a few meetings today before I gotta help Elfman, so try not to get into too much trouble. Wendy and Erza already left for the hospital, so you’re on harvesting duty today.” He said, helping her get the rest of the dishes onto the cart.
Levy was instantly sadden that she wouldn’t be able to go to the hospital, especially after she picked out her outfit specifically for their visit. Looking down at her dark pants tucked into her boots and blouse, she sighed. Guess she was dressed to be outside too.
“Don’t look so sad, shorty. You’ll get to go again.” He promised, playfully tugging her hair again.
Levy swatted his hand away earning a soft chuckle and him promising to bring her lunch later. “Just go,” she shooed, watching him back up with his hands up in surrender.
“What are we going to do with him?” Levy asked Lily, after the king left. Lily shrugged his shoulders lazily with a smile on his face, “Yea, I don’t know either.”
After Levy and Lily dropped off the breakfast cart and chatted with Ms. Carrie, Levy grabbed her basket and headed back out to the gardens. Lily lazed around in the sun, while Levy got to work quickly, not taking long to dive into her work.
-------------------------
“Levy?” a soft voice spoke, snapping the small woman out of her trance. She looked up to see Wendy holding a tray of food and Erza holding a cup in her hands. Levy happily greeted them as she shed her dirty gloves, wiping her sweaty hands on her trousers. “I know Gajeel was supposed to bring you lunch, but I wanted to talk to you, so I volunteered.” The small queen placed the platter beside Levy as she sat across from her, Erza taking a seat beside the small queen.
“Oh, what about?” Levy inquired, quirking an eyebrow as she reached for a turkey sandwich. She didn’t know how hungry she was until she saw the plate food. “Is everything ok, at the hospital?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. I just wanted to ask you something. But first,” she said looking over to Lily. “Do you mind giving us some girl time?”
Lily rolled his eyes, standing up with a grumble, saying he was going for a swim. They wished him good luck, watching the feline disappear as he sprinted away from them.
Levy’s eyebrows scrunched together in worry and anticipation as she took another bite waiting for Wendy to continue talking. Wendy’s face seemed conflicted, as if searching for the right words while Erza’s face was unreadably neutral.
“I was wondering how you felt about Gajeel?”
Quirking her head to the side with a cocked eybrow, she asked, “What do you mean?”
Wendy opened her mouth to speak but Erza spoke in her stead, “Do you love him?”
Gasping and immediately sucking in her food, Levy leaned over covering her mouth as she choked, trying to cough out anything lodged in her throat.
“Erza! I thought we were going to ease her into it!” Wendy admonished, patting Levy on the back.
“I apologize, but I think Levy would appreciate a straightforward approach.” Erza handed her the cup she was holding, Levy gratefully taking it, taking big gulps of water.
“Thank you,” she said wiping small tears away from her eyes. “I-um-I was not expecting that to be your question, but thanks for trying to consider how I would react.”
“Sorry about that, but I do have my reason’s for asking,” Wendy smiled, wringing her hands in her lap. “Gajeel has changed since you’ve been here, and it’s been for the better. He’s still my grumpy older cousin, but he smiles a lot more, especially when you’re around. And you do too. Your smile is the brightest when he’s around.”
Levy listened with wide eyes and pink cheeks, soaking in every word Wendy spoke and the small smirk that graced Erza face. It wasn’t that she was unsure if she had feelings for him, it was how he felt about her. The small queen didn’t know, but she was helping Levy realize that he just may care about her in the same way. She thought back to this morning, causing the blush to brighten her face.
The gardens was quiet as the two women waited patiently for an answer, from Levy. Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, Levy looked at their anticipating faces. “Am I really that obvious?” she asked, watching a wide grin spread across Wendy’s face.
Wendy squealed, wiggling in her seated position, causing the other two women to laugh. “I knew it! I knew you had feelings for him. Ah! I’m so happy right now!” Wendy cheered.
“Calm down, Wendy.” Erza patted the small girl on the head, a promising smile on her lips as well, “They’re not getting married.”
For some reason this made them turn on Levy, Wendy quickly grabbing her hands, “Can I help you plan? The ceremony would look so pretty inside the throne room.”
“No, Levy looks like a spring bride, it should be outside. Surrounded by pretty flowers.” Erza said, with sparkles in her eyes.
“Oh! That would be so much better! I can picture it now.”
Levy observed the dreamy faraway look in their eyes, with an amused but equally frightened smile. She never really thought about the result of their love and of course getting married to Gajeel would be dreamy. Imagining him in a tux waiting at the alter put a dreamy sparkle in her own eyes, but it didn’t last very long. They couldn’t get married, it’s not allowed.
Wendy must’ve noticed the sad look on Levy’s face, as she patted Levy’s hands she still held trying to get her attention. “What’s wrong, Levy? Did we go too far?”
Shaking her head no, Levy kept her head down as she spoke, “I just-I just wish my parents could be there.” She couldn’t tell them the truth, they looked so happy planning out her wedding, completely crushing their smiles would be too painful.
“I’m sure they’ll be there in spirit,” Erza smiled softly.
“I’m sorry for dampening the mood. Thank you for bringing me lunch and talking to me.”
“No problem, I just wanted to interrogate you a little before we left for the sky kingdom tomorrow morning.” Wendy stated, standing up with a brush of her knees.
Levy scrambled to her feet with a sad look on her eyes, “You’re leaving? But I thought you needed to make more antidote?”
“I do, but I can mass produce it at home with help and send it back here and to other kingdoms just in case. But, don’t worry, we still have dinner to annoy Gajeel.”
Laughing at her statement, Levy bid them goodbye, watching their retreating forms.
It didn’t take long for Lily to come back wet from his swim, shaking some of the excess water off him. He didn’t ask what they talked about, and Levy was grateful for that. Tossing a few scraps of meat to the big cat, Levy laid on her back staring up at the sky. She was pretty much done, so relaxing and cloud watching with her favorite feline didn’t sound so bad.
