I stayed up way too late finishing this for leoslady4ever. Now I'm going to bed. So here we are: my first ever one-shot and GaLu.

This takes place sometime after Fantasia, but before Oracion Seis.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Natsu and Gray often liked to joke that Lucy was dense. Which was rich coming from the idiotic duo themselves – after all, Gray forgets to wear clothes on a regular basis and Natsu… well, there were just too many things to list with that overly destructive nincompoop (though she might lead with that).

But Lucy was beginning to think the boys might have a point.

Because it was only after about the twelfth time she was left speaking to empty air that Lucy realized Gajeel was actively avoiding her. All she had done was walk up to him to ask if he'd seen Levy, and all of a sudden he just stood up and walked away! As if he hadn't even heard her! Which was impossible – the man was a Dragon Slayer after all and even Lucy realized that her voice was a touch on the loud side for normal humans.

She stared at the vacant space where he'd been and huffed with indignation. As she took his former seat at the back table, Lucy tried to dredge up the other times where she'd been ignored, pushed aside, or otherwise just plain thrown over.

What sprang almost immediately to mind was an incident the week prior, when the Celestial Mage had approached him in the hopes of securing his assistance. Namely, to find her lost apartment key, which she had left in a location unknown (thankfully not her Gate Keys – Aquarius would unleash a tsunami on her if that had happened). With Natsu off fishing with Happy, the only Dragon Slayer to ask was Gajeel. And the man just sneered at her before walking away! The nerve! In the end, she'd scaled the side of her building and entered through the window (only to find her key sitting on the dining table where she'd left it earlier that morning). The climb hadn't been unobserved, and fending off her landlady's questions about the incident led Lucy to conclude that no one cared if a full-grown man stole into her apartment via the window, but for some reason everyone lost their minds when she did the same thing (further leading her to question, as she often did, the sanity of Magnolia's citizens and the potentially harmful long-term side effects of living in the same city as Fairy Tail).

Lucy decided that she needed to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible to prevent mishaps like that one. Besides, they were nakama now. Surely they could carry on a simple conversation!

Or apparently not, as she spent the next two weeks pursuing the man's company to no success. For a man that despised tactical retreats, he certainly liked running away from her! The blonde couldn't for the life of her figure out what was going on with her guild mate. It might be a good thing she hadn't managed to corner him, though, she begrudgingly acknowledged. He probably wouldn't have taken well to being trapped and forced to admit any shortcomings on his part.

It kind of… well… hurt. They were guild mates, and guild mates didn't give each other the silent treatment. This situation was far too reminiscent of the one with her father. She couldn't stand to have history repeat itself with her new family. She wouldn't allow it.

So Lucy did the next logical thing – she tracked down Levy. Not a particularly difficult task, as the bluenette was always surrounded by piles of books, Jet and Droy were usually loudly proclaiming their adoration for her in her general vicinity, and all those tomes weighed her down preventing her from fleeing as adroitly as the Dragon Slayer.

"Lu-chan!" Levy greeted her friend cheerfully and looking up from her book. "How's your novel coming along?"

Lucy winced. With her single-minded stalking (ahem, hunt? Pursuit? Quest? No… definitely stalking) she hadn't been able to sit down and write a new chapter for her fellow bookworm. "Sorry Levy!" She clapped her hands in front of her face in a pleading motion. "I promise I'll work on it soon!"

The bluenette giggled. "It's okay, Lu-chan. Just let me know when you're done!" Lucy nodded with gusto. "So, what's up? It looks like something's on your mind."

She sighed heavily and sat next to her friend in the only space free of obstruction. "I think Gajeel is avoiding me, and I just can't figure out why. And whenever I try to confront him about it, he vanishes." Gesturing towards the empty table he normally occupied. "Like now. Seriously, do you have any insight at all as to what is going through that steel-plated skull of his?"

Shock registered on Levy's face, only to be replaced with realization and minor confusion. "Lu-chan… I thought you hated Gajeel?"

