Beneath the Surface (A GaLe story)

The Calm Before the Storm

Yes, I'm posting again, but you guys aren't the only ones emotionally invested in this story (at least, I hope you are)!! I'm getting super excited for the showdown to come in the next chapter, and I kinda already had it written, and today we DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOL!!!! Soooooo, here's another chapter. I hope you guys like it!

As always, I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters except for the ones I make up myself. Rights to Hiro Mashima :D
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-Gajeel's POV-

After I left Levy's room, I stumbled to the park blindly, stopping once to tear off the bumper of some broken down car on the side of the road. I dropped down on a bench with my snack, ignoring the ominous creaking when I did.

I stared out at the setting sun. It would be dark soon... not that anyone would bother me. Already, I could hear screaming from children as they caught sight of me.

Not like I cared. If I had ever felt anything from their insults, it had been beaten out of me years ago from their constant verbal abuse. It didn't matter where I went, it was always the same. There was a very small amount of people that didn't see me as an idiot. Against my will, a certain, very short bluenette came to mind.

I groaned, dropping my head in my hands in a rare moment of vulnerability. I'm an idiot.

Her expression when I had said that to her... disbelief, anger, and finally, what had hit me the hardest... hurt.

She had looked like she was about to cry.

Don't get me wrong, from the first time I saw her, I had the pipsqueak pegged as a whiny, weak crybaby.

But... she surprised me over and over again. How hard she had fought back when I attacked her and her lackeys when I was in Phantom Lord. How she had worked like a demon doing god knows what to break everyone out of Freed's barrier when Laxus had almost destroyed Fairy Tail with his stupid game. How she proved me wrong at every possible opportunity.

And with a few words, I had torn down her precious smile.

Precious? Did I just say that? I groaned. "Why does this even bother me..?" I muttered to myself, attracting some looks. I ran my hand through my outrageously spiky locks, blinking as some nuts and bolts clanked to the ground.

I didn't understand how she got under my skin so easily. I mean, the girl was my exact opposite, in every possible way. Where she smiled and laughed sweetly, I grimaced and croaked out my trademark "Gihee." Where she was cute, tiny, and approachable, I was... well, not... to say the least.

I didn't understand her, so much so that at times it infuriated me. But I knew one thing.

I didn't completely hate this feeling.

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-Levy's POV-

I struggled to sit up in bed, my muscles sore from Wendy's rigorous healing last night.

Wait. I thought, my eyes widening. Wendy.

I looked up to find her sprawled in the bed next to me, Carla glaring daggers in my direction.

She flew over to me in a huff as soon as she saw I was awake. "The nerve!" she whispered indignantly. "She was on a mission! She was tired!" I looked down guiltily as she continued. "But no, you had to go get hurt!" With another huff, she flew back over to her dragonslayer's side in the bed next to mine as Wendy began to stir.

Yep. Not like that made me feel bad or anything. And what was I supposed to say? I'm sorry for getting hurt? I sighed. "Levy?" A small, gentle voice called out to me from my right and I turned with a faint smile on my face.