The puffy white clouds looked thicker than normal, but also seemed soft enough to touch. Grabbing a handful of grapes and dropping them into her mouth, Levy frowned at the sky. “It’s going to rain soon.”
A/N: YAY! They love each other! Thanks again for reading my friends! Levy Day is August 1st and i plan to post some one-shots that day, so if you have any requests or prompts feel free to let me know :)
A/N: This chapter was actually so long i had to break up into two parts! That next part will be posted next week since i have to edit it! :D thank you guys so much for staying with me, even with my crazy update schedule!! Of course you can read on FF.net and AO3!
With the weeks flying by, the two settled into a comfortable routine, neither of them ready to talk about their feelings. Levy would read in his office when her chores were done, while he looked over paperwork. More often than not, she would get curious with what he was doing and would ask if she could help. He would bounce ideas and solutions off of her, the two not holding back whenever it came to a debate whenever they disagreed. Lily would just lay and observe the two with an amused smile, not in any hurry to add his own opinion. Close to the end of the day, they would resume their tutoring before retiring to their own rooms.
This day seemed like any other as Levy straightened the King’s office, putting papers in the right files before wiping down his desk. The sound of tinkling, metal lightly bumping into each other was her first indication that someone was entering the library. She looked over to Lily, who was now sitting up in a relaxed manner, his tail swishing lazily. Guessing that someone familiar was approaching them and not an enemy, eased her worry.
But, Gajeel walking in clad head-to-toe in his armor was not what she expected. She observed him with a raised brow and small smirk, drinking every last inch of him in. For some reason, he looked way hotter in his armor than she remembered. The black and gold metal was polished, so was the sword that was strapped to his hip, his right hand resting lazily on the golden handle.
“I haven’t seen you wear that since the first time we met.” She said, leaning her hip on the edge of the desk. “Why is that?”
“You like what you see, eh?” He teased, earning a light blush and a shrug. She very much did like what she sees, but she wasn’t going to outright admit it, but she knew he knew. Chuckling, he stepped towards her, his form seeming a lot bigger and more regal like the King he was. “I wanted to seem less intimating as possible, while you were getting used to your new surroundings. Plus, this thing gets pretty hot in the summer time.”
“So, why are you wearing it now?”
“Because we’ve been stuck inside for weeks now, and need to get out, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” He declared taking her hand, pulling her lightly away from the desk as if coaxing her to follow him. She did without question, their hands still held tightly together as he led her to his room.
She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell her what exactly they were doing outside his door. As if reading her mind, he spoke, “get dressed, Lily and I will be waiting for you out here.” He opened the door for her, nudging her in with a slight push on her lower back.
Taking the steps needed into his room she was instantly entranced by the light pink piece of fabric that seemed out of place on the black comforter. When the door closed with a click, she stripped out of her maid uniform, before putting on the off the shoulder pink dress. Smoothing out the knee length skirt, she admired the little white flowers that decorated the surface reminding her of daisies. Switching out her black ribbon for the white one that matched the strappy sandals that lay on the bed, she felt an uneasy feeling taking over her.
This is wrong, so wrong. She didn’t deserve any of the things he was giving her. His love, attention, and trust. Not when she was unsure of what she wanted to do with her own feelings, whether that was bottling them or telling him everything. What will she do when he finally did get the confidence to express his feelings? Reject him? No, to reject a King would be foolish and suicidal. Any other ruler would have a girls head on a platter if they denied their advances, but Gajeel’s different. If she did reject him, he wouldn’t hurt her.
A sad smile curled her lips at the thought of knowing he’ll do the opposite. He would probably try to woe her and earn her affection….even though he already has it.
Taking a few hesitant footsteps with these thoughts swirling in her mind, she took a deep breath, steeling herself to open the door. His broad back was facing her, the sound of the door opening wider causing him to turn around. With wide eyes and a blush as pink as her dress, he took her in, Levy shifting uneasily under his gaze. Wringing her fingers, she asked, “How do I look?”
“Beautiful,” he whispered in the common tongue, loud enough for her to hear, getting a wide smile in return. A soft growl made her look down at the feline, Lily approving of her appearance.
Taking the arm he held out, she wrapped her hand around his armored bicep. “Where are we going?” She asked, as he led them out of the castle and towards the waiting carriage.
“Gotta make a few stops in town and thought we would do them instead of one of the errand boys. Plus, Wendy made me some more motion sickness medicine, so I’m all fit for a little travel.” He waggled his pierced eyebrows, Levy giggling at the sight.
She sat across from Gajeel with Lily resting his head in her lap as she peered out the window watching the castle grounds pass by opening up for the town’s landscape. They first stopped at the hospital, Levy happy to hear that the patients treatments were progressing smoothly. As they were leaving, a wagon pulled up, some of Gajeel’s men bringing in the freshly washed linen, Porlyusica directing them where to take it as she met them at the door.
They made a few more stops at the town hall to deliver papers, farmers market to check up on this year’s produce, and the trader’s hall. Levy was at first nervous, knowing the rumors that were circling her sudden appearance in town, but there were a lot more welcoming people than she thought. Not everyone was against her she realized, as she was fawned over by the women at the farmers market. She felt like a little kid going to grandma’s house as they pinched her cheeks, told her how pretty she was and disproving of how skinny she was. They tried to give her fruits and vegetables as presents loading anything they could grab into her arms. Declining wasn’t an option, so a basket full of produce was what they left with when they went on to the next stop.
When they were leaving the trader’s hall, Levy couldn’t keep her eyes off of Gajeel a faint smile curling her lips.
“What?” he questioned, with suspicious squinted eyes. “What’s with that look?”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. “You’re a very good King; you care about your people and it shows by how much they trust and respect you. I don’t really know what I expected when you told me we were going to do some of the errands, but I’m glad it was better than I could imagine.”
To be honest, she expected some of the people to be afraid of him or cower from his gaze, but it wasn’t like that at all. Everyone welcomed him with open arms, a slap on the back or a kiss to the cheek.
