25. The Fall
The leaves of the trees in Magnolia's Southgate Park turned golden early this year. Autumn would be here soon.
She thought about how dreadful a season it was; wet, dark and cold. Nothing good ever happened to her in Autumn.
The reason she was now hospitalized being a case in point.
"Hey, Levy. I brought you these, aren't they pretty?"
Levy couldn't bring herself to look at the flowers Lucy brought her in her hospitalroom, her desolate eyes never leaving the scenery outside of her window. A bird's nest was perched into one of the trees right outside, the bird couple in it settling in for the evening.
"Natsu and Igneel will be here later. Did you hear anything from Gajeel?"
"Why would Gajeel come visit me?" Levy whispered softly, still looking through her window. "He's on a mission."
Lucy sighed quietly and glanced sadly at her friend as she put down the vase she'd just filled up with water. "He's on his way back. The master had contact with him this morning." She bit her lower lip before continuing cautiously. "I thought you guys kept in touch...?"
Levy chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, right. I'd be surprised if he cared this much."
The Celestial Spirit Mage placed the bouquet of flowers into the vase and sat next to her friend on her bed, smiling encouragingly. "Then why was he so worried when he finally heard what happened to you?"
"There's nothing between us, Lucy," Levy stressed, sounding defeated.
"Levy?" Lucy whispered worriedly, surprised by the tone of Levy's voice. "What happened between you two? Or rather what happened after you completed your mission with Jet and Droy? They told the master that the job went without a problem, but that you got hurt somehow on your way back."
Levy bit her lower lip that had started to tremble, but refused to answer.
"Levy, please talk to me? I can't stand to see you like this..." Lucy questionned, growing more desperate with each of her friend's heartbreaking sobs.
"I... I can't... I just-" The blue haired Mage quieted and shook her head, breaking down in more sobs. "I really need to be alone for now, Lucy. Please."
Lucy could only look on sadly, not knowing what to do. It'd been two days since her best friend had been hospitalized for an abdominal trauma. Or so the doctors said. And although she didn't seem in much physical pain anymore, it was clear that she was saddened because of something else, something that burdened her emotionallly. So if this wasn't about Gajeel, then what was it?
Hastened footsteps sounded coming towards the open door of Levy's room and both women turned to see Gajeel appear in the doorframe, visibly out of breath.
"Levy! Are you okay?"
Levy sniffled, eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here?" she wondered, recoiling underneath her covers as he approached them.
Lucy made way for Gajeel, having decided to give the couple some privacy. She hadn't missed her reaction when the Iron Dragon Slayer had appeared and was now convinced that whatever was wrong with her friend, Gajeel was in the centre of it. "I'll send a riceplate with Natsu later, Levy," she said, nodding when she caught Levy's thankful smile.
"Why did you come, you idiot!" Levy exclaimed when the door shut behind Lucy, hiding underneath her blankets.
"I could smell your fear and despair miles away," he told her, sitting next to her and pulling the covers away from her face. "Levy-"
She tugged her covers back. " I don't want you here. I'm fine."
Gajeel let go of the covers with a frustrated grunt, standing back up again and facing away from her. "You might as well tell me what happened because I ain't leaving until you tell me the whole story."
"I'm sure you heard it all from Natsu and Lucy," she shrugged indifferently.
"Humor me," he insisted sternly.
Levy scowled stubbornly. "I have nothing to tell you."
Gajeel closed his eyes impatiently and said; "Then how about I ask you what happened to our child?"
"What?" Levy froze underneath her covers, her lower lip trembling as her guilt gave way to fresh tears. "How...?"
He scowled and folded his arms against his chest. "You forget that I have very good ears. It's not that hard to distinguish a second heartbeat within someone." He grunted angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"How could I?" She shouted, outraged. She threw the covers off of herself. "You and I, we've never defined what this 'thing' between us is... or was." Her voice went silent and she shook her head tearfully. "All we do is 'fuck', right? So I didn't want you involved," she then quietly admitted, looking down in her lap.
"How could you fucking decide that by yourself!" Gajeel shouted back, turning around now in disbelieve. "I should've had a say in this, damnit! I can't fucking believe this!"
"Well, you're not exactly the responsible and reliable kind, Gajeel!" she retorted back in resentment.
"Yeah, because going on a dangerous quest while knowingly pregnant was such a fucking brilliant idea!" he shouted back at her, completely infuriated. Though he almost immediately regretted uttering those hurtful words the moment they left his mouth.
She grabbed the nearby waterfilled vase and threw it to his face. "Get out! Get the fuck out! I hate you, you stupid asshole! Don't you dare fucking judge me!"
He dodged the vase with ease and it crashed on the floor near the door somewhere behind him. He grabbed her right hand and she resisted of course, attempting to pull herself out of his grip by hitting and punching his chest repeatedly."Levy-Levy, stop. Stop! Stop it! Goddamnit woman, will you listen to me!"
Gajeel grabbed her other wrist and slightly shook her to make her halt her movements. Their eyes then met and hers filled with mournful tears. "You're such a fucking idiot, Gajeel!" She whispered, crying.
"Listen," he spoke to her gently, " I get that you're angry at me for messing up this relationship and I'm sorry, but you should've fucking told me! I had a right to know!"
"What would you have done?" Levy whimpered exasperatedly, closing her eyes and letting twin tears fall down her face. "It's too late now anyway... he's gone!" she cried, her body slumping in his hold.
He sighed, pulling her closer and embracing her, his head resting on top of hers while he listened to her subjugated whimpers. "We really made a mess out of this didn't we?" He murmured, closing his eyes in remorse. "Neither of us was really honest about how we felt about one another. And maybe I should be the first to admit that," he paused and smiled sadly to himself. "But, if we could've started it all over, I would've told you... told you how excited and happy I was. How grateful I am for you and how amazed, lucky and honored I am to become a father."
Levy squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head desperately, his words filling her with nothing but regret. "Stop. Please."
"I would've told you that I keep coming back to you because I feel good when I'm around you and I know you feel good around me too," he confessed softly in her hair. "I'm not at ease when you're not around, shorty. It's more than just about the 'fucking'."
"Gajeel," she whispered lifting her head to look him in the eyes. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "What are you saying?"
Gajeel pouted and looked away, blushing. "You know damn well what I'm saying!" he muttered between his teeth in embarrassment. "This is me being honest. Jeez!"
Levy chuckled bashfully and smiled to herself, wrapping her arms around him tightly, blushing with a relieved sigh. "I feel the same, Gajeel..."
"So then why didn't you tell me?" He softly asked her, cupping her face in his hands and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "About our baby?"
She leaned into his right hand and closed her eyes again, another tear finding its way down her face. "Because I was afraid that you'd leave once you knew. That you wouldn't want anything to do with me because we never talked about what we would do if this happened. And because I didn't want to tether you to me if it happened that you did not want the baby..."
His face filled with sadness at her words and he sighed, closing his eyes in turn. "Kitten..."
"I panicked," Levy continued, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Gajeel. I'm so sorry..." she whimpered, shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
Gajeel embraced her again, letting her cry in his arms. "We'll get through this, Levy. I promise you. I will never make you feel this lonely again."
"Gajeel..." she sighed gratefully against his chest, smiling brightly when his lips landed lovingly on the top of her head. She could feel his strong comforting heartbeat against the side of her face, his warmth and scent envelopping her, making her forget how dreadful a season Autumn could be.
Catch ya'll on the next one!
-BDP-