It was Lucy's turn to be befuddled. "Um… no? I mean, I was upset of course when he first joined the guild, but… you forgave him, right? He helped out with the Battle of Fairy Tail, too, so… what would be the point in holding a grudge? He's nakama now."

Levy smiled and let out a short laugh. "That sounds just like you, Lu-chan!" Then her lips turned downward, and her eyebrows pulled together. "I think I know what's going on with him. Gajeel is trying very hard to make up for what he did while he was a part of Phantom Lord, and what he did to you is a large part of that."

The Celestial Mage stared at her friend for a long moment. "You're saying that he… feels guilty? About what he did to me?" At the bluenette's answering nod, Lucy blurted out, "Why?"

Raising an eyebrow, Levy gestured at the blonde. "Most decent people would, Lu-chan. I mean, from what little I've heard from you," it was gentle, but a rebuke nonetheless, "and from what I've been able to pry out of him, he hurt you pretty bad."

Unable to actually deny that Gajeel had damn near killed her for mouthing off at him, Lucy crossed her arms defensively. "He doesn't have to avoid me, though. If he feels so guilty about it, couldn't he just apologize? Like he did with you? Gajeel worked you over pretty thoroughly, too."

"Gajeel didn't apologize to me."

The matter-of-fact statement caught Lucy off guard. "What?"

"He didn't apologize to me," repeated Levy. When Lucy appeared to be having difficulty articulating a response, Levy clarified, "Gajeel isn't the type of person to say he's sorry for anything, even if he is."

"But… then… how come…"

"Why did I forgive him?"

Lucy nodded.

Levy thought about it for a moment. "Because he found a way to show me that he really did regret what happened." First taking Jet and Droy's abuse, and afterward still protecting them from Laxus. Then taking interest in her magic and defending the guild against Laxus. "Gajeel thinks actions and deeds are more important than words, for the most part." Levy personally disagreed, but she was a little biased on the matter. "That's probably what's going on here, too. His pride won't allow him to apologize to you, so he's trying to find a way to make it up to you instead. Which I'm guessing he either hasn't succeeded at it yet, or he hasn't found anything he considers adequate; I suspect the latter. Otherwise you wouldn't be having such a hard time trying to talk to him."

It made some sense to Lucy. However….

"He doesn't need to do any of that," Lucy said slowly. "We're nakama. That's enough. If he feels the need to do something special, then he can stop avoiding me."

Giggling, Levy replied, "I think his pride gets in the way, there."

"I think all that metal in his head is killing his brain cells," Lucy muttered. She thought it over some more, and then a brilliant idea came to her. "What if I do something instead? You know, to show that I forgive him?"

Levy mulled over the notion. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try? Did you have anything in mind?"

A grin spread across the blonde's face. "I think I have something that will work."

"Then go for it!" Levy encouraged, happy to see her friend in higher spirits.

"I will!" Lucy gave the bluenette a quick hug. "I'll go home and prepare right now! Thank you so much, Levy!"

She hugged her back. "Anytime, Lu-chan!" Levy had to restrain more giggles as her companion rushed out the doors. Lucy was behaving more like a girl with a crush there at the end than she'd anticipated. Maybe there was something more there? Levy found herself hoping so. It would be like having a real, live romance novel play out in front of her! Then, if Lucy's love life took off, she might put down the whole tale to paper and then Levy could read it! Oh, she was so excited!

Lucy had, while on a job with Natsu, picked up a trinket she was currently using as a paperweight. But it would be better served as a good-will gift to the Iron Dragon Slayer, she decided. Now, if only she could get close enough to him to present it. Afterward, everything would work out fine and go back to normal!

Or not.

He was still very talented at giving her the slip. Sadly, that fact had not changed since the formation and implementation of her plan.

After doggedly following him around for a few more days, Lucy was fed up. Frustrated and at the end of her rope, she burst through the guild doors one morning. Startling the early regulars, she stomped up to where Gajeel was lounging in his dark corner.