Whenever someone expressed their concerns he listened intently, giving them his full attention, before giving them a solution or saying he’ll figure out way to help them. It was a big shock, but she was glad he wasn’t perceived as a monstrous king.
His cheeks tinted a light pink as he thanked her, clearing his throat from the embarrassment of her praise. “My father taught me everything I needed to know to be a good ruler. He was even harder around the edges than I am, but he was still a great leader. Always there to lend an ear, no matter how small the problem.”
With them back in the carriage, Levy rubbed Lily’s head as she observed the melancholy look on Gajeel’s face. “Do you miss him?”
A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his head back admiring the ceiling with sudden interest. “I do. Some days are harder than others,” he admitted, “but, lately it’s been easier now that I have a little fairy bossing me around.”
Levy lightly kicked his shin earning a soft chuckle from him. “I am not bossy,” she murmured, as she turned to look out the window attempting to hide her blush. She was ready to give him another smart retort when something caught her eye, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she leapt closer to the window.
“Is that a bookstore?” she squealed, watching as the building slowly went out of sight to be dwarfed by the other buildings.
A hard knock on the ceiling caused her to turn her attention away from the window and towards Gajeel, feeling the carriage slow to a stop.
“I almost forgot,” he hummed more to himself, thanking the guard as he opened the door for them. “I want you to meet someone.”
Levy wrapped her hand around his arm instinctively, as he led them to the bookstore, her interest peaking as her attention bounced between him and the building. The bell above the door announced their presence as Gajeel opened the door wider so she could walk in first. The soft playing of classical music and faint smell of cinnamon tickled her nose as she observed the store with wide eyes. The inside was bigger than the outside presumed, with the walls lined with books and a few short bookshelves. A few couches and chairs circled a coffee table in the middle of the room, a couple of novels on display for anyone willing to take interest.
“Gajeel! Lily!” A croaky voice exclaimed, rounding the checkout counter. “My! My! Look at you two!” A short old man, dressed in a brown sweater and pants with glasses hanging around his neck approached them with open arms. Levy was stunned to hear Dragonic spoken so smoothly from a regular person, but if he knows Gajeel then there’s no way he’s an ordinary person.
“Mr. Maki,” Gajeel embraced the old man, bending slightly to accommodate for the height. “It’s been awhile haven’t it?”
“You’re a busy man, I can’t fault you for that. Now who is this young lady you have with you?” He asked, putting his glasses on leaning in closer to inspect Levy features. She was still in shock that she almost missed Gajeel introducing them to each other.
“This is Levy McGarden. Levy, this is Mr. Maki. He was one of my father’s closest friends and he used to let me stay here whenever my dad did business in town. I was a huge brat and I’m still surprised he let me stay here.”
The old man dismissed him with a wave, “ah, you were nothing compared to your father. If I could handle him, I could handle anyone.”
The feeling of familial warmth radiated from the two, as if the time the two hasn’t seen each other was nothing but a few days. And if what she read about Metalicana was correct, then this man being a close friend of his was very special and also explains why he speaks the language so well. The former King rarely trusted anyone besides his family and she could swear she read that name before or some form of it.
A guard walking in, interrupted their moment as he stood in the doorway with a bow. Gajeel sighed, clasping the man lightly on the shoulder, “I have one more stop to make, but is it ok if my friend roam around your shop?”
“Any friend of yours, is a friend of mine. You go now and bring us back some dumplings from Yajima’s. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see your face as well.” Gajeel agreed, shooting Levy a wink before leaving with the guard.
Levy turned to the old man that was a few inches shorter than her with him hunched over slightly, a wide smile curling his lips. “I never thought he would be bring a girl over the next time he visited, much less the one that was rumored to be his mistress.” He spoke switching back to the common language.
Her heart sank and her smile dropped at his words. How much has he heard and what exactly does he believe? Does he believe everything he’s heard?
The old man let out a raspy chuckle patting her shoulder. “Don’t worry, child. I don’t believe a word those gossipers say. What I believe is what I see and I see that Gajeel loves you, especially since he brought you here. Quite funny that he would fall in love with his old tutor’s daughter, though.”
“You knew my father?” her voice was shaky as she searched the old man’s eyes. When he nodded, she felt like all the air was released from her body as she leaned forward on a chair for support. Her mind was in even more shambles as she absent-mindly walked around the chair to plop down in it. “How-How do you know him?”
The old man took a seat across from her, Lily stretching out beside her. “I wasn’t just Gajeel’s father old friend; I was his academic advisor. I was the one who suggested your father tutor Gajeel.”
“My father tutored Gajeel? I-I didn’t know. Why didn’t he tell me?”
The old man gave her a sympathetic smile, his eyes softening at her shocked gaze. “Maybe he thought you weren’t ready to know or he was just so entranced by your beauty that he forgot.” Levy’s attention switched back to him, laughing lightly at his suggestion. She knew he said it to make her smile, and she was grateful.
Maybe he really did forget to mention it, especially with Lullaby plaguing the kingdom. How could she be upset with him for putting his attention on more important matters, like the health of his people?
“Can you tell me anything you remember about him? About my father.”
Rubbing the gray stubble on his chin, the old man reclined back in his seat pondering for a few moments before telling her everything he could remember. Her father always gushed about his intelligent daughter, showing anyone willing a picture of the little blue haired girl. He was very good at his job, one of the best even and was the prime choice to tutor the very stubborn prince Gajeel and many others. Any job invitation he got that was too far away from his family, he respectively declined, his reasoning not wanting to be away from his wife and daughter for too long.
“They grow up so fast and I want to be there for everything she experience, before it’s too late.” Mr. Maki said mimicking her father’s voice, making her eyes water, a goofy smile on her face.
“That’s sounds like something he would say. I only knew him as my father and always wondered what type of man he was as a professional. I did see him work with the kids in our town, but I never got to see him when he was serious.” Wiping a stray tear that fell, she thanked him with a bow of her head.
