Countdown to the End (Gale) {Fairy Tail FF}

10 Days

(I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! *bows*)

~Levy~

"Levy!!" A teary-eyed Lucy cried, throwing her arms around me as soon as Gajeel and I entered the guildhall.

"Hey, Lu-chan," I giggled, hugging her back.

She pulled away, looking at me with large brown eyes. "Are you alright? Gajeel called on the communication lacrima and said you got hurt. When he told us what happened, I thought..."

"I'm fine now," I reassured her, offering a smile. "I'm just a little sore still."

"I'm takin' her home so she can get some rest," Gajeel said, adjusting my bag on his shoulder. "The doctor ordered three more days of bed rest." After receiving hugs from Jet and Droy, and reassuring them that I really would be alright, Gajeel and I left Fairy Tail.

"I wonder where Lily was," I frowned as we walked.

"He's fixing up the guest room for you," Gajeel replied.

I look up at him startled. "What?"

"I'm not leaving you alone, Shrimp," he said, glancing at me before returning his eyes to the path.

"Gajeel, I'm alright now. I can go home—"

"You're staying with Lily and me, so drop it. You can go home after you recover."

I sighed, knowing it would be a waste of energy to argue with him. "Fine."

"Besides," he said, quietly, "I need to talk to the two of you alone."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. He was going to explain what the cloaked man had meant. Which means Gajeel will be telling us about his past. The thought made me both excited and nervous. Although I was thrilled that Gajeel was finally opening up to me, I couldn't shake the memory of the dark aura that surrounded him every time it was brought up. Whatever he was about to tell us, it wasn't a happy part of his life.

"Levy," Lily smiled, greeting us, "you look well."

"You're a liar," I grinned.

"I'll take your things to the guest room," Gajeel said, disappearing down a hallway to the left. I had never been in Gajeel's house before, and I was a little startled by how...normal...it was. The living room was painted a light beige with a matching carpet, and a dark green sofa sat in the middle of the room. There were also trinkets lined up on shelves around the room, and even a plant or two here and there. It was also tidy, unexpected since he was so similar to Natsu—and Natsu's house was always a mess.

"Have a seat," Lily told me, flying over to the sofa. He landed on the middle cushion, patting the one next to the right of him. I took a seat, pulling him into my lap and scratching his ears fondly.

"That didn't take long," Gajeel chuckled, coming back into the room. "Damned cat's turnin' into a pet."

"I am not a pet," Lily said, indignantly. "I just happen to enjoy my ears scratched."

"What is it you wanted to tell us?" I asked.

Gajeel's smile immediately turned into a frown and he sighed heavily. "I—" A knock on the door interrupted him, and his frown deepened. "Who the hell?" I heard him grumble under his breath as he made his way to the door.

"Levy!" A cry came as soon as the door was open, and I was suddenly engulfed in a flurry of aquamarine hair. "Are you alright?! How are you feeling? I was so worried!" Deidre's green eyes were bright with tears as they met mine. "When you never showed up, I traveled all the way to Magnolia to check on you, and Lily told me Gajeel had taken you on a trip and that you'd be back in a few days. I came again yesterday to see if you were back and if you wanted to have lunch somewhere, that's when I got the news that you'd been injured."