Sudden thoughts
CHAPTER ONE
Levy got a new book. Nothing out of the ordinary. This time she doesn't know how to translate it. She had been given it by the last client. Gajeel had saved his farmers from a monster, that had been conjured from one of the client's other books, by a child of a maid. While Gajeel was out killing the beast Levy translated the book to see if anything else was dangerous about it. The flirtatious client didn't like Gajeel. The feeling was mutual, but any moment Levy was in the room he was on Levy like a fly on shit. That angered Gajeel. After their goodbyes Gajeel locked Levy in their sleeping car.
That had been something they learned to love when Gajeel was her handler on her infiltration mission. Lily and Gajeel took turns as her handler. He would watch her stay up all night as she prepared all her paper work. Depending on how many days trip it was he would pull her into bed to sleep. That is if remembered to bring their healer along for the motion sickness. Back at the guild again he missed those days. Back when it was just the two of them. During the single year, when the world didn't have the Fairy Tail guild. Now it was back.
Talking to Freed, Gajeel watched his Shrimp in all her glory. Bantering back and forth on the pattern of the language. He wished he could converse with her on her level but he would never be that smart. He was her strong arms. The one whom protected her when she couldn't protect herself. That suited him just fine. The Iron dragon slayer wondered if she would ever want more than that?
Sudden thoughts of a wedding. His Shrimp done up in baby's breath, calla lilies and lace. Her blue locks in curls, Lucy and Wendy walking before her as Gramps walked her towards him. Then a few years later Levy holding a tiny version of them. Their daughter would probably be a mini version of Wendy. Gajeel who never smiled, grinned widely at the thoughts of his Shrimp his for life.
She turned to him smiling as Freed reached for a book. Gods she would make a beautiful bride. Freed got her attention again. Gajeel turned to the book in question. Opening it he saw Draconic. They were on the wrong track. Maglovian was never going to get them any where.
"Yo, Shrimp get books on Dragon languages." Then Gajeel flipped the next page. His father's hand appeared. "Damn rusty dragon." Gajeel dropped down to the bench to read. "Never mind. I will translate it for you."
"Dragon?" Freed frowned.
"Gajeel, we figured it out already. It's not just Draconic. How can you read it?" She left Freed to join her slayer.
"I know who wrote this. It is Draconic." Gajeel frowned at a phrase. Before it his nickname. "Time flows as water. Stop the flow and reverse it." The book began the glow silver. He slammed the book closed. "Bastard wrote this then." Gajeel looked up at Levy. Her shock puzzled the slayer. "My Dad wrote this book when I was five."
"Gajeel, are you okay?" Levy stood over him. Why was she so much taller? "How do you feel?"
"Hungry but fine." She smiled. Suddenly she was picking him up. "Oi!" Dear god was he a cat again?
"You're sooooo cute." Her arms held him close. She shouldn't be able to do this. What did his dad do?
"It's time magic." Freed gasped. "With Ultear's passing, we don't know anyone that could help you." Levy held Gajeel to her chest. She was soft. Gajeel found himself falling asleep on her breasts.
"I will find away." Levy tried to hand Gajeel over to Freed , whom back away.
"Don't get me wrong. I'll help where I can, Levy, but frankly he is all yours. I can't handle kids." Levy pulled the mini naked slayer back, placing him on her hip. He was amazingly light. His clothes had stayed the same size. Levy drew clothes and out popped an outfit perfect for any little boy but him. The tee shirt even had a cartoon dragon on it. The shorts just below his knees and sneakers. Sneaker! No child of theirs would be caught dread in something Natsu would wear.
"Looks like you are my Shrimp now." Levy dropped Gajeel to the bench. Standing he was shorter than Levy. She began to get her slayer dressed. "Don't worry I will make you big." The play on the words he had said to her was adorably annoying. His Shrimp was having way too much fun at his expense. Freed was stunned. "Freed, can you get Pantherlily and the master?"
"What the hell happened to me?" Levy pulled a pocket mirror from her purse. His eyes were bigger, hair shorter and brown. All his piercings were gone. The only thing he kept was the scowl. "I'll kill that dragon."
"From what I can see you have become four to six years old." Levy smiled wildly. "You were adorable." Pinching his cheek.
"This is not funny, woman."
"Oh it is. Look at this little frown." He scowled deeper. She kissed his head. "Trust me. I will make you into your manly older self. I can translate anything." She sat down next to him. "Can you show me what you just read?"
"Right there next to my name." Levy smirked at the text.
"Mr Happy?" Gajeel blushed at her saying his nickname aloud. "You have always been this angry or you were born annoyed with the world?" She laughed at his scowl. "Hey, how often do I get to tease you?"
"When you get me big you're going to pay for it." He kissed her cheek. She blushed. "You're the one that is cute. Especially when I make you blush."
"Heavens!" The master exclaimed. "What happened?" Damn Gramps for coming in right then.
