Fiore's Games

Found You

Levy settled in for the evening in a tree. She thought about Gajeel as she did. Was he okay? Was he alive? Badly hurt? She didn't know anything for sure, except that he was alive since his face was not reflected in the evening. She thought about her 'confession' to liking him. Loving him. Did she mean that at all? She could certainly fake it for the Games, but... Was it real? She liked him as a person. He was a decent person. Strong. Attractive. Protective. A bit brash, but even that wasn't something she hated. He gave her butterflies and blushes. Secret smiles and stupid childhood memories. She had bad ones of him, but good ones too. She admitted to herself silently that she did, in fact, have feelings for him. She only hoped he would be willing to fake it for both their sakes, even if it was real for her. Her thoughts wandered to the remaining Tributes. The only true threats were Lyon and the girl who followed him like a lost puppy... Sherry, Levy thought. They would need to be on the lookout for them.

Once morning came and Levy packed up camp, she went for the river. Gajeel needed water, and she thought she remembered he was hurt. Wendy said he was by the rocky part that connected to the fields. That was days ago, but it was a place to start. It was a bit of a hike for her, but she started to trek anyways. She downed half a bottle of water by the time she reached the stream, so she refilled and purified her bottle and walked a bit slower now, looking for Gajeel. "What is...?" She leaned down to investigate something that looked an awful lot like blood when a sharp pain hit her leg. She yelled, clutching her leg and falling down. She nearly fell into the river and its current. Blood was pouring from her leg. She looked up to see a boy tribute with a menacing grin. Her leg hurt. It burned. If she didn't clean this soon, it would get infected. She couldn't even move, she doubted she could walk. She was going to die.

She was going to die, until a tall, dark-skinned boy came barreling through the trees. With a war cry, he slammed into the boy and knocked him unconscious with a rock. No... He killed the boy with a rock. Dented his skull and he was gone. "Just this once, twelve. For Wendy." He didn't look at her. She realized this was the other eleven tribute, Pantherlily. "Gajeel is coming. He and I were about to have a standoff and he heard your yell. Asked for my help in return for not killing me." He looked towards the fields. "Take care of that leg." Then, he ran off. Levy felt like she was seeing things. Imagining things. The massive pain in her leg lead her to believe otherwise, however.

Gajeel came up and took a look at the scene. Blood spilled on the rocks, Levy on the ground holding her leg uselessly, a dead tribute. With a grunt, he lifted the dead boy and tossed him carelessly towards the trees. He kept the sword. He was a sight to see: cuts and bruises slowly healing littered his body, a few sure to scar. His hair was a wild mane, its hair tie long lost. His eyes looked more feral and dangerous than she had ever seen before. He kept the sword close by in case they had any unwanted visitors, but kneeled down by Levy. "Shit... he got you good, shrimp." He muttered, reaching out to touch her leg but stopping himself.

"I... I need to cl-clean it." Levy groaned. "Help me... get to the water." She tried to shift towards it, but winced in pain. Gajeel lifted her like she was a doll, jostling her injury, but got her to the water. He helped her wash it out, watching the stream turn red, then pink, then normal. The bleeding had stopped. He could almost see bone, and that alone made him scared for the small girl. Once Levy deemed it clean enough, it was obvious she was going to pass out. He couldn't leave them out in the open like this. He dug through her bag and pulled out a knife, which he used to cut off her pants leg around the injury. He cleaned that in the river too and then used it to wrap up the leg.

"You look like you need stitches." There was no way he could do stitches here. The best he could do was wrap it well, hiding it from the elements.

"Did you hear?" Levy's voice was quiet, slurred. Bloodloss had gotten to her. "We can both go... go home." She passed out, alarming him greatly until he realized she was only passed out.

"If that's the case," he muttered while picking her and her bag up, "then I have to get you home. You won't survive with your leg like this." He said softly, looking down at her. He walked with Levy in his arms. She was so light, so fragile, but she knew how to hold her own in here. She had been doing so for a while. He was impressed. He found a small cave in the rocks. He was going to struggle a little getting in, since he was much larger, but she was tiny. She would fit easily. It would be a tight fit with them both. He had to wake her to get her inside. "Hey. I need you to wake up, cause I gotta get you inside here." He nudged her head gently. Her head lolled a little before her eyes opened slowly.

"Gajeel?" She mumbled. She saw the cave and he explained she needed to get inside. Carefully, slowly, painfully, she dragged herself inside. He gathered rocks and leaves to cover the entrance behind them, leaving barely any light trickling in through the cracks. "I don't think I'm gonna make it." She was more lucid and awake now. Gajeel helped her lay out her sleeping bag. She felt rather warm so she just used it as a cushion between her and the ground. "I can't run or walk... there's no fixing this out here and I just..." tears came to her eyes. She didn't want to cry and be weak in the Arena but she had been so damn strong for so damn long. It was hard. This was hard.

"Don't talk like that. You said we both could go home, yeah? So we just gotta kill everyone else. Or wait till there's one left and I'll take care of him." Gajeel crossed his arms, sitting against the wall next to her and staring at the entrance. "You're gonna make it shrimp."

Levy looked at him. He had a look of determination on his face. He looked like he wasn't gonna let anything happen to her. This was the first time he's actually... cared about her. She knew it was an act for him, but to her this meant the world. She was overwhelmed with feelings for him and pain and being tied. She burst into tears. Gajeel jolted sharply, shocked by her sudden tears. She just cried, leaning against him. He put an arm around her shoulders carefully, unsure of how to help her beyond holding her. "I-I just-this place is Hell! And I-I've been so strong, it's exhausting, and-and now I can't even walk and I-!" She babbled through her tears.

Gajeel absentmindedly stroked her hair. He knew she shouldn't be weak. He allowed her a few moments of weakness, because he also knew what it was like to break. After several minutes, her violent sobs slowed to sniffles. "Are you done?" He felt her nod. "Good. You're gonna make it. I don't wanna hear one more damn word about you not making it, you hear?" He turned to look her in the eyes. Her eyes were glossy but wide and listening. "You're gonna fucking make it."

"Gajeel... I just-" she was cut off by a pair of chapped, rough, but warm lips on hers. Her eyes widened as he pulled back. He had a tiny smirk, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm gonna help you."