Levy lay curled up on the couch in the commoner's room of the ship. She didn't like being cooped up in her room 24/7, and when she didn't have chores she liked to lie down and read, or cuddle with Lily depending on her mood. Unfortunately, neither was her case today.
She was sick.
She groaned softly as the ship rocked again, a little rougher than usual thanks to the upcoming storm. Lily was curled up against her stomach with his paws over his ears, shaking like a little leaf. Poor thing, since she and Gajeel had found him he'd been terrified of storms.
Closing her eyes, she thought back to earlier that evening when she and her partners had sat down to eat.
She hopped into the room with a wide grin at seeing the food. "Another distasteful meal, huh?"
Gajeel growled at her as he served the food, patting his spice covered hands against his apron. The man had no shame. He narrowed his eyes at the small girl as he undid the cover and went to hang it up. "You oughta be more grateful, shrimp. You could always be cooking yer own food."
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Too hungry to care whether or not she was giving in to his pouting, she dug in heartily. It was rare for Gajeel to buy ribs honestly instead of stealing them, let alone cooking them midway through a trip overseas. He usually saved special foods for the final days.
She purred in satisfaction to the taste of warm, flavorful meat. The sauce he'd mixed and poured over it was delectable. Without exaggerating, she could probably admit that this was the best meal he'd ever prepared.
Hearing a swift movement from the door, she frowned and glanced over her shoulder. Gajeel went to his plate and picked it up, sniffing the meat. This only deepened her confusion. Swallowing her mouthful, she tilted her head. "What is it? You didn't accidentally poison it did you?"
"No..." He sighed and went to the window, opening it and shooting out the food. He watched a couple of sharks tear at it with a grunt before shutting it. "Damned merchant played me for a fool."
She tensed and looked down at her plate, already half eaten. "How so? And...Why couldn't you have figured that out before you cooked it? It tastes fine..."
"Stop eating that." He jerked the plate away from her and tossed it out as he had his own. "The meat is old. I didn't catch it until I caught the scent just now. It was practically in the last days of freshness when I bought it."
Frowning, she felt her stomach turn. "It can't be all that bad..."
"You'll see. Just go lay down, you're off the hook for the rest of the night." He crossed his arms and sighed before returning to the kitchen.
Now she understood what he'd meant. The foul meat was curdling her stomach in a way she'd never experienced. Several times she'd been hit with the urge to get sick, but it would quickly vanish.
Shutting her eyes in an attempt to help herself feel better, she almost didn't notice Gajeel walk in. Resting a bucket with a small bit of water on the floor by her head, he knelt down and pressed a hand to her forehead. She groaned softly. "I don't have a fever..."
"Yes you do. Quit tryna act all tough." He took out his handkerchief and soaked it in the water before wringing it out and folding it. He laid it on her forehead with a sigh. "I'm sorry, shorty. I should have made sure that meat was good."
She shook her head, admittedly feeling better from the coolness of the cloth. "Damn right you should have...I'm sick because of you."
"Not like I did it on purpose." He sneered at her, though she could hardly bring herself to care at the moment even if she could see it. "Keep up the attitude and I won't be playin' nice anymore."
"Sorry..." Sickness flooded her stomach, causing her to tense. When nothing ensued, she relaxed.
Gajeel raised a brow before glancing at Lily, still curled up into her belly. He was half tempted to remove Lil before he ended up covered in chunks, but something else caught his attention.
"Ya know, you should go put on something more comfortable." He shook his head. "Something loose. You're only aggravating yer body."
She sighed wearily. "I'm fine, Gajeel."
"If ya weren't sick, I'd throw you over my shoulder, bring you to yer room and make ya." He grumbled under his breath. Even in such a weakened state, she was stubborn til the end. He could've sworn her hardheadedness was equivalent to that of a cannon ball. Or perhaps a bull.
She grunted softly. "You wouldn't dare. You know I'd hate you for weeks if you actually did something like that."
"Fine. Stay here, I need to go fetch a little somethin'." He got to his feet and left the room, returning a few moments later with a small pile of books. He laid them on the side table and put a hand on his hip, smirking. "I can at least do that much for ya."
She opened her eyes and propped up on her elbow, smiling a bit. "Careful, Gajeel. Keep doing stuff like this and I'll think you actually have a heart."
"Oh, heaven forbid I have one." He rolled his eyes and picked up Lil, who immediately clung to him. He went to the other side of the room to sit in his favorite armchair while Levy reached out for a book.
Unfortunately, the act of reaching out was what finally had her hit rock bottom. The next thing she knew she was curled up on the floor with her face in the bucket. Lily had ran out of the room, probably to hide under Gajeel's bed, and her partner was rubbing her back gently and speaking calmly to her.
"Get it all out, there, shrimp..." His brows were creased in concern as the scent of bile filled his nostrils. Soon she was breathing heavily and, admittedly, sobbing. He knew how much she hated getting sick to the extent she had to throw up.
He got up momentarily and returned with a glass of water. She didn't fight him when he told her to swish some in her mouth and spit it back into the bucket. She obeyed willingly when he ordered her to sip the water while he emptied and cleaned it. And this time, when he told her to go change into something looser, she did so without argument.
After giving her some time to dress, he knocked on her door. "Shorty, come here."
She sighed, unwilling to move. Her body ached, and even in her favorite knee length white nightgown with the frilled short sleeves she didn't feel any better. She buried her head in her arms and knees, ignoring Gajeel's calls.
After a moment he opened the door. Levy couldn't bring herself to care; her throat was still raw from getting sick and she was still in the midst of crying, though the tears flowed silently now. Sighing, he picked her up, only producing a small whimper from her.
Bringing her into his room, he laid her on his bed. The sheets were fresh, clean and cool to the touch. His bed was much bigger than hers, enough for all three of them to fit comfortably. And by all three, that included Lily in his larger form.
Tucking her in, he took some clothing and left, only to return wearing just a pair of loose fitting pants. A roll of thunder sounded, causing Lil to squeak and jump up on the bed, resuming his spot against Levy's stomach. She grunted softly at the force he hit her with, but thankfully didn't feel the need to vomit again.
Gajeel lifted the covers and got under with them, wrapping his arms around Levy's waist lightly and holding her against him. Almost instantaneously, she felt a thousand times better, and a thousand times wearier. Her lids slowly closed as she shifted into him, and soon enough she was fast asleep.
He chuckled quietly and shook his head a bit. Ever since they'd been young this had been the most suitable method of comforting her. She was unyielding, stubborn, pigheaded, and oftentimes moody.
But when she got sick or frightened, she'd find solace in having him close to her. From the little he'd read from her books, only the closest of lovers cuddled. The strange thing was, it didn't have to be like that with them. Even without having a close romantic connection, they could be close like this without it being weird to either of them.
He admired the way her messy blue locks splayed against the pillows and over her gown. The gorgeous ocean blue of her hair, not made from a dye but completely natural, was softer than any type of silk. He'd know, of course, after the many times she'd asked him to brush it for her. When the two were younger, he'd even attempt to braid it for her. Those attempts always failed miserably, but he was always able to get a laugh and a smile from her.
He sighed softly, and felt the soft flutter of her wings against his chest and abdomen. Forevermore the reminder of how they'd met, of all they'd been through together. He couldn't help but grin as he shut his eyes. He wouldn't have asked for it any other way. He loved his life with her.
And though he'd never admit it aloud, he loved her as well.
