It's been two weeks. I've gone with Gajeel almost every night now for two weeks straight. I feel stronger, at least a little. My arms have started losing the little bit of flab I had, and my stomach too. He had me doing push ups, sit ups, lunges, some exercises with weights, AND practicing defense techniques with the kids. Every. Night. I was so tired, I barely had energy to shower before passing out by the time I got home.
I'd told Jet and Droy I was so tired because I'd been rearranging bookshelves in my apartment. Since I live in Fairy Hills, they're not allowed in, so they couldn't come help me anyway. They wouldn't know I had been lying to them. I hated that I was lying, but I knew they wouldn't understand. Wouldn't understand why I was helping Gajeel, keeping the kids secret, or even why I was trying to get stronger. They'd be hurt, thinking I didn't trust them to keep me safe. I did, mostly, but I didn't want to have to.
I was lying on my bed, an arm thrown over my eyes to keep the sun out of them, trying to convince myself to get up. My sore legs- we'd focused on legs yesterday- were protesting and I hadn't even tried to use them yet. The kids were doing great, doing all of the same exercises as me. They had agreed to let me train with them as payment for the reading lessons. And I offered to teach them basic maths too. I was really having a lot of fun, sore muscles aside.
I finally talked myself into getting up and dressed, wearing an orange halter dress that was trimmed with my usual detached sleeves and a headband that matched it around my head. I had to let out the band on my sleeves, just a little, my new muscles making them too tight. Finally, I pulled on some thigh-high black stockings and slipped my feet into black ankle booties. I was taking today off from working out, so I could wear clothes that were more cute than functional. Maybe Lucy will go out with me later? I could use some girl time.
Presentable at last, I headed out to the guildhall for lunch. I'd slept through breakfast. Again. That had been happening almost every day this week. I walked in and saw Lucy at a table with Natsu, Gray, and Erza. Happy was perched on Natsu's shoulder like a bird. Gajeel was sitting at the bar, munching on some iron bits. I walked up to the bar and stood next to him, asking Mirajane for some food. While she was getting it around, I gave Gajeel a friendly smile and said "Good morning!" He raised a studded eyebrow and looked at me. "Hey." He looked at Mira, and glanced around to see if anyone was watching. "What's up?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to say good morning." I saw Mira watching us out of the corner of her eye, and Gray was watching too. Lucy probably told him to, since he was facing this way and her back was to me. I sighed a little, "I just... I'm not scared of you anymore, and wanted to say hi. That's all. Thanks for the food, Mirajane!" And I walked away. I almost laughed at the confusion in his face. He knew I wasn't afraid of him, much, because we'd been together almost every night at the kids' warehouse. But I was tired of how everyone else was treating him, so I figured I'd start letting them all see that he wasn't a terrible person.
"Lu-chan! Want to go out with me tonight?" I asked my friend as I sat down at the table. She smiled at me, "Sure! Anything specific?" I shook my head and chewed the food I had stuffed into my mouth. "Ooh, want to go get pedicures?!" She got excited, putting her hand to her face as she continued, "and I can have Cancer do our hair! We could go shopping! Oh! And there's a new book out I want to go get!" I laughed as she kept going. "Sure, Lu! That all sounds great!"
I kept eating as we discussed our plans. At one point, Natsu tried to invite himself along, but Lucy put a stop to that pretty quick. "Geez, you idiot. They want to have girl time, you don't want to be around for that." Gray chipped in. "Who're you calling an idiot, Ice Princess?!" Natsu yelled as he stepped up on the table. Lucy groaned, and I just sat back a bit with what was left of my food. "You, Flame Brain!" And there went Gray's shirt.
"Lu-chan, will you take my dishes to Mira? I'm going to go back to my apartment really quick before we go, okay? I'll come back soon!" I ran off as she scrambled away from the table. I saw her dive behind the bar as our table went flying, and noticed that Gajeel wasn't sitting there anymore. Weird, normally you can hear him thudding around, but I never heard him leave. I chuckled at Natsu and Gray as I jogged out the door.
