Found & Forgotten

Chapter 8

It was a rather odd group that set off from the guild hall the next day to journey to Buddleia. As half of Team Natsu was still in Magnolia's hospital, Levy and Gajeel found themselves pulled in by Erza to make up numbers. Jet and Droy were fuming that Erza wouldn't let them accompany Levy, but were too scared of the red-head to point out that she'd broken up Team Shadow Gear. Gajeel, who was usually only accompanied by Panther Lily, had simply brought his Exceed along. Erza hadn't objected to this, as Happy had decided to go and stay with Natsu and Lucy in the hospital anyway. Together with Erza and Gray, the temporary members brought Team Natsu's numbers back up to five, despite the fact that Natsu himself was missing.

The mood of the group, however, was the complete opposite to normal. None of them said a word to each other as they stood in the train station waiting for their ride to Buddleia. All of them were wrapped up in their own thoughts. Panther Lily was wondering what Buddleia would be like, since he hadn't actually been to that many places in Earthland; Gajeel was psyching himself up for the train journey that lay ahead; Levy was trying not to squeal with excitement at the fact she was visiting a world famous library; Gray was thinking up new ways to become stronger than Natsu; Erza was trying to figure out whether they would serve strawberry cake on the train.

But every few minutes their thoughts wondered back to Lucy, unconcious in the hospital, and Natsu, anxiously awaiting news of her recovery. None of them wanted to voice their concerns out loud, but none of them wanted to talk about anything else. Hence, they were stood in silence. Just as Levy couldn't bear it anymore and opened her mouth to say something, their train came roaring into the station.

Silently, the five boarded the train. Gray and Gajeel took seats by the window, with Erza and Levy sitting next to them. Lily stood with his arms crossed by the door of their carriage.

"Will you be alright?" Levy asked Gajeel tentatively.

Gajeel replied roughly, "A train journey never hurt anyone, shrimp."

Levy flushed. "It's just, I know dragon slayers get motion sickness..." she explained.

"Don't mind him," Lily told her when Gajeel turned to stare silently out of the window. "He's rude to everyone, especially when he has to take a train."

"Hai, I know," Levy replied. "Arigato."

"Why are you thanking me?" Lily asked, confused.

"For trying to make me feel better." Levy gave the Exceed a small smile.

The five lapsed into silence once more. Gray and Gajeel stared out of the window whilst Erza and Levy stared at the ceiling. Then, with a lurch, the train started to move. Levy snuck a sideways glance at Gajeel, noting with alarm that his face seemed to have gone a pale green colour.

"Hey, Gajeel, are you sure you're-" She began worriedly.

"I'm fine, shrimp." He forced out. "Save your worry for more important things."

Levy, becoming ever more alarmed at Gajeel's current green colour and generally ill demeanour, turned to Gray and Erza for help. None came, as Gray was still staring fixedly out of the window and Erza had her arms crossed and eyes shut. Panther Lily had disappeared. Gajeel's breathing became heavier and Levy started to properly panic now. What could she do if he became genuinely ill? Gray, sensing her panic, decided to intervene.

"Natsu's worse." He told Levy and, bizarrely, those words calmed her down enough for her to relax against her seat.

Not for long, though, as a few seconds later Gajeel careened sideways, as if in slow motion, and eventually stopped with his head in Levy's lap. Levy squeaked in surprise, causing Erza to open her eyes to see what was going on.

It was a rather odd sight, Erza thought to herself, a big, tough-guy dragon slayer, motion sick, with his head in the lap of the currently shocked stiff, short, bookish girl. Erza studied the two for a moment, watching as Levy cautiously ran her hand through Gajeel's hair, causing him to relax more into her touch and forget the worst of his motion sickness. Encouraged by his reaction, Levy, albeit blushing rather badly, continued running her hand through Gajeel's hair until he returned to his normal colour.

Looking up, Levy saw Erza watching. Blushing again, she truggled to explain herself.

"I wasn't! I was just, I mean I...I don't-" Levy spluttered.

"I understand." Erza interrupted.

"You do?" Levy asked, astonished that Erza had been able to understand her babbling when she hadn't been able to make sense of it herself.

"Hai," Erza nodded. "You like him."

At that Levy turned bright red and began choking on thin air.

"It's not like that!" She got out at last, having finished coughing.

"Isn't it?" Erza raised an eyebrow. "I'm not nearly as good at it as Mira is, Levy, but I can tell when people like one another."

Levy, still bright red, couldn't come up with a reply.

"Just admit it." Erza told her. "You'll feel better about it if you do."

Levy, glancing down at the apparently asleep Gajeel, considered Erza's proposition. "OK, fine, I like him." She told Erza, still looking down at Gajeel. "But it's not as if he'd ever like me back. I mean, he's a dragon slayer, he's really strong and powerful, and I'm just me. I like books and I'm nowhere as pretty as most of the girls in the guild."

Erza nodded sagely. "That's what you think." She replied.

"What does that mean?" Levy snapped her head back up to look at Erza.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see. Oh, and you're plenty pretty." Erza smiled mysteriously, destroying Levy's hope that her previous statement had been in reference to her remark about her own appearance.

Levy, now even more unsettled for voicing her feelings, again leaned back in her seat, running her hand through Gajeel's hair. Erza would be disappointed, Levy decided, if she thought that Gajeel would ever like Levy.

Unbeknownst to Levy, Gajeel, rendered immobile by the motion of the train they were riding, had heard every single word of that conversation, although he was too ill to process it properly at the moment. Erza, knowing full well that Gajeel had heard the conversation, returned Gray's questioning look with a satisfied nod. It was about time those two baka realised that they both felt the same way for each.

So. Much. GaLe. >.<

Anyway...ohayo, minna-san! It's Monday again! Update day!

I think I did mention that GaLe was my second favourite ship...and it's actually happened (in the manga), unlike NaLu. (As an aside: THEY MADE THE BONUS CHAPTER INTO AN EPISODE OF THE ANIME! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY STILL DIDN'T KISS,  even though I knew how the chapter turned out...)

Anyway, please comment and tell me what you think! I'm still so happy that so many of you have read this! XD

Matta ne, minna-san!