Gruvia: Grays curse + Gajevy: protecting mine FT fanfic

chapter 40- hollow pain

Lucy visited the humble residence of Levy on the fifth day after the death of Rose. She brought comfort-food but noticed that healthy food was scare.

On the sixth day Juvia visited. She had given Gray the task to look after the children. She wanted to give Levy some rest and brought a light salad that she had made. Levy ate barely a bite from it. Juvia left it on the counter for the mourning mage to eat if she needed.
Gajeel knocked on the door on the seventh day. 'Levy?', he knocked a second time before opening the door. The door was unlocked.

He walked upstairs to find Levy staring in front of her with a blanc stare. 'Shrimp?', he asked carefully. 'Today is the funeral. Do you want to go?'

Levy hid under her blankets. 'It's fine if you don't want to', she heard him say.
'I want to', her voice sounded broken. Even if she said that she wanted to, she stayed underneath the blankets. Gajeel waited. It took a while before Levy spoke again: 'It's hard to loose someone twice'.

The dragon slayer didn't know what he should say in this situation. He placed a hand on one of the bumps, he imagined it was her shoulder. Crying got louder as she sniffed under the cover. 'It took me a month last time to get over it a little'.
Levy had lost both her parents and her sister on the same day when she was a child. That was soon before she joined Fairy Tail.

'We are here for you shrimp. You don't need to do this alone', Gajeel mumbled something that should be words of strength. Truth be told, he was feeling a little weak too. He had trouble sleeping, eating, doing anything of daily routine. He felt responsible for Rose's death and was having a hard time processing what happened that day.
But he needed to be stronger than ever before if he wanted to help Levy.

'Thank you', she removed the blanket and looked at him through her tears. Gajeel handed her a box of tissues. 'It's over three hours. Take your time'. He stood up and left the bedroom. Levy needed a chance to get dressed. 'I'm downstairs'. He got outside and noticed the open door to Rose's bedroom. He closed it. Levy didn't have to look at that.

After an hour she went down. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had little life in those eyes.

'Can we stay here until... we have to go?', was her plead. She took her place next Gajeel on the couch. She leaned against him. After a while she spoke again with another plead. 'Can you come with me to my old home-town?', Levy asked.

'Sure shrimp. Anything'.

It stayed silent for another while. Levy had some thoughts to sort out but this time she wanted Gajeels opinion. 'Do you think she had fun at the guild?'

'Yeah, Rose was happy'.

'I'm afraid that her life was terrible. We lost each other for a long time. And then she was trapped on that mountain for almost 10 years'.

'Rose was strong. I really think she was happy in the end', Gajeel pulled Levy closer. 'She would have wanted you to be happy too'.

'I will try', her words were barely hearable.

They took their time. They talked little about what happened and went early to the funeral. It was held next to the river. They would send her way, guided with good spirits by floating a boat to the ocean.

There was already a large crowd by the time they gathered. Lucy walked up to Gajeel and Levy to guid them to the chairs in the front. Levy made sure to keep the dragon slayer close at all time. He knew best how she was feeling at this point and why. He wouldn't talk much and only respond when he was asked. She appreciated the silence.

Some members of Fairy Tail gathered around Levy to pay their respects. With every hand that was shaken, with every hug that was given, with every word that was said, she was having even a tougher time.
At one point Gajeel guided Levy to a chair in the second row, in the middle of the crowd. People wouldn't bother her quickly if they weren't able to reach her. He shot evil glances at the ones that tried. Levy was grateful for that.