Frost and Iron: Gajeel x black oc

Fractured Bonds

Chapter 20 : Fractured Bonds

Levy's words echoed in Aislyn's mind long after she had stormed out of the guildhall. Standing near the bar, Aislyn could still feel the weight of her gaze, the accusation in her voice ringing in her ears: "You took him from me!"

The guilt settled deep in Aislyn's chest, cold and heavy like a block of ice. She hadn't wanted any of this—to hurt Levy, to cause this rift in the guild—but now she was in the thick of it, and it felt like there was no way out.

Gajeel was beside her, his arms crossed, his jaw set in frustration. "You're overthinking this," he said, his tone gruff but softened by concern. "Levy'll come around."

Aislyn shook her head. "I don't know, Gajeel. She's hurting. And the way she looked at me... I don't think this is something she's just going to get over."

Gajeel's eyes narrowed, his impatience evident. "What do you want me to do, Aislyn? Apologize for us falling asleep next to each other? That's not what this is really about." His voice grew quieter. "You know that."

Aislyn frowned, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I just don't want to cause more problems in the guild. Levy's one of us, and I don't want to be the reason things fall apart between you two."

"Levy's gotta face the truth at some point," Gajeel muttered, his gaze hardening as he stared into the distance. "I'm not hers to claim."

The words hung between them, heavier than the silence that followed. Aislyn could feel the tension in Gajeel's voice, but there was something deeper there too—a rawness that he rarely showed. He wasn't used to dealing with feelings like this, and neither was she.

"Maybe I should take a step back for a while," Aislyn said quietly, her voice barely audible over the noise of the guild. "Give Levy space, let her cool off."

Gajeel frowned, his gaze snapping back to her. "You're not going anywhere." His voice was firm, almost commanding. "Running won't fix this. It'll just make her think she's right."

Aislyn sighed, her frustration bubbling up. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just stand around while she hates me?"

Gajeel didn't answer right away. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, something deeper than anger or frustration. He stepped closer to her, his voice low, almost a growl. "We deal with it together. You're not alone in this."

Aislyn looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat. There was an intensity in his gaze that both unsettled and comforted her, and for a moment, the noise of the guild faded into the background. It was just the two of them, standing on the edge of something unspoken, something dangerous and real.

But before either of them could say anything more, Gray approached, breaking the moment.

"Hey," Gray said, his shirt long gone as usual, though his expression was serious. "Levy's been pretty quiet. Lucy's been trying to talk to her, but she's not really listening. Thought you'd want to know."

Aislyn's stomach twisted at the mention of Levy, and she nodded. "Thanks, Gray."

Gray's gaze flickered between Aislyn and Gajeel, and for a moment, he seemed to sense the tension between them. But he didn't say anything, instead giving Aislyn a faint smile. "Don't let it get to you too much, Ais. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Tell that to Levy," Aislyn muttered under her breath.

Gray gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading back to his usual spot near the bar, leaving Aislyn and Gajeel alone once more.