AN: No one really brings up the absolutely adorable scene where everyone in the guild is dancing and Gajeel and Levy have that little moment, so I thought I would. Enjoy, and- of course- I own nothing. (Otherwise Gajevy would've been confirmed on Tenrou.)
"Natsu if you take one more step towards that cake, I will kill you."
Levy cringed at the blatant threat, and then giggled, because when Juvia gets to it, she really gets serious.
Lucy shot a look over in her boyfriend's direction, but refrained from saying anything, continuing to spread blush on Levy's cheeks. Mira and Juvia were two women that you did not want to anger these days.
"I'm still really mad at Ever and Elfman for eloping in secret and leaving me to deal with Mira's leftover wedding fantasies." Levy sighed.
Lucy shuddered. "That was a scary day for us all. I thought Mira was going to come up with a new Satan Soul."
Levy agreed, but remained silent since Lucy was applying lipstick now. When her lips were free, she added, "But they just cruelly left Gajeel and I to take the brunt of it. I honestly think they waited until someone else proposed."
Lucy laughed. "It wouldn't surprise me. But hey, at least you didn't have to worry about a lot of the sucky parts of having a wedding, right?"
Levy nodded. "You do have a point there."
As the girls got ready at the guild, the men had all converged at Laxus' house. (It was the only one large enough to fit them all.)
A rough, heavy hand landed on Gajeel's shoulder, and he nearly growled. If one more person pats my back, I'm going to just start throwing punches, to hell with the consequences.
While he loved Levy, (he was a big enough man to at least admit it to himself) and was very eager to make her legally, completely his, the aggravation of the whole wedding thing was really starting to wear on him. If it weren't for the dreamy, gorgeous smile his shrimp wore whenever she talked about their wedding, he wouldn't have even thought of letting it go this far.
But there wasn't a lot he wouldn't do for her. So he turned and faced the lucky asshole. Natsu. Of course.
"Are you really sure you wanna do this Gajeel? You're looking a little sick." Gajeel was a bit surprised, though he shouldn't have been. Natsu showed that he honestly cared for everyone in the guild, and there was the certain comfort that the 3 Fairy Tail dragon slayers had accumulated from actually having others like them around.
And Gajeel was feeling a bit nauseous.
But he would rather eat the disgusting kiwis Lily loved so much rather than admit that.
"'m just fine." Natsu shot him a look that told him what he thought of Gajeel's lie.
"Really? Cuz you're getting a little green there, buddy."
"Eff off Salamander, I've got too much going on to deal with you." Natsu tugged on his arm.
"Walk with me for a second?"
Gajeel sighed, he knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of him, besides, some fresh air might do him good.
Natsu led him to Laxus' backyard, where there was a table and chairs. Natsu sat in one, and Gajeel sat in the one right next to it, slumping until the back of his head was resting on the top.
"What's going on in your head man?" Gajeel closed his eyes.
"Just...never thought I'd be here."
Natsu chuckled. "Laxus does have a nice place."
Gajeel swatted halfheartedly at Natsu's arm without looking.
"You know what I meant." Five- though an argument could be made for 12- years ago, he didn't know what he wanted out of life in general enough to think about ever being with someone. Having friends was too daunting, let alone dealing with some whiny, needy girl. And he still remained with that thought pattern, but now he knew what he wanted, and Levy was certainly not a whiny or needy girl.
He found himself smiling at the thought of his woman. Bright, huge brown eyes speckled with gold; startling, out of control blue hair; sweet smile and face; petite but curvaceous body. She was a woman of contradictions. She was so independent, so strong in her own way, but in a way that Gajeel had never met before or since.
She was able to handle anything, and with her scarily quick intellect, she was a sight to behold and even fear, to a certain extent. But she was also so weak physically, her physique practically demanding he protect her.
She didn't need him. But he really needed her. She was a soft but bright and constant light to his dark and persisting shadow. They balanced each other perfectly.
Gajeel took a deep breath. And noticed that Natsu had left him to his own thoughts.
He pulled out his comm lacrima.