"My father is a jerk. That is what happened." Levy bit her lip to keep from laughing at the dragon slayer's pout. Instead she pulled him on to her lap. Her hands crossed over his lap. When he looked up at her she just continued conversing with Makarov.
"Give me a day or two and I will have Gajeel back to his annoying self."
"Oi, woman." She held tighter.
"Maybe a week at most. Just to see him squirm." Their master nodded. "I won't abandon him with you, Lil. I'll stay at your place. Heaven only knows what he can eat."
"You are amazing Levy. I could use the help. He's handful when he is a grown up. I don't envy Metalicana for raising this fowl mouth brat." Just what he needed. Even Lily was getting in on this.
"Don't worry, Lil. I will share the burden." Gajeel fell against her front. "Asuka will have someone to play with."
"We not going to get out of the hall unnoticed." Gajeel smelt the horrible fake vanilla perfume that Lucy wore getting stronger. "Especially since Flame Brain is outside the door."
At that moment the door opened. Levy tightened her grip on the child. Gajeel patted her hand. These were people they knew. It was safe. "Who's the kid?"
"I will teach you some damn respect, Salamander." Levy tried her hardest to hold Gajeel. Lily finally picked Gajeel up by the scruff. "Put me down, Lil. Flame brain needs a beating."
"Stop it, Gajeel." The tone in her voice stopped him dead in his tracks. She had never used that tone with him before. More motherly. Like the one she uses when she scolds her team mates. "Sit your ass down or you are going to bed hungry." Levy had her hands on her hips. Normally he would find that sexy but now that he was five he felt intimidated by the book worm. Intimated by Levy McGarden!
"Yes, Levy." He said kicking the offending book into Natsu's gut. Gajeel needed to get big before he lost all credibility.
"Gajeel!" Levy and Lily snapped.
"What?" Natsu lunged at the child only to get a Lucy punch to the back of the head.
"You are grounded." Levy said. He huffed. Lily bit his lip to keep from laughing. "You are going back home. If you are good by lunch tomorrow I will bring you back to the guild." As Levy packed up her books Lily packed up the slayer. The shocked looks and laughter continued as Levy paraded them out. Taking the long way to talk to Mira and then Juvia before leading them out.
A week of this will be too annoying. He better help her to be done faster. No way he was spending a week as a five year old. To make matters worse the twin dragon slayers saw them on the road to his house. Rogue stopped to talk Levy about a mission they were heading on.
Rogue eyed the small child. Gajeel tried not to look the younger slayer in the eye. "Shit, Gajeel?" Levy smiled as the slayer pinched the cheek of her strong as steel slayer. "Well Levy, you can preview what the guild has to look forward to when the mates start having babies."
"A week of this will drive everyone crazy." They laughed. Gajeel grumbled at them. "Yeah, the woman strong enough to make him happy will have to be steel herself to raise two or more of these little monsters." They all laughed but the child. Gajeel wondered if that meant, she didn't think she was good enough or that she didn't want that life. She was more that strong enough. She spent a year as a Rune Knight at his side hunting dark Guilds.
"That reminds me." Sting blurted as they were leaving. "Yukino wants to know when the next meeting is." Gajeel watched Levy pale. Frowns came from everyone but Lily. "What meeting is she asking about?"
"Book club." Gajeel saw her put one hand behind her back. "I kinda have a little problem right now that is going to take me about a week to deal with. Either Mira or I will call her." Satisfied the other dragons continued on their journey.
"You know they're together now. You could tell him."
"Rogue is still being a dumbass about it." Levy looked to Gajeel. "Plus I head the meetings and we're not official." Big Lil embraced Levy with one arm.
"You could be though. I don't why you are waiting." Gajeel looked down at his sad Shrimp. They were talking about Gajeel and Levy as an official couple. That would make the club the First Mates' Club not a book club. It would explain why she has been coming home smelling like other dragon slayers and Lucy.
Levy turned away from the slayer and his Exceed. "I kinda want to keep this safe until then."
"I understand. It's been a year since you started it. I don't think it will be a secret for too much longer." Levy nodded. "I am sure that everything will be finalized at the end of this issue."
"I hope so. I am starting to get antsy in this limbo." Gajeel watched her all the way home. After a conversation like that he would have taken her home faster. If he was his real size. Being five is going to torturous. Limbo? Sure they were always together now. Gajeel didn't feel like they were being very static. Was she sending him hints that he was missing? Oh shit? He had become as dense as Natsu. The First Mates' Club. Her slowly moving her books into his house. Lily's insistence that they renovate the house. Levy changing from her little orange dress to her new muscle shirt, leggings and short skirt thing.
Gajeel cursed his sudden thoughts. How long had been Levy been hoping he would get on her page? What page was she even on? When his Shrimp fixed his mistake, he was going to have to sit her down. Or show her her room. Now waiting in a week she would have her answers.