A thud could be heard as Levy violently hit the ground. She rubbed the arm that absorbed the impact, then got back on her feet for the umpteenth time, regaining her combat posture.

"Don't you think you're a little too rough on her?" Reproached Gray to Gajeel while sitting next to the training session with his breakfast.

"Don't worry Gray" tried Levy to reassure him. "I'm all right".

"Yeah right... It's hardly been half an hour you're training and you're already covered in bruises, not mentioning all the dirt that's on you..."

Gajeel walked to Gray. He barely seemed to be hot while Levy, already sweating, seemed to have a hard time going threw the training.

"Do you really think those who wants to kill her will give her a chance?" he said in a serious tone. "Do you think that, like me, they'll avert hitting all her vital points and make sure she doesn't get seriously hurt?"

Gray maintained his gaze, but added nothing. Gajeel turned back to Levy.

"Ready for another round?" He dryly asked.

She nodded but Gajeel stopped seeming to remember something. He turned back to his bag, picked something up, before meeting Gray once more.

"Here" he said, handing Gray a sword.

The shirtless young man stared at Gajeel, not really knowing what to do with the weapon.

"Well take it!" Gajeel got impatient. "It could save lives one day, sooner than you can imagine".

"I never fought with a sword before" simply said Gray.

"Miss airhead behind you will teach you" he said referring to the young woman who was looking at Gray from a distance, seeming to daydream about who knows what without noticing they where talking about her.

"Juvia knows how to wield a sword?" Said the surprised young man who saw her fight bare hands.

"You can be damn sure of that" said Gajeel. "She may be better in martial arts, she still outdoes many man when it comes to swordsmanship".

Gray finally took the weapon, silently thanking him with a nod. As for Gajeel, he emitted a growl seeing Gray leaving his pants behind as he walked wearing only his boxers.

"Tssss. Was it really necessary for that pervert to take off his clothes to see her?" he grumbled between his teeth.

"Gajeel?"

A small voice brought him back to earth and he quickly forgot Gray and his unpleasant habit.

"Hum?"

"Thanks"

"Why is that every time you're thanking me I either don't deserve it or don't know what the hell you're talking about?"

She rose her eyes to the sky.

"Thanks for helping Gray. It means a lot to me."

"You really think I'd let him be shred to pieces?" He grumbled.

"Of course not" she smiled. "It's just... I know you're not over your big brother crisis yet so it must be hard on you... Ahhh!"

She had to drastically end her sentence, Gajeel rushing on her. But just before he reached her, she used the technique he was trying to teach her since the beginning of the training and deviated the hand that was getting closer. She took advantage of his surprise by attempting something and, with a small jump, she passed between his legs to get behind him. She however couldn't jump on his back like planned. Worst, rather than surprising him, she was caught in her own game. Indeed, Gajeel was faster and, where she should have landed on his back to attack him, she got herself crushed against his chest, maintained by the arms she was trying to avoid.

"Shit" she let out once she realised she really was stuck.

"Gihi! Not bad shrimp, but you still have a long way to go before tricking me."

"Let go of me! I can't breathe" she complained without being serious.

"Who would've thought that miniature size could have it's perks" he continued ignoring her, referring to the unusual way she used to get behind him.

Then he realised he was still holding her tight in his arms. He had no intentions in mind beside training when he circled her waist with his arms and still, as soon as he realised what he seemed to be doing, he let her go. The weather seemed hotter all of a sudden. Daring a glance in the young woman's direction, he noticed she also seemed to be hotter. "Yes, the air definitely heated up in the last couple of minutes" he thought.

"Ready for another round?" She asked the same question as Gajeel minutes ago.

"Gihi! Always" He said, attacking her.

Even though she bit the dust a little more, Gajeel couldn't help but being impressed to see her step up again and again. She was so small, seemed so fragile and yet, she received the hits unflinchingly to the point that Gajeel started to fear he would really hurt her. He didn't expect her to resist this long a training this hard. He simply hoped she could manage to defend herself if he couldn't protect her... or even if he wasn't there anymore to protect her. He tightened his fists. He was well aware he had been, along with Juvia, one of the strongest Phantom members, but chances where still not in their favor considering all those people trying to take them down.

