Hi, everyone.

Once again, it's been a while. I'm having difficulty coming back to the writing life, but at least I'm managing these one-shots.

This one's dedicated mostly to ElfEver, a ship that deserves more recognition. I decided to throw in some GaLe since rarely write them and Gruvia and Jerza cause why not.

This is super fluffy and cute, so you've got no reason to worry. It was actually supposed to be much shorter, but I got carried away.

Happy reading!


June of X795...

"Thanks for meeting me, Levy." Evergreen greeted her friend.

"Of course." The petit bluenette smiled warmly while sitting down.

"Where are the twins?" The brunette quickly noted the absence of the two 8-months-old.

"Gajeel's with them." Was Levy's response.

"He's a good father, isn't he?" Contrary to everyone's expectations, Gajeel Redfox was actually very good with children.

"Surprisingly, yes." The bluenette smiled even more. "He's even more attached to them than I am."

"That's unexpected." Evergreen smiled.

"You wouldn't believe all he does for them, Ever." Levy shook her head. "Every time Emma or Gale are crying in the middle of the night, he always volunteers. I even caught him going there when everything was okay, just to check up on them."

"That is...unexpected." Suddenly, a nervous look came upon Ever's face.

"Are you okay?" The bluenette wondered once she was silent for too long.

"I don't know..." Sighing, she looked down at her lap, where her hands were folded. Glancing towards her engagement ring, she bit her lip.

"What happened, Ever? Is everything okay with Elfman? Did he do something?" Levy asked, now worried.

"No, he didn't do anything this time." Well, nothing to upset her at least. "It's just... things have gotten complicated."

"Complicated how?" The bluenette asked for clarification.

It took Evergreen a long time to answer, but when she finally did, Levy understood why she had called this meeting. "I'm pregnant."


Meanwhile, in Magnolia Park...

"This is unbelievable." Juvia stared in shock at the scene in front of her.

"Are you sure he's the real Gajeel?" Gray whispered in her ear, looking just as unsettled.

"I'm pretty sure." She replied, glancing towards her best friend.

The dragon slayer was sitting on a pink chair that Levy had created, hair braided and a crown in his head while he read a book to the twins. They could hear him making different voices, which made Emma and Gale laugh.

In his left hand was a dragon shaped puppet and it was reading the story. The little girl constantly to pick the dragon, but it always escaped her grasp. Meanwhile, her brother was far more interested in the snowman in his arms, which he tightly held onto.

"And Olaf replied with: 'Some people are worth melting for', which brought a smile to Anna's face." Gajeel was saying just as the couple finally recovered from shock and approached him.

"Hey, Gajeel." Juvia greeted, making him turn around.

"What're you guys doing here?" A faint blush colored his cheeks.

"Just passing by." Gray replied, smirking. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Gajeel raised a brow, confused.

"Your hair." Juvia answered, stifling a laugh.

"Levy likes to braid it." He shrugged. "And Emma loves playing with it like this."

The couple shared a look. "Okay." Gray said, before clearing his throat. "So, I was hoping I could..." He was about to ask the dragon slayer to chat in private when there was a shout.

"Gajeel! Just the man I wanted to see." It was Elfman, rushing towards them.

"What's he doing here?" The ice mage muttered, frustrated at being interrupted.

"Hey, Elfman." Juvia greeted, as cheerful as ever.

"You okay, man?" Gajeel asked, realizing his nervous state. Just then, Emma started crying, trying to get his attention, and he was quick to pick her up before standing.

"Not really. I need your help." They were all caught by surprise.

"Did something happen with Ever?" Juvia asked, curious, before picking up the now crying Gale.

"Yeah. Something big." They waited for an explanation, but he gave none. Instead, turning to Gajeel, Elfman pleaded for them to have a private chat.

While still confused, the dragon slayer agreed and thus he handed Emma to a reluctant Gray before the two men headed towards the café in the middle of the park.

"What was that about?" Gray wondered once they were gone.

"I have no idea, but we've got more pressing matters." Juvia told him, frowning.

"What's wrong?" He asked, immediately concerned.

"He needs to be changed. Can you look after Emma for a few minutes?" Truth be told, Gray hadn't spent much time with the twins because he always found excuses not to.

She knew he was still insecure about being alone with the babies and terrified of hurting them, so she understood. Still, it was hard knowing that it would take a long time before he was comfortable enough for them to have their own children.

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine." Gray hesitantly replied, looking at the curious child in his arms.

