The Steep Climb

Chapter 4

Levy woke up to a howling sound and the hard ground under her back. Gajeels coat had been placed over her and she could see him by her feet stoking a small flame with a stick. Her right ankle had been put into a roughly made splint. The pain was still there, but it wasn't as intense.

"Once the blizzard stops we're going back down and getting you medical attention. I put it in a splint but since you were walking on your ankle that won't help that much."

Levy tried to sit up but Gajeel scowled and gently pushed her back.

"Don't even try. The last thing you need is to be moving. Go back to sleep, we wont be going anywhere in this weather."

"But-"

"No buts. Sleep."

Levy sighed and layed back down. She faced her back to Gajeel to hide the smile on her face. In his own way, Gajeel was worried about her, she could tell.

The second time she woke up, the blizzard was still roaring but she felt a new warmth. She sat up and saw Gajeel draped over her lap fast asleep. He had carried her all the way to the cave from god knows where after all, if it had been Levy, she would have passed out the second her foot landed on the stone floor.

Sleeping Gajeel looked a lot more peaceful. He didn't have a scowl or smirk, his facial expression was just blank. He looked kind of... Cute....

Levy smiled to herself and reached down to push back a stray hair off the sleeping slayer's head. Gajeel shifted and mumbled something under his breath.

"...Levy..."

Gajeel turned his face away from Levy and mumbled a string of incomprehensible words.

"Goodnight Gajeel." Levy said quietly before lying back down to sleep.