Two weeks ago, he would have thought he only had to live a day at the time, that even thought he would fight till the end, if things turned bad, it would only be too bad for him. But now... now the simple idea of letting the shrimp alone against the world filled him with rage. Juvia had been trained in that cruel universe, he knew she could fend for herself but Levy...

"Already tired?" She teased him.

Gajeel couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her, barely standing, even pushing her luck by defying the one that could send her on the ground in seconds.

"Gihi! Have you looked at yourself? You're barely able to move and you must be hungry" he said looking at the sun with indicated that hours had probably passed.

"I can continue, you know!" She sulked while her grumbling stomach confirmed Gajeel's assumptions.

The noise giving him the confirmation he needed, he started to walk in the camp site's direction, leaving her behind him. Like he suspected, he was soon caught up by the blue haired girl.

Then they ate. Once the meal over, she rose back, still determined.

"You know that those muscles of yours will kill you tomorrow, right?"

"If that's what it takes to protect myself."

"My God! What happened to poor Levy?" Exclaimed Juvia who just got there, seeing all the resulting bruises from the morning training.

Then she turned to her friend.

"Gajeel could be more careful to sweet Levy!"

He was about to retort something but Levy was quicker.

"Would you all stop treating me like I was a china doll or something?"

"Levy?" Asked Gray who was surprised to see her react this way.

"I asked Gajeel to continue! I'm tired of always depending on others and be considering as someone fragile!"

Therewith, she walked away.

"Gajeel should talk to her" suggested Juvia.

"Why me?" Growled Gajeel in a bad mood. "You're the one who got her mad."

"For some reason, the idiot you are seem to always manage to reassure her" added Gray, exasperated.

"I am all but reassuring" he grumbled.

"I agree" Confirmed Gray and Juvia at once. "But Levy really is always at ease when Gajeel's around" added Juvia.

"Tssss" said Gajeel, walking to where Levy had disappeared, not yet knowing if Juvia's words made him happy or if he was frustrated to be the one who had to deal with this.

He found her after a couple of minutes, her arms circling her knees, her back leaned against a tree.

"Shrimp?"

She lifted her head to him, sadness in her eyes.

"Do you think I'm weak?" She asked.

His heart tightened a little when he noticed sadness was also present in her voice. "This woman will someday be the end of me" he thought. Gajeel bent and threw her on his shoulder despite her protests and finally put her down when he was next to his travel bag.

"I hate it when you do that" she pouted.

"Jeez... You really are stressful" he sighed. "Wait a minute would ya."

Then he took out a sword that looked like the one he gave to Gray, but smaller and lighter. When she looked a little closer, she saw a gorgeous dragon engraved in the iron of the pommel. She opened wide surprised eyes when he put it in her hands.

"It's the perfect size for you" he said.

"When did you..."

"When you asked me to train you" he said, looking away.

"It's beautiful!"

"For once, you can thank your perverted friend. As soon as Juvia saw the sword, she kept babbling about Fullbuster and his creations. I told him what I wanted him to carve and there it is.

Sadness left her eyes when she realised he considered her apt for combat, when she realised that he thought she had a chance to learn how to properly fight. Then she came closer. Was she about to hit him with her tiny fists, calling him an idiot as always? He was already preparing a retort, but forgot what he was about to say all at once when she kissed his cheek. He expected from himself to react as usual, but nothing came. Why didn't he pull away? He hated when Juvia did this to him so why was it any different with Levy?

"Thank you" she said before cuddling against his chest.

This time, it wasn't an accident. This time she really wanted to hug him. And this time, he didn't pull back.

Lets simply say that the Gale fan in me got a little out of control this chapter haha!

For the Gruvia fans, don't worry; the chapter was originally supposed to be focussed on both couples but since I underestimated, once again, the chapter's length, I had to split it in two parts XD So we'll see Gray and Juvia train as well next chapter ;)

Have a nice week! :D

Lily xx