Hello again! As promised, here is my next story starring GaLe! Though I will warn you, it's very different than my other stories and more of a "slow-burn" romance. Gajeel is a little OOC, but you'll see why after just a few chapters. Also, there will be some serious topics mentioned, but I will definitely make sure to put any trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapters. But have no fear, everything will stay K+ on the rating and there will be happy, fuzzy feelings as well!

Story was inspired by a super cute fanart piece by Yuki_Fairy on Wattpad

I do not own Fairy Tail

"Levy..."

"What?"

"Levy!"

"What!?"

"We shouldn't be doing this!"

"Come one, Luce, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I left it back at the Guild Hall where it's safe and not crawling with strange creatures."

"Oh please," Levy pushed a strand of hair out of her face and flitted to the next bush, keeping their target in her sights, "he is not a strange creature."

Lucy joined her and pointed a finger at the dark figure slowly walking down the abandoned path. "Um, he's a Draak?"

"So?" Levy whispered, moving forward again.

Lucy's cheeks puffed and her wings fluttered angrily. "He's the very definition of 'strange creature'! Why, dictionaries probably have a picture of their race as a point of reference!"

"He's not...that bad."

True, the sides of his face and corners of his eyes were covered in tiny, silver scales and metal studs were embedded in the skin above his eyes and along his nose. His long, black hair did reach down to his waist, but other than that he looked perfectly normal. Two arms, two legs, sharp canines that his lips couldn't quite fully hide. Which might not be quite normal by most races' standards, but Levy had never seen a Draak before so who was she to judge?

"If you're so worried, then go finish collecting the echinacea for Mira. I want to see where he's going."

"I'm not going to leave you alone with some...murderer!"

"Really?"

Lucy snorted, "How else would you explain all of that blood?"

"Well…" she studied the Draak, eying his battered, torn clothing covered in large splotches of blood. It certainly didn't give off the best of impressions, considering he even had some on his hands. All details pointed to nefarious conclusions, but Levy couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the Draak's story. She had seen his eyes, briefly and startling red, but they didn't have the anger and hate that she would expect from a cold-blooded killer. They were simply...empty.

The Draak veered off the road and entered the wooded area that ran alongside the main section of the road.

"I'm going after him. Tell the master I'll be back in a few days." She flew after the Draak, hearing Lucy grumble behind her.

"She's gonna get herself killed."

Levy flitted through the trees, making her light shine brighter as the full branches blocked the rays of the setting sun. Footsteps crunched the leaves several feet in front of her and she dimmed her light, hovering in midair. The Draak stood in the middle of the forest, his head swiveling back and forth between the trees.

Probably looking for a place to sleep for the night.

His gaze stopped on a large tree, its trunk wide enough that she doubted even he could wrap his arms around it. He began to move and she hurried in front of him, hiding behind one of the tree's large, exposed roots.

A clump of flowers struggled to grow in the shaded area, their dark blue petals hanging to the ground. She touched the soft petals and gave them some of her magic energy. The petals unfurled and brightened, the stalk of the flower lifting upright.

Smiling happily, she lowered her hand and watched the Draak approach. He slung his pack over his shoulder and she cringed when he began to throw it on top of the flowers. He stopped, inches away from the plant.

Levy watched him lift the brown bag and look at the flowers, his brows furrowing. He glanced over his shoulder and placed the pack on the other side, settling down between it and where she was hiding. She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at the Draak even though he couldn't see her.

See? You can't be a murderer.

The Draak opened his pack and withdrew what looked like screws and a book. He put two screws in his mouth and leaned down to gently touch the flower. His gloved hand stroked the bright petals and with a twist of her fingers, Levy snapped the stem. The Draak startled, his fingers curling into his palm and his eyes widening. He looked around wildly, a slow blush rising to his cheeks. She giggled behind her hand, feeling slightly guilty that he thought he broke the flower.

He grabbed the book in his lap and looked about to open it, but paused halfway through his movement. Levy tilted her head, just watching him. His fingernails were chipped and caked in dirt, but they gently stroked the cover as if it were a sacred text. He gingerly opened it and hovered his finger over the words. He stayed like that for several minutes and Levy wondered why he hadn't turned a page yet. Even Elfman read faster than that. She moved from her hiding spot and hovered over his shoulder, an ache welling up inside her. The book was upside-down.

The Draak couldn't read.

Her eyes stung with tears and she rubbed her arm over her face. She heard the Draak sigh and open the book into the middle. He carefully picked up the flower and placed it in the pages, holding it close to his face as he closed it. Giving it a satisfied nod, his lips lifted in a small smile and he placed the book back in his pack. He finished the last of his screws and lay down directly in the dirt, using his pack as a pillow.

Levy's heart thumped, that tiny, pointed-toothed smile embedding itself in her mind. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks before flying over his shoulder to stand in front of his face. She watched his body slowly relax, the strain she had seen on his forehead gradually smoothing away as sleep claimed him. His mouth opened slightly and his breathing became deeper and deeper.

She smiled softly, wondering what he had gone through to fall asleep so quickly. A breeze trickled through the trees and she shivered. The Draak curled into himself, still fast asleep, and she could see goose-bumps forming on his scarred arms. She frowned and with a final glance around her, she channeled her magic through her body. Her wings and tail disappeared and she grew until she was the size of a female human.

All Fairies had the ability to grow big at will. While Levy and most other Fairies she knew only had limited magical abilities while in human form, others, like the Master, Erza and Laxus, could wield all of their magical abilities no matter what form they took. But even her magic would be enough to ensure that the poor Draak would have a restful night.

She scooted closer, until her knees almost touched his arm. Raising her hands over him, she whispered "WARMTH."

Tendrils of light trickled from her fingertips and formed letters above the sleeping Draak, creating a soft glow along his body. His shoulders relaxed and Levy watched in satisfaction as the goose-bumps disappeared.

Feeding the letters a constant stream of magic, she moved to his pack and quietly sat in the dirt. Large scars lined his arms, their jagged edges long since healed, and faint scarring circled his wrists and on the skin part of his neck. She shuddered, not wanting to think about what could have possibly caused the red, irritated skin.

In a fit of boldness, she reached out and trailed her fingers through his hair. The dark strands were tangled, but incredibly soft, softer than she expected it to be. Not wanting to wake him, she gave the unruly mass a final stroke and took out her own book from the satchel draped over her shoulder, readying herself for a long night.

"Sleep peacefully and do not fear. I will watch over you tonight."