"Kaia, honey, if you don't wake up, you're going to be late for school," I chuckled, shaking the girl in the bed gently.
The seven-year-old yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Still sleepy," she complained.
"You can take a nap when you get home this evening. Deal?"
She nodded, getting out of bed as I got an outfit ready for her. She slipped on the black leggings and pink sweater dress before sitting down on the bed to let me brush her hair. The long teal tresses were as unruly as my blue ones.
"Mama?" She asked, turning her head once I finished the braid that fell all the way down her back.
"Yes?"
"Are the new musicians getting here today?"
I nodded, leading her to the kitchen so she could eat breakfast. "They'll be here this afternoon."
"Good morning, Kai-bear!" Lucy cooed, pulling her into a tight hug as soon as we reached the kitchen.
"Morning, Aunt Lucy," Kaia giggled. "Breakfast smells yummy!"
"I made French Toast!" She grinned, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder proudly. As the owner of a small Bed and Breakfast, she had taken up cooking a few years before, and had become incredibly talented.
"Yummy!" Kaia cheered, going to the table where Lucy sat her plate.
"Thanks for cooking breakfast, Lucy," I told her.
"No problem, Levy. You're always busy in the mornings getting this little one ready, so it's the least I can do! Besides, this wouldn't be a good Bed and Breakfast with no breakfast! Right?"
I chuckled. "Right."
I helped Lucy dish up the rest of the food, and I took it out to the main dining area where the guests ate.
"Good morning, Levy!" Regulars greeted me as I took orders and brought them food and coffee.
"Mama, there's Uncle Bixlow and Auntie Lisanna!" Kaia called, running into the dining room to give me a kiss before she ran out the door. I waved at the couple and their daughter, just a year younger than Kaia. They knew I worked at Lucy's inn every morning, so they had been taking her to school for me since she was in Kindergarten.
"My, Kaia certainly is growing up fast, isn't she?" One of the regulars, Makarov, chuckled.
"She certainly is," I sighed. "She'll be eight in just a few months."
"It's hard to believe it's been that long since you've come to Magnolia."
"I still remember the day I waddled in here, too fat to fit through the doorway," I laughed. I had only been in Magnolia a month when I gave birth to Kaia. When I bell rang, I excused myself. "There's my cue," I chuckled. "I'll see you later, Makarov."
"I finished getting the rooms ready for that band last night," Lucy told me when I entered the kitchen. "All I have to do now is wait for them to get here."
"Hopefully they aren't loud like the last group," I grumbled. It had been some hippie band that played guitar in the lounge until daybreak, keeping poor Kaia up all night.
"You'll probably be able to guess that when they perform down at the bar tonight," Lucy chuckled.
Along with working at Lucy's in in the mornings, I worked a few nights a week at a local bar as a bartender. The bar was a popular place for musicians traveling abroad, and since it was so close, they usually stayed at Lucy's while in town.
"If you don't need me, I'm going to run into town for a few things," I said, taking off my serving apron.
"Go ahead," she said, waving me off. "Mira and I will be just fine here."
I went to my apartment, located above the bed and breakfast, similar to Lucy's, and got ready for the day. I spent most of the afternoon grocery shopping, picking up some things for the inn for Lucy, and then rewarded myself by making a trip to the bookstore. I bought Kaia two books she had been eyeing for a while, and bought myself the newest novel in a romance series I had been reading.
"Now to unload everything," I sighed, parking in my usual spot. This is going to take at least four trips, I sighed to myself, cursing myself for buying so much stuff.
"Need some help?" A thick brogue sounded behind me, causing me to nearly drop the bags I was carrying. I spun around, coming nose-to-chest with a man holding a guitar case. His red eyes stared into mine, and black hair framed his face.
"Um," I offered, stupidly, as he waited for an answer.
"Rogue, what're ya doing, just standing there! Take the lass's bags inside!" A blonde man came up behind the first, his accent just as thick. "Sorry abo' tha'. I'm Sting, and this here is Rogue. He isn't much of a talker," he winked.
"It's fine, really," I said as he reached for my bags, "I can get them."
"We're finished with our bags, so we might as well help you," the one named Sting said, taking them anyways and walking towards the inn. Before I could protest more, Rogue grabbed the remaining ones from the trunk of my car and followed Sting inside. I shut and locked the car before going after them.
"Where do they go?" Rogue asked.
"Those stay here, and the rest go upstairs." I answered.
Nodding, the two took the bags I indicated upstairs, setting them down in front of my apartment.
"You didn't have to do that," I told them, though I did appreciate the saved trips up and down my apartment's stairs. "Thank you both."
"Aye," Sting nodded, kissing my hand before going downstairs.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
"Have a good afternoon, miss," Rogue told me, following Sting.
Once everything was put away in my apartment, I went downstairs to help Lucy with the inn supplies I had bought. "Ok, Lu, I'm all done upstairs. What still needs put away down…here…" It seems I had been beaten to it. A tall man with pink hair was placing things on shelves as Lucy directed from behind him.
"Levy!" Lucy beamed, "there you are! I was just telling Natsu that you are the one who usually helps me with this stuff." To me, and barely above a whisper, she added, "but damn I'm enjoying watching those beautiful arms reach up to those cupboards."
I snorted a laugh, shaking my head at her. "Oh Lu."
"That was Sting and Rogue who came downstairs earlier, right?"
I nodded. "They helped carry my groceries upstairs."