"Gajeel!" she announced, making one last sally at getting him to talk to her.

When he rose to leave, she finally snapped.

"Fine!" Lucy yelled, jolting the Dragon Slayer with the high volume and pitch of her voice. Tough shit. She was done with this. "Chew on this, you metal-headed fool!"

Then she chucked her former paperweight at his skull.

With an irritated growl, she didn't even stay to see if it connected and stomped right back out the doors.

It did in fact collide with Gajeel's face. Largely because he made no move to block it, believing he deserved whatever the blonde had to dish out. He'd been expecting something like this for a while, now, ever since she had persistently started trying to get his attention.

As if she'd even needed to try. There was little else he could focus on at the guild before all this. He was at all times aware of what he'd done to her. That he had come so close to murdering her before Natsu had interfered. Respect for her performance during the Battle of Fairy Tail left him clueless as to how to make reparations for his actions during Phantom Lord's attack. Protecting her like he had done for Levy wouldn't suffice – the blonde was capable of taking care of herself and didn't need a monster like him looking out for her.

So he let whatever she had thrown at him smack him full on in the face. What he hadn't expected, however, what that the former heiress had more muscle in her arms than he'd thought. Probably from all the whip work she performed. Although it didn't hurt, the force behind the projectile was enough to snap his head back which did smart a little.

Cracking his neck, he bent to retrieve the fallen object. Curious about what she'd flung at him, he turned it over in his hands. It was a greasy gold in colour, with many small, square crystals. Confused, he sniffed it. It didn't smell like gold.

It smelt like iron.

Before he could investigate the mysterious item more thoroughly, it was removed from his hands.

"Ah!" Levy exclaimed, her fingertips tracing a few of the larger crystals. "Fool's Gold!"

The Iron Dragon Slayer blinked in confusion as the bluenette returned it to him. "Gold? It's not quite the right colour, Shrimp. Plus, it smells like iron."

Levy grinned at him. "You're right – it is iron. Iron pyrite. Some people mistake it for gold because of the hue – thus, the name Fool's Gold."

Gajeel held it up to his nose and sniffed again. Why would Lucy throw something like this at him? He then recalled what she'd said. Experimentally, he took a small bite. His studded eyebrows rose. "Not bad tasting." Which was Gajeel-speak for rather tasty indeed. "But why would she throw iron at me? She knows it can't hurt me." And she'd wanted him to eat it, unless he was misunderstanding something.

The bookworm sighed at Gajeel's obtuseness. Did she really need to spell it out for him? "Why don't you think about it a bit?"

Munching on it some more, Gajeel admired the remaining crystals. Although not real gold, they were pretty enough to look at. A little like the Celestial Mage who'd thrown it at him.

Gold.

Iron.

Golden Iron.

Fool's Gold.

'Chew on this, you metal-headed fool!'

He froze. "Is this a… peace offering?" Gajeel finally asked in amazement.

"Now you get it."

The Dragon Slayer didn't understand. Couldn't understand. "Why?" he asked, turning to the much smarter bluenette for answers.

Levy sighed again at him. Really, he and Lucy were more alike than they realized. "She forgave you a long time ago, Gajeel. For Phantom Lord. For the kidnapping." She paused to let that sink in before she pressed on. "She didn't want to watch you beat yourself up over it and avoid her forever. I think she wants to be your friend."

Stunned, the man just stood there in dumbstruck silence.

Rolling her eyes, Levy walked behind him and started trying to push the immobile Iron Dragon Slayer towards the doors. "What are you waiting for, you great lug?! Go after her!"

Light dawned in his gaze, and suddenly his feet moved on their own. "Thanks, Shrimp!" he called over his shoulder, disappearing in the same direction as the blonde before him.

Levy rubbed her aching temples. Really.

The both of them were such fools.

And there we have it, my first ever completed one-shot and GaLu! Please drop a review and let me know how I did!