A/N: Hello! Well it's been a few years...so much has happened but I still love this story and want to finish it. It hits home with me as I'm sure many of you can relate to it as well. I wanted to finish this is 3 chapters but I'm going to extend it out. Thanks for reading!

A week has flown by and I'm still not able to land a punch on Gajeel. I have managed to not fall as often from his deflections though and that's boosted my mood. Actually, being around Gajeel has helped my whole outlook shift upwards. His gruff demeanor has become adorable and when he grabbed my arm to keep me from falling down the last time I didn't flinch.

"That's enough for today, Blue." The shirt I'm wearing is drenched in sweat and I whine my disappointment. Gajeel smirks and smacks my back sending me forward. He was never afraid of hurting me and I was starting to appreciate the roughness. He didn't treat me like a breakable object. "You don't want to overdo it, short-stack. Besides, I'm starving."

"If you never got hungry I think you would train all day without stopping." I tease and poke his stomach playfully.

His grin widens, "Gihi, you are right about that." He stretches out his arms and legs as I wipe the sweat from my face and look up at the darkening sky. I loved it here. The guild hall was great. The people were so nice. Gajeel was well….my brain skids to stop. That was the no-no zone. I had refused to think of my relationship with Gajeel being anything other than friendly. But it was so hard to think he liked me just as a friend when he pushed people out of my way to get to the bar at dinner and when he threatened those two boys with their lives if they hit on me one more time.

I blush at the memory and sneak a peek at Gajeel to find him staring at me with an unreadable expression. I look away blushing harder. Stop it Levy. He's just being nice to you. Somehow he knows about what happened and he's just being nice. Like a protective older brother. An older brother who is amazingly hot and always smells good and…stop! My brain yells and I physically shake my head to stop the dirty train of thought.

"You ready yet? I'm going to die of starvation waiting for you to finish your girl stretches." I drawl knowing he was the one waiting on me.

He snorts and straightens his face back to the cocky grin I've grown so accustomed to. "Go ahead. Call him." I smile broadly and jump to my feet.

I put my two fingers in my mouth and blow, letting out a shrill whistle. Gajeel had taught me how to whistle and my only reason for wanting to learn it was for this moment. Lily comes bounding up the road out of nowhere and skids to a stop in front of me. I fling my arms around his furry neck and snuggle him like a I would a large stuffed animal. He purrs deeply in reply.

"Oi lovebirds. I'm dying of starvation over here." Gajeel yells and I giggle thinking he sounded just a bit jealous. He swings onto Lily's back effortlessly and I do the same taking the lead position this time. Gajeel says nothing about the new arrangement.

Lily vaults forward and Gajeel wraps his arm around my middle to keep me from falling off at the sudden movement. "Hold his neck fur. It won't hurt him and there's a lot to grip." Gajeel's mouth is right next to my ear so I can hear him but I can't help the blush from exploding on my face. I do as he says but am secretly happy he keeps his arm wrapped around me.

Dinner is in full swing as we walk down the hall to the main room. We separate at my room, him going down another hall to his room and me to mine to change clothes. I had only seen his room once and only briefly as he opened and shut the door. He was rarely in there anymore and I guess I could say the same for my neglected bedroom. I barely had time to sleep before waking up early and training all day. Then we would get back after dark for dinner and by that time I'm exhausted and collapse into the soft bed still clothed.

Tonight I planned to land a blow on him. It would be a sneak attack. He's the one that told me to always be prepared no matter the situation. I decide against wearing anything different though so as not to raise his suspicion. He noticed everything. Even if I decided to wear some leggings instead of my orange dress he would suspect something was up and question me to death with his unnerving stare. Gajeel didn't even have to say anything out loud to me anymore. I could read his expressions for the most part and know what he's thinking. Only sometimes…he has a look that is still baffling; like earlier when I caught him watching me stretch. What was he thinking?

The orange dress was simple and easy to move in for kicking. The fact that I'd be flashing him with my panties was what made me change them to some simple black boyshorts. He didn't need to see the light blue ones with kitties on it. I'd never live it down.

I wait outside my room for him to reappear. This was our ritual. I was always by his side. It just sort of happened. The first couple of nights I was too scared to go to the rowdy main room by myself and he always passed my door on his way there. I wasn't scared of the people anymore but I still waited for him. Maybe I could attack him now? No. Too soon. It has to be when he's completely engrossed in something else. Like fighting Natsu. Another reason for me and Lucy to stay here. She told me last night at dinner in a hushed tone that she might love him. I'd never heard her so the "L" word before and the look on her face...well it was enough to convince me she was right. We had both grown attached to this guild.

The sound of footsteps brings me back to the present. Gajeel rounds the corner and heads towards me in a clean, loose-fitting maroon shirt and baggy black pants with black combat boots. His red eyes scan my figure in what I've taken to be an analysis of injuries before they come back to my face. He stops in front of me, closer than I let anyone else get and raises his hand to touch a sore spot of my cheek.

I take in his many iron piercings, his high cheekbones and angular jaw. "This is bruising up nicely, I'd say." He says, softly rubbing my bruised cheek. It was from the last time I fell. Hit a rock and thought I'd gotten a minor concussion. I remember the proud look he had when I got back up on my own, swaying on my feet but still able to charge him again and again.

He was so close right now. My body was ultra-aware of his fingers still on my cheek, almost like he forgot they were there. He looked lost in thought as he slowly moved his fingers to my ear, tucking back some hair. My heart was pounding. Every cell in my body wanted to kiss him but I knew it wouldn't last. The fact that Lucy and I would be leaving soon was always a cold bucket of water on my emotions. I gulp and force my body to move away from him, breaking the warm bubble we had been in. He drops his hand and stuffs them in his pants pockets, not looking at me.

