Universe: Fairy Tail (modern day single parents au)

Characters: Gajeel Redfox and Levy McGarden (with mentions of an original character and Minerva)

Pairings: Gajeel/Levy and past Gajeel/Minerva

Rating: T

A/N: One of those single parent aus with an angsty backstory. This one starts of with Gajeel! Most of the pairings for the kids will be crack pairings or pairings I don't like just so I could be an ass and break them up ahahaha.

Gajeel sighed as he paced the floor of his living room in the small apartment he'd been living in for the last three months. The shrill crying of his small son has been a constant for the last fifteen minutes and he can't help but feel like he's going to go insane. His red eyes are tired, he can't even think of the last time he actually got any sleep in all honesty. He sighed and tried to gently rock the small infant in his arms to no avail. His son's cries only become louder and Gajeel decided to try other methods. He began humming a lullaby he'd heard mothers sing to their children when he was small. A comfort that he'd never had with his own father.

His tensed shoulders relaxed a little as the cries of the infant became softer. Mavis he royally fucked up. Gajeel sat down on the dark leather couch not once stopping his humming. He should've known that crazy bitch was going to do something like this, but he was always too fucked up to give a shit. Gajeel hopes to high hell that his son will be nothing like him, or like his mother for that matter. He prayed that Oliver stayed away from gangs, and from crazy bitches that were easy lays. Minerva had always been so easy, seemed so laid back, and often ran with the gang he'd been in. He'd be higher than a kite when she told him she was pregnant and he'd laughed. He wasn't laughing now. He was a single father with no one to turn to. Minerva had handed him the kid when they'd made it back to the apartment he'd been living in and just disappeared. Two weeks later she'd been found dead in some ditch, and that'd been almost a month ago. Now he was stuck with a kid he never really wanted, but he'd made a promise to Oliver that first night after fighting with his own sanity that he'd never abandon him like his own father had.

He was pulled from his thoughts by both Oliver's shrill screams and a soft knock at his door. Gajeel got up and stomped to the door, Oliver sobbing loudly into his chest. He opened the door with so much force, he's surprised it's still on its hinges. Before him stood a woman that had to be no more than four foot ten or eleven, one he'd often teased for her height when he'd see her. She had on a bright orange nightgown that barely reached past her thighs, and her cornflower blue hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She had a pair of dark red glasses resting delicately on her small nose. Fuck him she was the picture of beauty and she wasn't even trying. Minerva had always bitched about looking perfect, had always bitched at him to give her compliments. The sound of Oliver crying brought him out of his musings and he turned his glare to the woman in front of him. If she was here to complain about the noise she could fuck off.

"The fuck you want Shrimp?" It came out harsher than he had intended but he didn't care. He was just beyond exhausted and this little shrimp wanted to bother him while he was trying to calm his son. The fuck was her problem?

She stomped her barefoot on the painted concrete outside his door and puffed out her cheeks. "Don't call me that Gajeel!" She said and pointed at him. "I'm not a shrimp! My name is Levy! L-E-V-Y! Levy McGarden!" She huffed and quickly calmed herself after she seemed to remember what she was doing there. Her face flushed and she looked down at the floor. "W-Would you like some help with him?" She asked softly and looked back up at him. "I-I know it's weird because I'm only an acquaintance, even though we've lived in the same building for a while, but you seem to be having trouble."

Gajeel stared at the tiny woman before him, she'd just insulted him even if she hadn't meant to. He sighed and stepped aside so she could come in. When she was inside she gently closed the door behind her and she gently took the squirming bundle from his arms. Gajeel grumbled and went to the kitchen to make another bottle for him, suddenly glad for Levy's late night habits. He watched the numbers as they counted down on the microwave, listening to Levy's soft and calming voice as she spoke. He added in the appropriate amount of formula before he began to shake the bottle. He tested the temperature on his wrist and after he deemed it acceptable he headed back to the living room.

"Well fuck." Gajeel stared at the scene before him with relief and shock. Oliver had fallen asleep in Levy's arms as she gently stroked the tuft of dark violet hair atop his small head. She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. "How the fuck did you do that?" He asked and walked over to them. She held out her small hand to him and he carefully helped her get up. "Cribs this way." He mumbled and led the tiny woman to his bedroom. Oliver had a small station in the corner of Gajeel's bedroom, and for now it worked for them. He knew he'd have to move when his son started to grow but for now this was good. Levy gently placed the now sleeping infant in his crib and held a finger to her lips as she straightened up. She didn't have to tell him twice.

Gajeel followed her back to his living room and sighed. He flopped down onto the couch and exhaled. "Thanks Shrimp. Yer a fuckin' life saver." He looked over at her and grinned. "Seriously though, the fuck did ya do to console him? I tried literally everything."

Levy smiled tiredly and rubbed her neck, she seemed to be uncomfortable Gajeel noted. "I just held him and rocked him. I told him a story about a dragon that my mom told me when I was little."

"Dragons huh?" Gajeel chuckled and got up. "I really owe ya." He scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "Uh...how about...dinner?"

Her face seemed to ignite at the mention but the smile she gave him made him feel weak. How the fuck was this woman doing this to him so easily? "I'd love that!" She said cheerfully before giving him a wave and left to go back next door.

Gajeel smirked and stretched out on the couch, the apartment finally peaceful for the first time all night. All thanks to his little shrimp neighbor. He closed his eyes and finally let the exhaustion take over. He dreamed of small munchkins with striking blue hair and deep crimson eyes.