I directed my run towards the girls dorm, smiling and reveling in the beautiful weather. I found I could keep pace for longer, now that I was more active every day. I thought I heard someone behind me, and slowed to a walk so I was ready when I felt the hand on my shoulder. Instead of screaming or freaking out, the little training from this week kicked in and I reached up and grabbed the hand, leaning forward to use my momentum to pull my assailant over my head.
As I followed through and watched him fly over me to land flat on his back, my brain caught up with muscle memory and realized I knew the hand. Gajeel was laid out in front of me, looking up with approval. I blushed a little, then let go of his arm so he could get up. I was also politely ignoring the fact that he was trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. "Sorry. You startled me." I said.
"Nah, it's alright. It wasn't what I'd meant to do, but it's nice to see the trainin' pay off." He brushed off his pants, and I caught my hands before I brushed off the back of his shirt. Ever since I'd seen him working out that first day I would find myself wondering what it would feel like to trace those muscles. He turned to face me and I let my hands drop. "What was up with that back in the hall?" He asked bluntly.
"Oh! Well, I figured it would be good to start gradually talking to you in front of other people, so if I ever slipped up and said something to you, or anyone ever sees us talking outside of the guild, they wouldn't start asking questions... I'm sorry, I should have probably warned you before I did it." I looked at my feet, mentally kicking myself. After just a moment I heard him grunt. "Pretty smart, little nerd. I hadn't even thought of that. I guess it worked out. A few weeks ago I'd have been pretty surprised by you talkin' to me at all, so the surprise I showed today woulda tracked with that. I still won't approach ya, probably. I can't see any of yer friends bein' chill about that yet." I nodded, looking up at him.
"Yeah. That makes sense. I'm sure you heard, but I'm not going to be there tonight, okay? I need a little break." I knew he wasn't some kind of drill sergeant, to force me to work out every day. But, he did encourage it. "No big deal. I'll keep at the kids, but it's fine for ya to go do yer girly stuff with the bunny girl. The other shrimps will be glad to catch a break from schoolin'." I glared at him for Lucy's nickname, but he just laughed his signature "Gihi."
"Well, I've got to get going, but give Sam a hug for me, okay?" I laughed then, at the face he was making. "Oh come on! Sam hugs you all the time anyway! It's not like I told you to hug Fitz..." I was still laughing when I got to the dorm. Glancing out my window, I saw him still standing there, staring at the building. I waved and saw him look towards the movement. He grinned at me and gave me a little half-wave before finally leaving. Gathering my wallet and a satchel, I ran back down to the guild to meet Lucy.
Ah, that's her room then. I'd been wondering how I would get information to her if I was ever changing things up with the bastards, but she'd just solved that problem twice. First off by talking to me at the hall, and second by showing me where she lived. I could have probably figured it out, but I didn't want someone to catch me climbing all over the building looking in the rooms. No telling who I'd see, either. I shuddered, imagining a scarlet haired woman catching me looking through her window and killing me.
As I walked towards my home, I found myself sulking a little about the fact that the tiny woman wasn't joining me tonight. It made sense, and I was surprised she'd made it this long without taking a break, but I was still bummed. When I got home, I flopped onto my bed and stretched out with my hands behind my head.
She should have a night off. Why am I being such a sissy about not seeing her for one night? There was a certain possessiveness fighting to the surface of my thoughts. What the hell is that about? Ain't like she's mine at all. Tch. I rolled onto my stomach, face buried in a pillow. She could be... A small voice in the back of my head said. I snarled and threw the pillow, pushing myself up. "Right. Like she could ever care about me. Or deserve to be stuck with such a monster." With those words, my thoughts drifted to the story she'd read that first day. I shook my head. That was a stupid children's story. Real life doesn't work that way.
I glanced at the clock and saw that I'd been brooding longer than I'd thought, and it was almost time to go see my brats. Huh. When did they become mine? I hadn't realized I'd claimed them as mine in any way, but I guess I had in my head. They were my little gang of bastards, to train and protect. With a grunt, I grabbed a bag of jewel and left. I made an impulse stop in a certain bookstore moments before it closed, then stopped to grab some food for the little buggers on my way. Who knew if they'd eaten?