A few seconds later, her voice rang through. "Gajeel? Is something wrong?" Her voice was like a quick drink of cool water for his ears.
He shook his head, though he knew she couldn't see him.
"Nah. I just wanted to talk to you, before...you know."
Her giggle. "Yeah, next time we're facing each other, it'll kinda be in front of people."
He groaned. "Don't remind me."
A real, deep laugh this time. Then gentle silence. "I love you Gajeel."
Those words. They still caught him by surprise, still made him swallow back feelings he was much too proud to let show.
"Love you too Lev." Her intake of breath indicated she'd heard the blatant use of her almost full name.
"This is kind of a big deal huh?" Her voice quaked a bit. He drew comfort from the fact that she seemed nervous as well.
"Yeah. Sure you wanna go through with it Shrimp? You'll be stuck with me forever."
Her soft laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure. You?"
He smirked. "It'll never be a chore to make sure people know you're mine."
He could almost hear her blushing. "Y-yeah well that also means you're mine now, too."
He scoffed. "I've been yours since you got Natsu and I out of that scrape with those runes." He jerked upright in his chair when he realized what had just said. "I-I mean, I've had my eye on you for a while."
"Wait, you've liked me since Laxus went crazy years ago?!"
He felt his cheeks burn. "Whatever woman, you should've seen how you looked, you wouldn't be surprised that I found you so sexy." He wasn't lying or downplaying the memory in any way. The sight of her crouching doggy style on the floor was enough for him to go nuts, but when she'd also been showing off her brains and not even really paying attention to him, being so focused, he'd known then that he was well and truly screwed.
"You thought I was sexy?" He heard the pride in her voice.
He scoffed. "I've always thought you were sexy. It just didn't make me feel guilty after that."
"Why would you feel guilty for finding me attractive?"
"Because I didn't come close to deserving you."
He heard her heavy breath. "Well that's all a matter of opinion. Because I could make the argument that you certainly did. Even then. Now it's not even a question." He rolled his eyes, but didn't contradict her. "Besides, you're making me feel guilty for thinking how absolutely amazing you looked back then."
He heard her shaky chuckle.
One if his eyebrows went up. "You thought I was hot huh Shrimp?"
"Of course I did." Her matter of fact answer caught him a bit by surprise.
"Why of course?"
He heard her hem and then suddenly she was shouting at Erza about swords on an altar, then she was back. "Sorry, you'd be surprised how much I have to hold them back today. It's like something big is happening or something."
He chuckled and looked down at his tux. "Yeah, wonder what that's about." His favorite laugh again, the carefree giggle.
"I'm sad we didn't get to hang out last night, I've gotten way too used to sleeping with you."
He laughed once. "I have to be honest, the bed seemed a bit empty. I wonder why, it's not like you take up that much room."
He heard her huff, and could hear the indignation behind it. But he also knew that she'd heard his silent confession in his own missing her.
Then the line got weird again and he heard Lucy shouting about water damage and Juvia crying out. Then he heard Levy wince. "What the hell is going on over there?"
He heard her laugh sardonically. "My bouquet may have just been waterlogged."
He loved that she didn't really care and was even able to laugh about what most women would have freaked out for. It confirmed that he was making the right choice into tricking her into being with him. Because that's the only way a smart girl like her would have settled for him.
"Well I should go help. Thanks for calling, I was getting a bit nervous."
He scoffed. "Why? Look at the great deal you're making in a (he had to stop and read a clock) hour. Dang, we're getting married in an hour."
Her giggle again. It made him want to just smush her face and kiss her senseless. "Yeah. See you there. I'll be the one in white trying not to trip."
He grinned. "Alright Shorty. Have fun and try not to go too crazy with all the girls."
"Bye Gajeel. Try not to leave me hanging, yeah?"
His grin morphed into a smirk. "I'll think about it."
"Uh oh. Now I really am screwed."
"Bye Lev."
"Goodbye Gajeel."
He ended the call and smiled. Yeah, definitely the right choice.