“No need to thank me. Your father was very kind and I’ll be happy to tell you more, whenever I remember them. Your memory fades with old age, you know.” Standing up with a loud pop of his stiff joints and a groan, the old man chuckled exclaiming, “sounds worse than it is. I’m going to get us some tea and sweets. We have much to discuss.” He declared before disappearing into the back of the store which she guess housed a small kitchen and office.
Lily stretched with a yawn, telling Levy he’ll be back. “Need to use the litter box?” The look Lily shot her clearly saying, ‘how dare you?’ caused a bubble of laughter to erupt from her chest.
“I do not use a litter box. I am not some domesticated house cat.” He growled out with an irritated swish of his tail.
Raising her hands in defeat she laughed, “I apologize, and please carry on.” Lily left with a huff out the front door, using his mouth to turn the doorknob.
Deciding to stretch her legs too, Levy took to walking around the bookstore observing the array of genres and languages of books the old man carried. She was thoroughly impressed but not surprised by the range of his selection. Mentally, she took notes on the books she would like to borrow from the old man, the next time they came.
The door opening and closing with a soft click, made Levy put the book she was holding back on the shelf. “Lily, that was fast. I thought you-oh, I’m sorry.” She spoke peaking her head from behind one of the shelves, expecting to see Lily, but meeting two men instead. They looked sickly pale, with sweat coating their skin and snot running out of their nose only for them to sniffle it back in. They were both skinny, but looked strong enough to handle their own and by the look of their dirt covered overalls and boots she guessed they were farmers.
Either way she welcomed them while Mr. Maki was busy, “Welcome, is there anything I can help you guys with?”
A/N: fun story (not really): i went to my twin sister's baby shower and her husbands family is HUGE!!! I come from a very small family so it was fun and overwhelming to have all these old ladies fawning over me. They thought i was in high school and was surprised that i was 23 >.< (They thought i was the baby sister) All that's to say is that i thought levy needed some ally's in the town and needed some old ladies to fawn over her too! but i got lots of cookies instead of produce! :D
A/N: Thanks for your reviews you guys! :D I love reading them! Was going to post this tomorrow for July 4th, but I'm not really fond of the holiday, so meh! (The fireworks are cool, but I don't like loud noises or big crowds.) Since, i have the day off, I plan to have the next chapter for you guys very soon! ;) Don’t forget you can read more on FF.net or AO3!
It didn’t take long for the pair to reach the dining room, where everyone was waiting. Levy somehow persuaded Gajeel to let her walk into the room instead of him carrying her to her chair, you could say it was her pouting or the puppy dog eyes or both. She smiled prettily to Wendy, Erza and Ms. Carrie as Gajeel pulled out her seat for her. Observing the food on the table, her mouth immediately started to water at the sight of all of it. There was a nice spread of roast beef, vegetables, potatoes, other sides and desserts on the table.
“Sorry it took us so long,” Levy greeted, as Gajeel took the seat to her right.
Wendy waved her hand dismissively with a smile. “No need to apologize, I’m just glad you’re here. Ms. Carrie made all my favorites, so let’s dig in.”
It didn’t take long for everyone to eat their fill, as they talked excitedly about old memories of their childhood. Gajeel groaned whenever Ms. Carrie or Erza brought up something embarrassing, that made Levy giggle with delight. The small woman was content with not sharing and instead relished in reliving every embarrassing moment Gajeel was a part of. Levy tried to help Ms. Carrie clear the table when dinner was over but was shooed away by the old woman. She attempted to reason with her but was immediately thrown over Gajeel’s shoulder without warning, a small yelp escaping her lips.
“She said no helping and you’re hurt, so you’re coming with me.” Gajeel announced, as he took long strides towards the dining room doors.
“Maybe next time, Levy!” The old woman shouted after them with mirth in her voice. Levy’s mouth was agape as the women laughed at their retreating forms, Wendy waving goodbye with a wide smile.
When they got back to his room, he placed her back on the ground, in which she immediately started punching his chest. “Gajeel, you idoit! Why did you do that? I didn’t need to be slung over your shoulder!” She shouted, as he took the hits with ease.
“You’re hurt, so you shouldn’t be doing unnecessary work.” He argued, grabbing her wrist to stop her assault. He wouldn’t admit it, but her hits were actually starting to sting a little. Ripping her hands away, she glared at him until a thought came to mind. “What are you thinking? I don’t like that look.” Gajeel frowned, as he observed the mischievous smile that replaced her pout.
“I shouldn’t be doing unnecessary work, so let’s do some that is necessary. How about we continue your lessons instead.” She said, trying to contain the smirk that desperately wanted to crack wider at his expression.
“We can go back,” he said, quickly turning on his heels, only stopping when Levy grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back towards her.
“Nope, I’m injured remember, and with everything that’s been going on we haven’t had time to review. So, what’s a more perfect time then now?”
She watched as he sighed heavily with a drop of his shoulder as he sulked over to the couch, flopping down dramatically. He snatched the needed supplies that sat on table and placed them on his lap with a dissatisfied huff. He was opening the book when he received a sharp flick to the forehead that caused his head to shoot up and look at the small woman.
“Oi! What the hell, shorty?” he asked, rubbing the spot on his forehead, watching her place her hands on her hips with a satisfied smile on her face.
With a shrug of her shoulders, she simply said, “You were acting like big baby, so I stopped you.”
He glared her down as she took a seat next to him, shaking his head at her pleased smirk. He should’ve seen that coming.
Levy immersed them into their lesson with ease, trying to make up for lost time. The night drawn on with the two so engrossed in their roles of student and teacher that they didn’t notice Lily come back into the room to snuggle up in his broken box by the patio doors.