"I trust you." Juvia approached him before wrapping an arm around his neck and leaning in for a soft kiss.

It was all the reassurance he needed that he could handle this.


"So, what's up?" Gajeel asked once they were sitting down.

"Ever told me something last night and it's really freaking me out." Elfman admitted.

The former raised a brow. "Why are you talking to me about this? I'm sure Juvia would give better advice. "

"Cause you're the only one who understands." Now he was intrigued.

"How so?" Taking a deep breath, Elfman revealed the truth.

"She's pregnant." Gajeel's eyes widened.


"You're pregnant?" Levy repeated, eyes widened.

"Yes." She leaned back into her chair, unconsciously crossing her arms.

"Oh, boy. That's big." After nodding a few times, she glanced at her friend. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know." Evergreen admitted. "It's very sudden and I haven't had enough time to figure it out yet."

"Well, whatever you need, you can count on me." Levy offered, gently.

"Thank you." For a moment, a smile graced the fairy woman's face, but it was quickly replaced by a frown. "I was hoping that Elfman would say the same."

"Have you told him?" Evergreen nodded.

"I did, last night." Sighing, she looked away. "It didn't go as I had hoped."


"Say what now?" Elfman nodded.

"I was hoping you could give some advice on how to...handle it. When she told me, I don't think I reacted very well." He winced.

"What did you say?" The dragon slayer asked, now over the shock.

"I just stared at her, you know, in shock. Then before I could say anything, she left the room." He frowned.

"That's weird." Thinking back to the moment Levy had told him about her pregnancy, Gajeel remembered how she didn't even wait for him to react before giving a whole speech about how he could be as involved as he wanted.

"What do you think it means?" Elfman asked, clearly nervous. "Did she think I would reject her or something? Oh god, she's going to call off the wedding, isn't she? What should I do?"

"Easy, man. Calm down." Gajeel firmly placed both hands on his shoulders. "Freaking out about this will get you nowhere."

"You're right." Elfman took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "But what should I do, then? What should I tell her?"


"I just wanted him to say something, anything. Instead, all he did was stare at me and I just freaked out." Evergreen told Levy.

"Still, you shouldn't have left the room." The petit woman shook her head. "That just made things worse.

"I know, I know." Ever sighed. "But how do I fix it?"

"I think the answer is obvious." Levy was smiling.

"Should I tell him it was a lie and then wait for another opportunity to do it right?" The brunette suggested.

"What?" Levy's eyes widened. "No, that's crazy!"

"Then what do I do?" Evergreen asked, frustrated.


"I can't tell you that." Gajeel was quick to say.

"I thought you were gonna give me advice." Elfman pointed out.

"I am. But I can't tell you what to say because I'm not you." He frowned, confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gajeel shrugged.

"I don't know what you're thinking or how you feel about this. You're the only one who knows that, so when you talk to her, you gotta be yourself."

"I don't think that'll help much." Elfman frowned. "I always seem to make her mad."

"If that was the case, I doubt she would've chosen to marry you." The dragon slayer pointed out. Seeing his friend's unwavering fear, he gave a reassuring look. "Just be honest. She won't get mad."

"And if she does?" Gajeel shrugged.

"Then maybe it's the pregnancy talking. It makes them go crazy, I warn you." He shivered at the memory of Levy losing it once because he arrived home later than usual.

"Great." Sighing once again, Elfman closed his eyes. He knew that he needed to do this, but it took courage he lacked at the moment to confront Evergreen.

First, he needed to get his thoughts together and figure out exactly what he would say.


"Just talk to him, Ever." Levy advised. "For real. Sit down and discuss this because it's huge. Everything will change."

"God, you're right." Now nervous, Evergreen brought her hands to her head. "Everything will change once the baby comes and what if I'm not ready?"

"You're the only one who can know, but I think you are." Levy told her, smiling.

"You think so?" She nodded.

"I've seen the way you are with Asuka and the twins. Your mother instincts are even stronger than Juvia's; and she's a natural."

"Thanks, Levy. I knew you would have great advice." Both stood up and Evergreen didn't hesitate to hug her.

"Of course. I'm glad I could help." They pulled apart and Levy gave her a reassuring look. "Good luck."

"Thanks. I'll need it." That said, she walked away and followed the direction of hers and Elfman's home.

While at first, she was surprised to find it empty, she was quickly filled with a sense of relief. This meant she had time to think about exactly what she would tell him.