"I can already tell I like this group more than any of the others," she chuckled. "They've been here an hour and they're already helping around the inn."
"I'm glad you're so happy with the new guests," I teased, looking at the pink-haired man.
"Oh, hush," she grinned. "Shouldn't you be off to the school?"
"Yeah. See you later." I rushed to my car, not wanting to be late picking her up. Just outside the doors, I ran into a rather hard chest. "Ow," I groaned, holding my sore nose.
"Watch where yer goin'."
I met another set of red eyes when I looked up, but this man wasn't smiling, nor did he look friendly. His long black hair was pulled back into a low, messy bun to reveal ears filled with peircings, and tattoos lined his muscular arms. His accent gave him away as a member of the same band as Natsu, Sting, and Rogue, but his temperament couldn't be different.
"Sorry about that," I murmured.
"Maybe you can make it up to me later." He snickered as I walked off, furious.
"The nerve!" I complained to myself as I sat in the parking lot of Kaia's school. "You can't just say something like that to a person! Sexually-harassing pervert," I went on, letting out my anger before getting out to get Kaia.
I met her with a smile. "How was school?"
"Fine," she murmured, walking passed me and getting in the car.
I frowned, fastening her seatbelt for her. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm just tired."
Deciding not to push the issue, I drove us home. She went straight upstairs when we got to the inn, remaining silent as she went.
"What's wrong with Kai-bear?" Lucy asked.
I shrugged. "I think she had a bad day at school, but she won't tell me."
"I'll see if I can get it out of her tonight," Lucy smiled, rubbing my back.
"Don't push too much, alright? She'll talk when she's ready."
"Promise, Mama-Lev," Lucy chuckled. "You go get ready for work. I'll make sure Kaia does her homework and gets to bed at a reasonable time."
"Thank, Lu."
Kaia was already in her room when I went upstairs, and she was still there by the time I had changed into my work uniform. The black pants I had to hem when I first started working, thanks to my height, and the green shirt with the bar's logo on the front was needlessly v-necked, showing off the boobs I didn't really have.
"Kaia, honey," I said, gently knocking on her door, "I'm leaving now. Can I come in? I have something for you."
"Yeah," she answered.
I held the books I had bought her up so she could see them, and smiled when she shrieked in joy. "Do you like them?"
"I love them!" She giggled, taking them. "Thank you, mama!" She hugged me tightly, and I held her close for a long time. "Don't you need to go?" She asked.
I kissed her cheek. "Yeah, I do. You be good for Lucy, alright? Do your homework before reading."
"Yes mama," she smiled, her green eyes sparkling with joy. She looked so much like her father in that instant that it caused my chest to ache painfully.
"I'll see you in the morning. I love you."
"Love you too," she giggled.
I sighed, wishing I could stay with her and just sit in her floor and read books to her all evening. But I couldn't. There were bills to pay, food to buy, and a good future for Kaia to save for, so I had to work at the bar. Besides, it wasn't too bad there. The owner was kind, and most of the patrons were respectful and friendly.
"Levy, how are you this evening?" Mirajane, the owner of the bar, asked. She ran the place with her sister and brother. Lisanna worked the floor with Mirajane, and Elfman worked as a bouncer, making sure no one got too rowdy.
"I'm doing well," I told her, taking my place behind the bar and relieving her to go work tables. "Has it been busy?"
"Not yet," Mira said, "but it's Friday night, so I imagine it will be. And that Scottish band has Magnolia buzzing, so I'm sure we'll fill up thanks to them. I heard they're all incredibly good-looking."
"Most of them," I snorted, remembering the asshole I had run into on my way to pick up Kaia.
"Oh?" Mira asked, smirking.
"Table four has his hand up," I said, trying to get her to drop it. She giggled, walking off.
"I'll take a beer," Makarov said, sitting down on a barstool in front of me. The short old man spent most nights at Mira's bar, and the mornings at Lucy's inn.
"Here you go," I chuckled, getting him his usual.
"I'll take a whiskey."
I froze. I knew that voice. I couldn't forget it, after how furious I had been after hearing it earlier. I turned to the large Scottish man and poured him a shot, without so much as a smile. Now he's here! Drinking before a performance! I didn't know why this guy got under my skin so badly, but he did.
"Thanks," he murmured before downing the drink.
"Hey Levy!" Natsu grinned, sitting down next to Gajeel. "I didn't know you worked here."
"A few night a week," I nodded, chuckling. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your performance?"
"We still have twenty minutes," Natsu said, ordering a whiskey as well and downing it. "Just enough time for a drink." He looked over at his bandmate, saying something about a technical fix he had done, and the man nodded.
"About time. That cord was ruined," he said.
"Oh, right!' Natsu said, turning back to me. "Levy, this is Gajeel. He's a gruff asshole, but he has a good heart."
"Shut it, ya jackass," Gajeel grumbled, snorting.
"That's our cue!" Natsu said, heading off towards the back room for musicians as the lights flickered three times.
Gajeel followed him, laying money for his and Natsu's drinks on the bar. "You're no' stingy with those shots, at least," he chuckled. "Most pour just enough to wet your mouth with."
"Thanks," I nodded, not really sure if it was a compliment or not.
With a smirk, he went after Natsu, leaving me perplexed. One minute he was stoic, and the next he was—kind of—flirting. What an interesting man, I caught myself thinking. I instantly scolded myself. No, I didn't have time for something like that. It would only make things complicated.
However, when the lights dimmed and the music began, all thoughts of not being interested vanished.