The next morning, Gajeel woke up to a beam of sunlight shining over his face, causing him to grunt and bury his face into the pillow. Content with his new position, he was ready to fall back asleep when he felt something shift beside him. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he tiredly looked down expecting Lily to be curled up next to him but was shocked to see wild blue hair. He froze instantly, his senses going into overdrive as he stared wide eyed at the blue mop. He was laying on his side with his left arm bent under his pillow and his right arm encasing the small woman around her waist. She had her face almost buried in his chest with her arm under his, slung around his waist, and with their legs tangled together.
When did this happen? How the hell did they end up like this? He thought back to last night, remembering that their tutoring sessions ended up with them both being mentally and physically drained. While Gajeel put away his supplies, Levy relaxed on his bed, deciding to rest her eyes before walking back her room. He remembered seeing her peaceful face as she slept, feeling bad about waking her so he just tucked her into his bed. He tried his best to be a gentleman and sleep on the couch, but it was way too small and uncomfortable for him, so he climbed into bed with her, promising to return to the couch when he woke up.
After remembering last night, he tried his best to calm down, praying he didn’t wake her up by the sound of his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He need to keep his word and go back to the couch, before she wakes up. When he untangled himself from her and tried to scoot away, she only scooted closer, hugging him tighter a content sigh escaping her lips. If he could melt into a pile of putty he would’ve at the how adorable she looked.
‘Oh dear Mavis, please give me strength,’ he silently prayed.
Hearing a soft knock on the door, he cursed when he saw dark blue hair poke into the room. Wendy face split into a wide grin and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she desperately tried to hold in her giggles. “I can explain,” Gajeel whispered harshly, earning more stifled giggles.
“Meet me by the fountain,” she whispered, before disappearing behind the door. Gajeel, cursed under his breath, frowning deeply as he slowly slipped away from Levy. She let out a low whine as her heat source was stolen away from her, Gajeel desperately wanting to climb back into bed just to make her happy.
Instead he lightly shook Lily awake, the panther cracking an irritated eye up at his friend. “Keep Levy company for me, please.” Gajeel nodded, his head towards the bed. Lily quickly understood, standing up with a low stretch before making his way to the bed to curl up next to the woman.
Gajeel quickly changed into a new set of clothes and splashed some water on his face before heading out to the fountain. The castle was quiet as everyone slept in from last night’s feast, besides of course the two dragons. It didn’t take long for Gajeel to make his way to the familiar spot where Wendy and him would play and hide from their parents. The hedges opened up into a circled area, with a marbled dragon spewing water from its mouth. Wendy sat on one of the two benches that surrounded the fountain, swinging her legs as she hummed a familiar tune.
“You were always better at singing that song than us.” Gajeel grunted out, sleep still lacing his voice, attracting the little dragon’s attention.
“My voice is a lot lighter than you guys, but I do like it when you sing it.” She smiled as he took a seat next to her, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants leg.
How was he going to explain this to her? He could try being straight forward like always, but for some reason it was harder to express that nothing was going on.
“Wendy, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me and Levy. What you saw earlier wasn’t what it looked like.”
Wendy stopped swinging her feet, to turn and look at Gajeel with an amused look in her eyes which confused him. “I think we should have a talk, Gajeel. The talk.” She put an extra emphasis on ‘the’ causing Gajeel’s heart to drop and his face go pale.
Rubbing the back of his neck nervously he stuttered out nervously, “I-I um, I’m not sure I’m the best suited to have this talk with you Wendy, I think-“
“Whoa! What?” Wendy interrupted, her hands flying up in a defense manner. “I’m not talking about that talk, plus Lucy and Erza already had that conversation with me.” Her cheeks dusted pink as she averted her eyes.
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Love.” Her face was as serious as she stared Gajeel down, both refusing to look away. “We need to have a talk about your feelings.”
“No we do not, I’m going back to bed.” He growled out as he stood up from his seat, ready to leave.
“Gajeel, I’m serious.”
“I am too!” He yelled, turning back to look at her. “Why do we need to talk about how I feel?”
“I care about you and Levy and I don’t want either of you too get hurt, because you’re not used to loving someone other than your family.”
Wendy watched him pace as he ran a hand through his bed head, mumbling under his breath about how stupid feelings are. “What makes you think I like her?” He asked, trying to diverge the subject onto her instead of him.
“When we first arrived, I expected you to roll your eyes and tell Elfman to shut up with his man talk, but instead you greeted him with a smile and let him hug you. You also are really protective of her, and you’re only like that with people you love.”
His pacing stopped as he stared at her with scrunch up eyebrows and a deep frown, searching her eyes for answers to his own question. She took his confusion as her chance to continue speaking.
“I know you like her, so tell me how she makes you feel.”
“I don’t know!” He growled out shaking his head, “happy, I guess? My hearts starts racing and I have this urge to pull her close to me. To keep her by my side as much as possible so I can keep her safe. And when she talks, I want to hear more. Especially when she gets really excited and little stars appear in her eyes and she has the biggest smile on her face.” He didn’t realize it, but he was smiling himself just talking about her as he stared down at his feet.
Wendy continued to ask him similar questions and he answered without hesitation, until she asked him, “So? Do you love her?”
His smile dropped as his mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ and his eyes grew wide. Wendy watched with pure bliss as Gajeel connected the dots and came to a conclusion. The man lifted his head up to the sky, running a hand down his face, muttering, “Holy shit, I’m an idiot.”
Giggling lightly, Wendy hopped off the bench to bounce to her dumbstruck cousin. “W-what do I do now, now that I know?” He asked hesitantly, looking down at the bright smile on the small girls face.
“You confess your feelings or you can just sulk in a corner. It’s really up to you.”
“But, what if she doesn’t feel the same way?” He spoke softly, lowering his head at the thought of rejection.
Wendy shot him a sympathetic smile, hugging him tightly. “You won’t know unless you ask.” She felt his arms wrap around her in response, before he patted her head gently, muttering his thanks. “No need to thank me, I’m always here to talk some sense into you.” she smiled, pulling away from him.
“Thanks for that, little dragon.”
