Steel and Stone (Gale) {Fairy Tail AU}

Hidden in Plain Sight

AAAHHHH!!! It's been forever since I've updated--I'm so sorry! Really the only excuse I have is school. T__T It just...takes over my life. Ergh.

Anyways, here's (finally) the second chapter! \^o^/

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"Damn it!" I shouted, to really no one in particular, as I upset the chair I was tied to. It was laying on its side, crushing my arm against the floor painfully. I had been trying to get to the dagger in my boot, but had failed miserably over the three hours I had been struggling to get it. The fact that it was dark now really wasn't helping, either.

"Wait a minute," I exclaimed, getting an idea. I rocked until the chair rolled, now crushing my face against the floor. I ignored the pain in my nose as it rubbed against the wooden deck, and got to my feet. Well, sort of. I was hunched over terribly because of the chair, but at least I was on my feet.

"Okay, Levy, here we go." Bracing myself, I ran as fast as I could given my position, and turned just as I reached the wall. The chair hit the wall with a force that knocked the air out of me and caused the chair to shatter.

I allowed myself less than a minute to catch my breath before I kicked off my boot and bent down to retrieve the dagger off the floor. I cut the rope around my wrists, freeing my hands from the remaining wood of the chair.

"That's one problem taken care of," I said, putting on my boot and rubbing my sore arms as I went to the cabin door. I pushed against it, but the lock on the outside was sturdy.

"How am I going to get out of here?" I pondered, looking around the room for anything useful. Unfortunately, I found nothing. There was only a bed and a desk with a few maps in the room. Before I could think of anything else, I heard voices on the main deck.

"Crap," I gasped, looking for somewhere to hide. When the door began to open, I panicked and shot behind it, hoping he wouldn't close it before looking for me. Hopefully, he'll see the busted chair and immediately return to the deck, giving me time to escape.

To my surprise, he didn't even acknowledge the shattered pieces of wood littering his floor as he made his way into the room. He shut the door behind him before stumbling over to his bed and collapsing on top of it.

I gripped the dagger in my hands tightly, waiting for him to spot me, but he never did. After a few minutes, I heard a soft snoring. Anger flooded me as I crept over to the bed. He had left me tied up in his cabin, and then had just gone and gotten drunk like nothing happened! And then he had the audacity to come back to the room and just pass out! If I hadn't gotten myself free, I would have been tied up like that all night!

A thought suddenly occurred to me when I glanced down at my dagger. Black Steel Gajeel is asleep right in front of me. He left himself completely vulnerable. I can end it. I can put an end to all of the suffering he will undoubtedly cause countless more people.

I knew that, as a knight, it was my duty to kill him. So, why was I hesitating? As I stared down at his sleeping face, he looked just like any other man. Sure, his piercings and sharp jaw line still made him look a little rough, but there was something handsome about it, too. I noticed that he had his hair tied back with a red ribbon, keeping it out of his face. I also noticed, much to my discomfort, that he no longer had a shirt on. He was wearing only his black trousers and boots, exposing his beautifully crafted chest and stomach.

I shook myself, tightening my grip on the dagger. He is the enemy, Levy! He attacked Fairy Tail just to find you, and now he has kidnapped you! If he finds out what you are, he won't hesitate to sell you off to the highest bidder, so you should end it now and escape while the rest of the crew is asleep.