~Gajeel~

"You sure your gonna be alright by yourself?" I asked Levy, for probably the tenth time in the past hour. She sighed, "Gajeel I won't be alone. I'll have Lucy and Lily here. Just go enjoy your boys weekend so I can enjoy my girls weekend!" She nearly shouted as she tried to push me out the door. It worked about as well as pushing a wall. I sighed and ruffled her hair, making her pout.

"Alright alright. I just worry about ya short stuff." She snorted. "Your just worried about what mom would do if something happened." She said with a sly grin and I felt a chill run down my spine. "Don't remind me." I groaned. I picked up my duffel bag and slung it over my shoulder before heading for the door. "Call if you need anything, me and Natsu will come over." I called as I headed out, closing the door on her calls of I'm not a child.

I made it to my jeep which I had parked next to Levys bright orange mini, and I paced Lucy in her mustang as I pulled away from the apartments. Natsu didn't live far from us, only about a ten minute drive away in another set of apartments. I pressed the buzzer at the door of the complex, the speaker crackled as Natsus voice came through. "Hello?" "Let me in." I grumbled. The door gave a click and I headed inside. I didn't bother knocking on his door and just pushed inside, nearly tripping over a tiny furry object just inside the door.

I looked down at the purring mass that was Natsus Russian Blue Happy. I scooped the small cat into one arm while I kicked the door closed. " Where you at Salamander?" I called as I reached the sofa, tossing my bag onto it. "Right here." He said as he came out of what I assumed was the kitchen, balancing four pizza boxes and a six pack of beer. My stomach growled at the inviting smell and I snagged the top two boxes along with the beer, letting Happy escape.

"So what's the plan?" I asked as I sat. Natsu set the other pizzas on the table before he started messing with the tv. "Call of Duty to start the night. Got team speak, so Grey and the others will be joining us too." He tossed a set of headphones to me and I put them on. I enjoyed gaming about as much as anybody, but Natsu was one of those guys that got super serious, to the point of insane. It took him a while to get everything set up but soon enough he sat on the other side of the couch, his own headset on his head.

"You guys there?" He spoke into his mic, his voice coming through the thick headphones. "Yeah." Grey's voice came through now, followed by another's cackling laugh. "Bixlow too?" I asked with a raised studded eyebrow. Natsu grinned and nodded. Before long we had started the game, and we were busy blasting each other away. "Yo pinky." Bixlows voice came through the headset, interrupting a conversation between Grey and Natsu. "What?" He snapped.

"Heard from Laxus that you finally found your girl. She hot?" I glanced over at Natsu as his face softened and he smiled. "She beautiful. Amazing really." I had never heard Natsu talk so gently about someone, and it made Bixlow gag. "Well how much time do you have asshole?" Natsu snapped, grinning as he sniped Bixlow in the game. "About a week cherry head." Bixlow shouted. "How bout you metal face? How much time do you have?" Natsu asked.

I know he was just curious, but my chest tightened painfully. "Couple years." I tried to sound uninterested, but the look Natsu gave me told me he wasn't buying it. The others started talking about their timers, Elfman mentioned how he was supposed to meet his one the next day. I glanced at Natsu as he muted the team speak and took his headset off. "You gonna tell me the truth?" He asked and I didn't look at him. "Told ya. Couple years." I said, grinding my teeth. "We both know that's bull shit man. You've been saying that for awhile." He leaned back on the couch and looked at me. Natsu was my best friend next to Levy, I could trust him right?

I turned the idea over in my head for a moment before sighing heavily. Instead of saying anything, I held out my left wrist to him, the numbers becoming visible. I didn't look at him when he looked up at me with wide eyes. "It's been that way for as long as I can remember."

~Levy~

My toes curled as I took a huge bite of ice cream, squeeling at the frozen goodness. "Lucy, this ice cream is heavenly!" I finally got out once my tongue thawed. I held a tiny bit out on the spoon for Lily who licked it up. Lucy laughed as she set aside the book we had been reading, digging into her ice cream. I stretched my legs into her lap as I returned to my ice cream. "So how's it going with Natsu?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows. I told myself I wouldn't be down about it, and just be happy that she wasn't with Gajeel.

"Oh Levy, he is so wonderful." She said with a soft almost dreamy smile. I smiled and motioned for her to continue. "It's only been a week but it has been the best of my life. He walks me to all of my classes and to work, he made me dinner on Tuesday and we went to the movies last night. I'm so happy." My heart clenched tightly but I kept the smile on my face. "Hey Levy?" "Mm?" I asked through a mouthful of ice cream. "How did you and Gajeel meet?" My smile softened and I set my ice cream aside.

"It wasn't a very good way to meet. We were 10 and 11, he's older, and we were actually in a car accident." She gasped, nearly dropping her ice cream. I smiled sadly. "It was down pouring and mom could hardly see out the window. She was trying to be careful, but she went through a stop sign but another car was coming. Their brakes were locked and they skidded right into our car. It's still a bit fuzzy after that until I woke up in the hospital. Gajeel was in the same room with me." I smiled, remembering the scrawny boy with an arm cast and bandages.

"We were both pretty banged up, and we were fast friends. Hospital buddies we called it. We had to be in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Mom was in a coma for one of them, but she came through. Gajeels dad... His dad didn't make it..." i said quietly, an ache in my chest as I recalled Gajeel at eleven in tears. "He would swear up and down to this day that he didn't cry, but it broke my heart seeing him like that. When mom found out, she insisted on adopting him and taking care of him." I smiled, remembering how we grew up.

"She never expected him to, but when we got in our teens he started calling her mom too. She really adores him and he her." Lucy smiled as she listened. "You sound like you love him." She said softly. I felt my face fall and I didn't bother trying to correct it. My heart clenched again, "Yeah... Yeah I do..." i pulled my knees up to my chest. Lucy frowned slightly. "I'm sorry Levy, I didn't mean... Look you'll find someone! Your clock is still ticking after all," she said, trying to cheer me up. It only hurt. I could feel the tears prick my eyes as I looked down at my wrist, that 0 again, burning in my mind. I held my wrist out to her, a single tear escaping. "It hasn't moved in years... And his is still ticking..." i choked out, trying not to sob. Before I knew it, Lucys slender arms were around me and i was crying into her shoulder. The beginning of my girls weekend with Lucy turned south quickly, I only hoped tomorrow would be better.