“No problem. Erza and I are going to the hospital in few, so tell Levy she’s on harvesting duty and you and Elfman are still on laundry duty.” Wendy stated, waving bye as she skipped back into the gardens towards the castle. Gajeel stood there for a few minutes, before deciding to leave too.
His mind was a mess as he numbly walked back to his room. He loves her, he’s head over hills in love with Levy and he’s freaking the hell out. What should he say or do in order to confess his feelings? Is there like some etiquette to these things? Of course there is, he can’t just wake her up and say, ‘good morning and by the way I love you.’ He could do that, but who in their right mind would take him serious? Should he ask her out on a date or wait for the right moment? Or should he try to guess how she feels about him? Gajeel wanted to pull his hair out as he thought over what was the best way to do this.
Opening the door slowly, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Levy was still asleep. Lily and she were curled up together in an adorable mesh of black and blue hair. Stifling a yawn, he decided to get a few more minutes of sleep before thinking any further. He slipped in behind Levy, effectively throwing his arm over her and the big cat.
‘I guess I could get used to this,’ he thought, snuggling closer to Levy with a content sigh. He’ll figure out a way to tell her, but for now, this is just as good.
A/N: Finally back with an update!! You guys likes, reblogs and comments always keeps me going!! Welp! I hope you guys enjoy the this one as well!! I’ll be back soon!! You can read previous parts on FF.net or AO3!
“Thanks again for carrying the box, Erza.” Levy sheepishly smiled up at the redhead who smiled down at her, as they entered the castle.
“It’s no problem. You seemed to be having trouble when you walked into the restaurant and everyone was staring at you. I could tell you were getting embarrassed.”
Levy’s cheeks tinted a slight pink as she remembered the stares she got when she walked in with Lily by her side. She felt his body tense up, ready to defend her again and that made her feel a little safer from the eyes that bore down on her. Especially when she sat down beside the small queen and her smiling bodyguard. Levy stroked the panther’s head using him as an emotional anchor as she tried to ignore them.
“Levy?” A small voice asked pulling her out of her thoughts, reminding her where they were headed. “Are you ok?” Wendy asked, Gajeel’s office coming into view.
“I’m ok.” Levy nodded her head, eyeing the door that seemed to come forward increasingly fast. She wasn’t ready to see him. She wasn’t ready to put on a smile and pretend everything was ok. She needed to clear her head and fast. “Um, Erza? Do you think you can deliver that to his highness? I have a few chores I have to get done before dinner.”
Erza faced flashed with worry as she nodded her head. Levy thanked her before turning in the opposite direction, with Lily hot on her heels. Lily tried to ask her where she was going but he was only met with the sound of her rapid footsteps as she hurried out of the castle and into the back gardens.
She took a deep breath, expelling it slowly as she tried to calm her frazzled nerves and overwhelming thoughts. Taking a step into the garden maze, she looked down seeing Lily ready to follow her wherever she went causing her to stop.
“Lily, can I have a moment alone?” Lily, shook his head, a rumble in his throat telling her, he would rather go with her to make sure she was safe. Shooting him a sympathetic smile she rubbed his head reassuringly. “I’ll be ok, promise. I won’t go too far and I’ll scream if I need you.”
Lily shot her a hesitant look, which Levy quickly put on her sweetest smile saying, please. Shaking his head he huffed out a defeated sigh, knowing it was hard to say no to her. He and his old friend seemed to have that common.
“Thanks, Lily. I’ll be just a few minutes.” She cheered, hugging him before turning to head into the gardens.
She watched him lay in the front of the garden’s entrance, letting her know he’ll be there when she gets back. A smile danced across her features before sliding back down into a frown as she walked aimlessly with no real direction or destination in mind. The stares and whispers seemed to surround her as the seamstress words echoed loudly in her mind. She was used to the derogative words but for some reason, having Gajeel’s name attached to her made her heart ached. The thought of Gajeel’s reputation being at stake because of her was what hurt the most. He was only helping her and here she was ruining him.
“I’m sure he doesn’t care, but still…” she whispered aloud to herself, guilt and sadness filling her. Why did she have to like him so much? If this was someone else she wouldn’t feel so defensive. Gajeel deserves more than this, more than her. “I can’t stand by his side…” her words trailed off into the wind as her mood soured even more.
She was so lost in thought she didn’t realize exactly where she was going or where she was. The sound of a hard snap under her foot caused her to jump and look around at her surroundings.
A groan escaped her lips as she surveyed the tall trees instead of the clean cut edges of the garden hedges. She somehow wounded up in the forest instead of getting lost in the garden like she thought she would. Spinning around in a slow circle she tried to decide which way she should go, before giving up and just walking. Running her hands through her now damp hair, she started to get nervous as she walked deeper into the woods.
“I should’ve listened to Lily,” she whined, feeling the heat of the summer getting to her. It didn’t help that she was walking through town earlier and now this. The tall tree tops block out most of the sun providing cool shade, but that didn’t stop the shade from still being way too warm for comfort. Beads of sweat accumulated on her skin, letting her know how long she’s been in the heat.
A loud rustling sound caused her to stop and listen. It got louder and seemed to get closer to her. Without hesitating, Levy ran not wanting to see if it was a harmless bunny or territorial boar. Better safe than sorry, right? The unknown creature chased after her as she ran, the small woman cursing under her breath as rocks and large roots dug into her feet. A cold chill of panic ran through her as a loud growling sound made her feet go faster. Looking behind her she couldn’t see anything but she could hear it, whate\ver it was, gaining on her.
When she looked forward she knew she was too late, she was moving too fast to slow down and realize the ground angled downward towards a large riverbank. It seemed like she was floating for a split second before her body crashed onto the ground. She rolled down the bank, before finally landing with a splash into the muddy river. Luckily, she was in the shallow end as she sat up quickly, sputtering water out of her mouth and wiping her drenched hair out of her face. A soft splash caught her attention to her left, eyeing familiar black hair.
