In Secret (Sequel to Behind the Scenes)

Assessment

Levy's P.O.V.

I wasn't really wearing workout clothes, just some snug jean shorts and one of my orange tank dresses with separate sleeves. But, Gajeel walked me through some basic exercises. He asked me how much I could lift, and I just looked at him. "Oh. Right. Well, I've seen ya carry as many as ten books, so this weight here should be manageable." He stared messing with a few weights, then motioned for me to try to pick it up. He was right, the weight wasn't too much. It wasn't effortless, but I could carry it for a little bit without exhausting myself.

Gajeel knows how many books I usually carry? I don't know why that amused me. Next, he asked me to try to punch him. Again, I just looked at him. I wasn't TRYING to be difficult, this was just uncomfortable. "Look, Shrimp," he huffed, "yer not gonna hurt me." I shuffled my feet a little. "I know that, Gajeel. I have no hope of hurting you. It's just, I don't really fight physically. You'd laugh at me, and you probably wouldn't even feel it if I hit you full strength. Plus, I don't know how."

He gave me another assessing look, and I dropped my eyes. I meant to just not be staring at his eyes, but my gaze lingered on his sculpted abs. It really wasn't fair that the man was still standing there shirtless. I blinked and looked around the room again, waiting for instruction. "Fine. Here, come hit the bag. Then I can at least see how yer technique needs to be changed."

I followed him to the heavy bag hanging in the corner, then balled up my fists. I raised my hands up in front of my face like I'd seen Gajeel do a few minutes ago. Or at least, I thought it was the same way. "Hang on, hang on!" He blurted out before I could throw my punch, and I dropped my arms. Don't be embarrassed, I told myself, you told him you had no idea what you were doing.

"Geez, Shrimp. Yer friends never taught ya anythin' about fighting? That doesn't seem right, makin' ya so dependent on them. Look, hold yer fist like this." He pulled my hand up and moved my fingers, putting my thumb in front of my fingers instead of inside my fist. "And lock your wrist, like this." I forced myself to focus on the positioning of my hands, instead of how his hands were rough and strong, but also somehow gentle, and how the contact between our hands was sending tingles up my arm. "If ya don't lock yer wrist straight like this, the first time ya punch someone with any force you'll break it."

I clenched my hands and opened them a few times, getting myself used to how it was supposed to feel. I looked at Gajeel, and he nodded, so I readied myself to punch again. This time, he let me follow through on the motion. Fat lot of good it did though. The bag barely even moved, and I felt a shock travel all the way up into my shoulder. "Ow! Does it feel like that every time you hit someone?!" I shook my arm out. I heard the wonderful laugh that I was really coming to love, a deep rumbly sound that tickled my ears.

"Nah, it gets easier. Eventually ya get used to the feeling, and if you stand like this," his hands were suddenly on my hips, turning them so I wasn't facing the bag squarely, "bend this knee just a little, there, and balance your weight," he patted my thigh and left his hand there for a second until I bent my knee, "and hold your arms like this," he seemed completely oblivious to the scarlet my face was turning, "and follow through with the punch instead of letting the contact stop you, the shock will spread out better." He had removed his hands, but I could still feel each spot he'd touched. I rocked back and forth on my feet in the new position to get into my head how it was supposed to feel.

But, I couldn't ignore the feeling buzzing through me. It was a little like one time when we were kids that I'd bumped into Laxus and he'd accidentally zapped my shoulder, electricity coursing through my whole arm. There was a warmer feeling in my stomach, too.

"Okay. Umm, is that enough for today? I have some things I need to do..." I trailed off as I inched towards the door. He was watching me with those eyes again, but I hadn't the slightest idea what he was thinking. "Sure, Shrimp." He crossed his arms. "But, I expect to see you at training this evening. After dinner?" I nodded, not even thinking about what I was agreeing to, and turned to run out the door. I stopped just outside and looked back. "I don't know how to get to the warehouse, should I come here?" Gajeel looked a little surprised, but just nodded. "Okay. See you then!" Now that I wasn't so close to that distracting body that I couldn't think, I found I was really looking forward to this!

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Gajeel's P.O.V.

Levy took off out the door of my house, and I just stood there for a minute. I looked down at my arms, unfolding them so I could stare at my hands. As if that would tell me why my skin was on fire where it'd touched hers. I had been doing so well, too, watching her with the weights to make sure she didn't hurt herself. I'd kept my eyes on her lifting posture, not her slim, bare shoulders. But, then I'd watched her ball up her tiny hands, and had almost been too distracted by the cute look of determination on her face. I'd almost missed her terrible form, and then she might've been injured.

I'd gotten angry then that her supposed friends had never even taught her any basic self defense. "Geez, Shrimp. Yer friends never taught ya anythin' about fighting?" I'd said. "That doesn't seem right, makin' ya so dependent on them. Look, hold yer fist like this." I was proud of myself for managing to keep the disdain I felt for those two losers out of my voice. But then I'd reached out and grabbed her hands. They were so soft. I kept myself talking to distract her from my hands lingering on hers. I positioned her fingers properly and explained why it was important to lock her wrist so she didn't break it. I DIDN'T intertwine my huge, rough fingers with her beautiful, soft, tiny ones. I DID notice how strong they were though.

I even kept a straight face as I watched the woman throw an obviously weak punch at the bag. I know she's got muscle. I've seen her use it lugging around all of those books. She just doesn't have the confidence to put any of it into her swing. "Ow! Does it feel like that every time you hit someone?!" I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my mouth at her reaction. I probably could have explained a proper stance without putting my hands on her again, but where's the fun in that?

I very pointedly didn't look at her face after I first saw her start blushing. Mostly because I was staring at how her waist fit perfectly in my hands as I moved her hips to face the bag at an angle; and at that amazing ass... And then the skin on her leg was so perfect and soft. I kept the surprise out of my face when I realized just how much muscle she really did have on those wiry little arms. The separated sleeves she always wears hide her arms very well. I don't think she noticed that I trailed my hands up her arms to her shoulders before removing my hands. She probably thought I was just positioning her still.

I had finally stepped back again to see how her punch went this time, and was debating demonstrating how to do it by hitting the bag myself when she excused herself and started to leave. I just looked at her, knowing if I wasn't very careful, I'd ask her to stick around longer. And then she would feel threatened, most likely. So I just nodded, "Sure, Shrimp." As she started to leave, I couldn't resist, "But, I expect to see you at training this evening. After dinner?" My stomach clenched a little when she simply nodded.

She stopped just outside the open door and looked back at me. "I don't know how to get to the warehouse, should I come here?" The excitement I smelled then surprised me, so I just nodded. She is as excited about this as she was about the book on dragons the other day! "Okay. See you then!" She said. Then she was gone again.

I realized I was still just standing in my living room, my muscles starting to cramp from not stretching out or cooling down. Damn. She can really throw me for a loop. What the hell is up with that? She really wasn't my type. I mean, not that I had ever really decided a type. Emotions were a weakness in Phantom Lord, and I'd never wasted time on women before. But, I knew she was way too tiny, I'd probably bump into her and break her. Plus, she's scared of ya because ya almost killed her, ya damned fool. With that happy thought in mind, I kicked my door shut and stomped towards my shower, stretching out my shoulders as I stepped into the water. I didn't even let it warm up first.