Fairy Tail: Breathless

Like most of you reading this I read the last chapter of Fairy Tail and not long after I started writing this. That is a sign of an awesome chapter if I've ever seen one. At the very least an awesome chapter for shipping.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

A violent cough ripped through the body of Gajeel as his lungs tried to fill with air once the black water surrounding him had subsided. He had beaten the demon Torafusa and with his defeat the poisonous water that had filled the halls dissipated. The iron dragon slayer took long deep breaths both for the need of air and in relief.

If anyone every asked Gajeel if he had ever feared for his life in a fight he would quick reply with "Me worried, hell that's a laugh, maybe Salamander was but not me." While most of the time he would be right, save for his shot at Natsu there had been fights that the mighty Gajeel Redfox had fearing he may not live to tell about it.

In Edolas when he faced the Dorma Anim along side Natsu and Wendy things had looked bad when the combined strength of Fairy Tail's dragon slayers seemed to fail. but with a last minute turn in the tide thanks in part to Gajeel himself they had succeeded.

Against the two members of Grimoire Heart Gajeel had been sure it was his end but once again he had persevered even just barley.

But this battle against Torafusa had been one that had truly pushed Gajeel to his limit. With little air and poison water surrounding him as he faced an enemy that moved with the speed and ferocity of a shark Gajeel felt himself begin to slip away into darkness for a brief moment he believed his time had come.

However once again the dragon slayer had prevailed but this time what had turned the tide of battle was not Gajeel's force of will and magic skills. This time it had been someone else's desire to save his life.

Just before oblivion had taken him a light had pulled him from the darkness and when he returned to the waking world he found the one who had saved him was none other than Levy. She had given him her very breath to save his life. By the time he realized it she had already fallen pray to the black water just as their friends had. But as Torafusa moved in for the kill a new power filled Gajeel with his renewed life pulling Levy close protecting her from the demon throughout the battle.

Gajeel shot up from the floor into a sitting position as realization hit him. After dealing the final blow and Torafusa was destroyed the water swept over him with such force Levy had been taken from his arms. He quickly searched his surrounding and found the girl a short distance away laying face down in one of the remaining puddles.

Without even bothering to rise to his feet Gajeel closed the distance between them and rolled Levy over to find she was still unconscious. Fear and worry filled the iron eating mage as he cradled the woman in his arms. "Levy, Levy!" Gajeel shook her trying to get a response but discovered she wasn't breathing. Without even stopping to think Gajeel gently laid her down sealed his lips over hers and began to return the air to her lungs.

With each breath he gave her Gajeel could only think and wonder why she had done this for him, why had she risked her life to save him. Many things the solid scrip mage had done had confused him. Since his first days of joining Fairy Tail Levy had treated him differently than the others. He had known from the begin he would have to work hard to gain the trust of the guild and he had expect he would have to work hardest to earn Levy's but to his surprise she had been one of the first to except him. She trusted him to save Magnolia from Laxus's attack and to be her partner for the S-Class mage trial.

Somewhere along the lines the two had become friends. Levy would go out of her way to say high to Gajeel at the guild and he would greet her back with a casual hey while most others would receive a glare that said piss off don't bug me. Gajeel would even engage Levy in a bit of small take along with his exceed partner Lily about whatever she was reading that day.

All of this made Gajeel wonder why. Why did she trust him? Why did she want to be his friend? Why did she care about him. He couldn't understand how from their first meeting of him attacking her and two of her best friends and using them to start a war to he himself becoming her friend and her saving his life at the risk of her own.

Finally after one last breath from Gajeel Levy's body erupted into a coughing fit. Gajeel gather her in his arms as relief once again wash over him.

Once the solid script mage had calmed her coughing and steady her breathing she looked to see that she was being held in the arms of the very man she had saved. "Gajeel." She said softly while looking into his deep red eyes.

"Who were you expecting, Titania?" The iron dragon slayer replied in a stern but caring tone clearly still worried about her.

Levy sighed as a smile appered on her face. "What are you doing here Shrimp?" Gajeel asked gruffly.

"I heard your voice when the water swept through the halls." Levy stop to take a few more breaths. "I found you passed out and you needed air so I did the only thing I could think of."

"But giving me your air like that, you almost died." Gajeel said sending a cold feeling down his spin at just the thought of what almost happened.

"I know that." Levy said simple.

"So why. why risk your life to save my neck?" The dragon slayer asked unable to understand her decision.

"Because I knew if there was anyone I could trust my life to it was you." Levy said as her smile widened looking up at Gajeel as her words set in.

"You trust me... with your life?" He asked in a whisper as his eyes widened.

"Yes, and I was right to." Levy said with the utmost sincerity.

Gajeel looked deep into Levy's warm hazel-colored eyes and knew her words were true. this woman believed in him and trusted him to the point that she would bet her own life on him. That was when he finally realized why they had become so close. More than anything Gajeel wanted people to believe in him. And Levy believed in nothing more than Gajeel.

The iron eating mage smile to himself then adjusted his hold on levy with one arm supporting her back and his other arm tucked under her legs then quickly stood causing the blunett to wrap her arms around his neck. "Gajeel!" Levy said surprised.

We need to go find Salamander and the others, and I don't need you slowing me down." Gajeel told her with a smirk. Levy smiled back at him and leaned her head against. Gajeel began to follow the hallways at a slow pace do to his own exhaustion and wanting to give Levy a chance to rest.

Both mages would agree that being drowned, attacked by a demon, seeing one another almost die and breathing life back into each other had left them both almost breathless.

This was my first Gajeel x Levy story so I hope I did a decent job. I have been wanting to do one for a while and the last chapter of Fairy Tail seemed like a really good occasion to do it.

Please read and review.