“Lily,” she breathed watching the black cat approach her with a displeased look on his face. She knew right then, that he was the beast chasing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go this far and for running away from you.” He inspected her for wounds, before leaning in to rub his head against hers, purring softly as she giggled rubbing his neck. She could tell he was glad she was ok, but knew she was going to get an earful later.
When she stood up, she winced when she put weight on her right foot instantly using Lily to balance herself. The lake water was too murky to see through so she couldn’t observe her ankle. Lily helped her out of the almost knee-length water, as she limped towards the muddy shore.
“Well, it doesn’t look broken.” She said turning her foot, wincing slightly. She’s had a broken ankle before and it definitely didn’t look or feel like this, so she was sure she was ok. Lily on the other hand wasn’t too sure. Using Lily again for balance, Levy made it up the incline and halfway out of the forest. It took them a long time with her being so far from the castle and the slow pace they set, that the sun started to set behind them.
“You think we can sneak into the castle like this?” Levy asked, looking down at her now damp dress that was riddled with dirt. Her skin itched from the drying lake water and the sweat that re-coated it. She smiled when Lily huffed out an unamused sigh and shook his head. They were almost out of the woods when they heard loud rushing footsteps. They both knew who they belong too and Levy felt the need to turn and run. She didn’t want to face him, not yet. She wanted more time to wallow in her guilt, but alas luck wasn’t on her side and neither was Lily as he growled loudly alerting their presence.
She heard the footsteps move faster and she tried her best to turn and run in the opposite direction, but Lily stopped her, putting himself in her way causing her to trip and land on his back. The panther seemed unfazed by her weight as she scrambled to stand up and try running again.
“Levy! Lily!” Gajeel exclaimed, eyeing them both. She saw the anger clear on his face as he watched her struggled to stand up. She averted her gaze to the cat below her, silently begging him to let her wobble away. Lily just kept his eyes forward, refusing to meet her pleading eyes.
“What the hell happened?” Gajeel yelled, causing her to jump and look back at him, noticing how close he was now. He stood in front of her with crossed arms waiting for a response. Levy wanted to cry, she wanted bury her head in the sand and just cry.
“I-I got lost, I’m sorry your majesty. Lily tried to come with me but I stopped him and I should’ve took him with me but I was too stupid not too. He had to find me and bring me back. I’m sorry.” She rambled, bowing her head in shame, tears burning her eyes ready to stream down her face.
She didn’t see his features soften but she did hear him suck his teeth. “I can take it from here Lily,” Gajeel stated, picking up a surprised Levy, holding her princess style.
“Your clothes! They’re going to get dirty!” She argued, as Gajeel took long strides towards the castle.
“I’ll change them.” She wanted to argue back but received a hard glare from him daring her to continue. She gulped dryly, returning her gaze to her lap as she tried to ignore how fast her heart was beating from their proximity. He was angry with her and here she was trying not to blush like giddy school girl.
When he opened a door, she noticed that they were in his room walking towards his bathroom. Her face blossomed a bright red as she looked up at Gajeel in fear. He didn’t look at her, but she could see a faint smile on his face.
“Don’t worry shorty, I won’t be joining you, unless you can’t stand.”
“I-I can stand on my own.” she stuttered out, as he gently stood her up on the tiled floor. “I can also take a shower in my own room.”
Nudging her slightly towards the glass door he shook his head, “Just get in the damn shower shorty. I’ll bring you a change of clothes in a minute.” She softly let out an ok, as she watched Gajeel leave to give her privacy.
As the water warmed up she quickly undressed before stepping under the hot stream. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt the water relax her muscles, the steam fogging up the glass door. His scent surrounded her as she used his soap and hair products, not hearing Gajeel come in to leave her a change of clothes.
Once she was all done she dried off wrapping the clearly over sized towel around her as she walked towards the vanity style sink that had folded fabric sitting on it. A set of undergarments that made her blush profusely as she thought about Gajeel touching her stuff and a dress. It was a light blue dress with a sleeveless halter neckline with a flowy knee length skirt. She admired her reflection in the mirror thinking about how well it fit, smiling as she played with the bottom of the skirt. It made her want to twirl circles, but refraining since she already hurt her ankle.
When she exited the bathroom she saw Gajeel in a new set of clothes sitting on the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. His demeanor relaxed when he noticed her, looking her up and down with a smirk of approval.
Moving towards her, he picked her up and placed her on the edge of the bed. “Hey! What are you doing?” she squeaked, as he sat down on the carpeted floor, picking up her foot.
“I’m examining your ankle.” His touch was gentle as he examined her, putting pressure here and there. “Well, it’s not broken or sprained.”
Cocking her head to the side, she stared at the top of his head asking, “How do you know?”
“I’ve broken enough bones to know what one feels like, plus my pops always taught me simple first aid.” He grunted out, staring at her the irritation back in his eyes. He was still upset with her.
Lowering her head, she fiddled with her fingers, “I-I’m sorry your majesty, I-Ow!“
He flicked her in the forehead causing her to squeak and glare at him in confusion. “What was that for?” She frowned rubbing the spot on her forehead.
“You’re not calling me by my name.”
“What?” She asked clearly confused by his actions, but earning a raised pierced eyebrow. “You looked so angry earlier and now, and I’m sure it’s because of me. So I felt like I didn’t deserve-”
“Well, I’m angry because you had Erza bring my package and you went walking on your own just to come back hurt.” He easily interrupted. “What if something happened before Lily got there? You’re usually smarter than this, so of course I’m upset, because something is clearly wrong.”
Levy sat there with her mouth agape, unsure of what to say. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just wanted some time alone to think.”
“What happened?” he demanded. “I know something happened, Lily didn’t say anything but his body language was tense when he told me he went to find you.”
Levy gaze went back down to her lap as she chewed on her lower lip, unsure if she should tell him or not. She didn’t know how he’ll react or what he’ll do. Of course he wouldn’t accuse her but she didn’t want to get anyone in trouble or hurt. If they wanted to call her names and be mean to her that’s fine, but she knows Gajeel wouldn’t take too kindly to her saying that. She was debating what to say when Gajeel flicked her again in the forehead causing her to jump and yelp.