"Let's eat Blue." His nickname for me lightens the mood and I smile and nod, taking my place at his side as we walk down the hall, both in our own thoughts.

Natsu picks a fight with Gajeel almost immediately after we enter the main room and they start throwing punches and rolling around.

I smile at them and make my way to the bar where Lucy is sitting talking to Mirajane, the bartender.

"Levy! Thank god. You have to be the deciding factor her." Lucy says and Mira giggles as she hands me a beer.

"Okay what's up?" I sip the beer, vaguely aware of the fight getting more intense behind me.

"Mira says Gajeels piercings are personal preference but I think they are a mark of his past, like a tribe where he grew up. Do you know?" They both stare at me expectantly. News that Gajeel was training me spread like wildfire and the fact that we were practically joined at the hip for the last week was a huge gossip topic right now. Just because we were together that whole time didn't mean we were talking. I didn't know everything about him and he knew very little about me. This topic, however, I did know but I was reluctant to say. It was his business.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I say and hide small smile behind my glass as Mira and Lucy start arguing again. I had asked him about the piercings on the third day of training. We were taking a break and I was just starting to get bolder around him. It had taken him some time to answer and I almost thought he wouldn't. 'They represent friends and family I have lost.' He had said. Before coming to the guild, he had been part of another group that he had grown up with. They weren't blood related but they had been together for so long, they were his family. One night, their settlement had been attacked. Gajeel had been out on a hunting trip. He came back to everyone dead. To this day, he still doesn't know who was responsible. It seemed like a random attack. His small family had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I turn in my barstool and watch Gajeel wrestling with Natsu. They had a group formed around them with loud trash talk filling the air. I felt so comfortable here. It had only been a week since we were kidnapped and I knew it would take time to heal my spirit. But...being here was helping it. These people were helping. Gajeel was helping. I watch him put Natsu in a headlock and he looks up to meet my gaze as if knowing I was looking. He had taught me that headlock move just today. The thought of how his solid chest felt pressed against my back heated my face and I break eye contact, embarrassed at the way it heated my whole body.

Natsu breaks the hold and they go back to wrestling. I order some wings for Gajeel because I knew he would like them and a burger for myself. My appetite was scary huge since the training had started.

The food comes and without turning around I half shout, "Gajeel!". Even through the chaos I hear him break away from Natsu and come over. He had amazing hearing and sense of smell. Natsu complains about him losing to him but is soon cut off as Lucy calls him for the same reason. I never seen him move so fast. He's by her side in a second with half a burger gone.

I look to my side as Gajeel stuffs another handful of wings in his mouth, expertly pulling out the bones and not choking. He looks over at me and clears his throat; a blush on his cheeks. "After dinner...can we talk outside?" He mumbles it and I almost don't hear it all but after seeing the blush I was hyper aware that he was saying something important. I nod knowing my face was red as well.

He's pulled back into the fray as Natsu and Gray, another fighting buddy, throw punches at each other. What could he want to talk about? He had that same look again. My brain whirls and I don't notice the quiet in the room until Lucy jabs my ribs and hisses for me to look around.

I spin in my chair and watch the small elderly man walk towards us. It was the master of the guild hall, Makarov. Lucy and I hadn't met him yet as he was away on a business trip this last week. He had a tired expression but his smile was gentle as he jumped onto the table in front of us. The other members were silent and staring at him. Even Gajeel and Natsu weren't moving.

"Ladies, I'm so happy to finally meet you. I bring good news with me as I just came from visiting Lucy's father." My heart plummets.

"He wanted to send an escort for you two but I offered my own guys instead. He'd like you to start the journey home immediately of course. He was overjoyed to hear you were both safe." Blood rushes in my ears and all I can hear is the pounding. I look over his shoulder to Gajeel to see him stiff as a board. His hands were clenched so tightly and his head bowed so I couldn't see his expression.

Lucy sways next to me and I grab her arm bringing her back to reality. "Is...is there any way we can stay here longer?" I say softly. "We don't want to impose but…" I really didn't know what to say. Us being here wasn't supposed to last. We should want to go home, right?

Makarov, raises an eyebrow and takes in our sullen faces. "I'm sorry...but the King seemed adamant that you two return to the kingdom." I nod and bow my head trying to remain composed. No one says a word. No one moves.

Lucy physically shakes herself and stands up. I recognize the look on her face. The mask of calm. It's her way of dealing with an unpleasant situation. I've seen her use it many times during royal functions. "Thank you, Master Makarov for letting us stay in your home. We have greatly appreciated the hospitality of your guild. We will be ready to leave at sunrise tomorrow." She bows her head and I hastily stand and follow suit.

"Very good child. I'll get a couple guys together to help escort you back home."

"Gajeel and I will take them." Natsu's voice sounds rough and I can't bring myself to look at him. Lucy flinches at it and her eyes look glassy as she looks over at me.

"Perfect. You'll make better time on Happy and Lily. Very good. Eat up and head out at first light." With that Makarov jumps down from the table and heads behind the bar to a back office.

Lucy and I share a look and her mask breaks into a sniffling mess. Before I can move Natsu has her face in his chest and bear hugging her to death. She cries harder and the sound wrenches my heart even more. We shouldn't have gotten so comfortable here. I look up and am not surprised to see Gajeel at left. He wasn't good with sappy moments. It's for the best. I tell my heart as it aches for the same affection that Lucy is receiving.

I slip out of the hall unnoticed and practically run to my room. It was fine. I was fine. My room seemed cold and unfamiliar as I shut the door and barreled into the bed pillows. I couldn't stop the tears from coming and I cried quietly till exhaustion took hold.