A few hours later, Gajeel and Levy were seated next to each other at the center of a large table. Someone alerted them to the fact that their first dance as Mr and Mrs Redfox would be starting any second. Gajeel was looking forward to it. While he would never in a million years admit that he did, he loved dancing with Levy. It gave him an excuse to hold her for extended periods of time without running the risk of looking like a pansy.
When they- Levy in her amazingly beautiful white gown, Gajeel in his tailored tux- did make their way to the middle of the dance floor, he was briefly reminded of something, but it was chased out of his mind when the song started and Levy was in his arms. But as they kept going, the memory kept nagging at him, and halfway through the dance, it hit him.
"In the back of the guild!" Levy jumped at his sudden announcement. She kind of had a reason, since he'd just shouted while she had her head resting in his chest.
"What?"
"The first time we danced, it was in the back of the guild. I just remembered that."
Her face softened. "You were so tsundere, it was impressive."
He humphed. "Whatever. You were practically begging for me to dance with you."
She scoffed. "I never even said anything to you. You started the conversation."
He ignored this. "We weren't even going out yet. We weren't really even close."
She laughed. "Yeah. But it was kinda nice, just liking each other but not saying anything to each other about it, just seeing where it would go."
He glared. "No it wasn't. I sat there, and wanted you, and thought you hated me and just tried to be as selfish as possible with whatever time I had with you."
Levy blushed. "Yeah well you were incredibly dense. I can't believe it took you until around the war with Spriggan to finally do something."
"Hey, I just want to point out that you are kind to everyone you meet and send mixed signals all the time."
"Gajeel, I only spent time with you anymore. I loved and hung out with Lily all the time, and dropped endless hints."
"You also punched me in the face when I accidentally landed on your chest."
Her blush got a hundred times worse. "I was supremely embarrassed, you have to understand."
"No, I understood just fine, I just got punched in the face for something I then replayed in my head for days and may or may not dreamed of for months."
"I don't know why, it's not like that particular part of my body is enticing."
He scoffed. "I beg to differ. I'm pretty fond of that part of your body actually."
He felt her head shake a bit against his shoulder. "Whatever weirdo."
He smiled, then reminisced back to the first time they ever danced.
"Hey you." He couldn't stop glancing at her. She looked like she really wanted to dance, but he didn't do that. But he also didn't want either of her lapdogs to do it.
But he couldn't just ask her either. "Just so you know, I ain't gonna dance with ya."
Her flustered and surprised face. "I-I wasn't asking you to!"
Then he knew he was clear to sweep her up and glide into the graceful steps he'd seen the others doing. He also tried to ignore how amazing she felt in his arms, but it was nearly impossible.
He was the biggest asshole who'd ever lived, he didn't deserve to hold her like this.
But he was, and was proving that point once again.
Gajeel still had a hard time not still thinking about himself like that. But the fact that his woman was currently comfortable in his arms proved that those thoughts were wrong. He also didn't really want to shine attention to the cosmic mistake that caused her to love him back even a fraction of the way he loved her.
Because there was no way anyone in the world loved anyone the way he loved her.
Gajeel put his index finger her and thumb u see her chin, causing her to look up at him. Something in his expression must have given away his thoughts because her eyes softened that way that only hera could, seeming to encapsulate the whole world, making him feel more pure and forgiven then he would ever earn the right to.
But no words were close to how he was feeling, so instead he just leaned his head down and kissed her.
Her lips brushed against his softly, surely, full with just as much feeling as he could muster himself. The feel of them dancing with his, it wiped away any coherent thought other than "I can't believe she still wants me."
But she did. And he would wring that for all it was worth for as long as he could and make sure that she never realized that she got the short end of the proverbial stick.
He promised then and there that he would do anything for this woman, that he would endlessly protect her, that he would never stop loving and cherishing her.
When they broke apart, he noticed tears were running down her face. He wiped them away with his thumbs, both hands framing the sides of her face tenderly.
"I love you so much Gajeel."
He smiled. "You don't even know Lev."
Then he placed his forehead on hers.
"You don't even know."