“Will you stop that?” She pouted, rubbing the sore spot she was sure was going to be red.
“You were overthinking and I stopped you.” He said, sighing as he shook his head. “Look, I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but I’m here if you ever need it.”
He was angry because he knew something was wrong, and instead of coming to him she went out on her own and got hurt. Even though it was a few bumps and bruises, he was right in saying it could’ve been worse if Lily didn’t come find her when she was taking a long time.
“Thank you, Gajeel.” He shot her a devilish smirk that made her smile in return. “Thank you for the change of clothes too. They fit very well.”
“I’m glad you like them, they’re yours.”
“Wait, what?” Her confusion putting an amused look on his face. He stood up, walking over to the couch that held the box, picking it up with ease. He placed it on the bed as she moved closer, so she could see what was inside. “This is for me?” she asked, bouncing her eyes from the box to Gajeel’s sparkling ones.
He nodded his head as she dug her hand into the box pulling out the fabrics. There were a few pants, shirts and even some simple dresses she could wear when she’s not working. She ran her fingers over the fabrics feeling the expensive material under her fingertips. She’s only felt material like this when she picked up Master Everlue’s clothes.
“I noticed you didn’t have much to wear so I got these for you whenever you’re not working or when you’re outside, supervised of course.”
Putting the clothes gently back in the box, she pushed it aside and moved so quickly Gajeel didn’t see anything but a flash of blue as she attacked him in a tight hug wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, again.” She whispered.
He hugged her tighter her buried his face into her hair smiling to himself as her feet dangled a few feet off the ground. She didn’t want to let go, but knew she had to when a soft knock came from the door. Gajeel softly placed her on the ground, patting her head with a smile before going to see who it is.
“Hey, baby dragon.” Gajeel teased letting Wendy into the room as she stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m guessing you’re here to check up on Levy?”
Nodding her head she spoke, “I heard she hurt her ankle, so I wanted to make sure she was ok. Plus, Erza said she needs your help with something.”
Gajeel sucked his teeth, groaning with a roll of his eyes. “Fine, I’ll be back and don’t leave this room.” He said, pointing a finger at Levy causing her to stiffen. Damn it, she was still in trouble?
Wendy giggled lightly, shaking her head. “He’s not going to let you walk, unless he’s 100% sure you’re ok.”
Levy watched patiently as Wendy examined her ankle, wincing a little when she pressed down on it. “Sorry. Good news is you’ll be ok, you just rolled it and bad news is Gajeel probably won’t let you walk on your own” she said easily switching to the common tongue.
Levy sighed shaking her head and Wendy giggled. “He can be overprotective and rough around the edges but that’s how he shows he cares. I remember I fell off one of my horses while learning how to ride and it took almost everyone to convince Gajeel it was part of the process of learning.”
The two girls laughed as Wendy shared more snippets of Gajeel’s over protectiveness. “Pretty dress, it looks new.” Wendy awed, as Levy picked up the skirt to play with it.
“Thank you, Gajeel actually got it for me. That’s what was in the box and other clothes.”
“Interesting,” she smiled wide a twinkle in her eye. Wendy was about to say something else when the door slowly swung open a black cat slowly walking in as not to disrupt girl talk. “We will talk about that later but for now I promised Ms. Carrie I will help her with dessert.” Wendy smiled wider as she scurried away, patting Lily on the way out. Levy was taken aback by the action and her words, a slight blush on her cheeks as she was unsure about what they were going to talk about later. Well, more like in denial.
The room was quiet as Lily jumped onto the bed sitting in front her, staring at the woman causing her to let out a breath knowing what was about to happen. Wendy didn’t just leave, because she had to help Ms. Carrie.
“Go ahead and lecture me.” She smiled, as he immediately let out a string of growls and rough meows. His face was serious and she felt like a little kid being berated by her father. Lily clearly didn’t appreciate her going so far and her getting hurt.
When he was done he was out of breath and she sweetly smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you Lily. I’m sorry I broke my promise. It won’t happen again.” he leaned into her touch purring softly. “I love you too” she giggled.
When they separated he looked at her with a smile then at her outfit. “You like it? I have others.” She announced motioning to the box which Lily perked up at. She saw his interest divert to the cardboard, knowing exactly what he wanted.
She took the clothes out of the box which Lily quickly tried to get in to. He placed all four paws into it before trying to sit down. It felt like she was holding her breath as she watched the box stretch from his weight, before one side finally gave out causing the Panther’s top half to spill out.
Gajeel could hear the laughter from outside his door and the grumpy meows of Lily. When he opened the door he didn’t know what he was expecting but Lily laying on a halfway broken box and Levy stretched out on his bed clutching her stomach wasn’t it.
Her laughter filled the room as Lily tried his best to curl up in the broken box, a look of content on his face when he was comfortable. His heart fluttered at the sight of her, his earlier irritation fading now that she was smiling again.
Clearing his throat to catch their attention, he chuckled as she tried to contain herself. “Let’s go eat.” He announced, motioning his head towards the door. Quickly sliding off the bed, he chuckled when she let out a small squeak when he picked her up.
“I can walk, Gajeel, I just rolled my ankle.”
Adjusting her in his arms so he could close the door behind them, he prayed she didn’t feel how fast his heart was beating as she wrapped her arms around his neck looking up at him with those big brown eyes.
Walking at a leisure pace to savor in the moment, he shook his head. “I was told that you have to be careful or you’ll hurt it more, so you’re not walking.”
She pouted, mumbling, “fine,” as she got comfortable in his arms leaning her head against his shoulder. Even though he was sure she would be fine if she walked on her own, he didn’t want to risk her making it worse. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this gave him an excuse to hold her. Nope, not at all. He was completely, 100% doing this for her own good.
