As always, there be bad language and sexy times in this chapter. Do you honestly expect any different?
It had been over a week since their fight, and Levy was only just feeling like their relationship was getting back on track. Blowing up at each other was nothing new for them, but to her, it felt like each time it happened, it took longer and longer for them to be okay again. Sighing, she set her book down and ran her hands through her already tangled mop of hair, trying to shake loose her bad mood. Being stuck inside wasn't helping either, the weather seemingly in tune with the atmosphere inside the small house had the skies almost black with torrential rain for the past week.
"Y'know it won't rain forever, Shrimp"
Levy jumped, startled by his gruff voice over her shoulder. "God's, Gajeel! Don't scare me like that!" She scolded, fanning the blush that had appeared on her cheeks from the fright. "I know, I just hate being cooped up in here for days on end."
"Yeah, me too. But at least this way I don't gotta share ya, and we don't gotta wear pants" he joked, trying to brighten her mood. Gajeel hated seeing her moping around the house, her usually bright smile as dull as the sky outside. "C'mon, got a surprise for ya."
Levy smiled as she took his outstretched hand, wincing as the feeling rushed back into her legs, cramped from so many hours curled underneath her. She allowed herself to be pulled along into the bathroom, sighing happily when she saw the tub filled to almost overflowing with the cloud-like bubbles.
"You are too good to me" she leant up, kissing the tip of his nose.
"Ya got it the wrong way 'round there, Lev'. Ain't no good for ya, just lucky you put up with me" he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Things had been strained between them ever since their fight, and Gajeel was trying his best to make amends, having felt like a right tool for blowing things out of proportion (according to a very cross Lucy who had well and truly chewed him out over it).
"Mhmm, people say the same thing about me, y'know?" She smirked, stripping out of the few items of clothing she wore, enjoying the sensation of his eyes tracing her body. "All your fans seem to think I'm a terrible influence, that I'm going to lead you astray" she purred, pressing her naked body against his chest, nails raking down his arms. Levy delighted in the way he drew a shaky breath as she stepped away from him, twisting as she stepped up and sank into the tub, bubbles threatening to suffocate her. "Come on, 'Jeel. Come join me."
That was all the invitation he needed, quickly shedding his pants, singlet thrown to some random corner, and he was climbing in, the almost too hot water prickling at his skin. Levy's hands were on him the second he was submerged, her lips crashing down on him almost desperately. His cock twitched into life instantly, a new kind of heat flooding his body after the week of almost no affection.
"Fuck, Lev'. Need you" he ground out between her kisses, his hands finding her hips and guiding her to straddle his lap. Gajeel knew from experience that bath sex was awkward and a little unpleasant, but that didn't mean he wasn't determined to please her in any way possible.
"You have me, 'Jeel. You will always have me." She pulled back, meeting and holding his gaze, and Gajeel felt as though she was staring directly into his soul, squirming a little at the sensation. His movement had her moaning, as the head of his cock bumped against the piercing between her thighs, and she tangled her fingers into his now damp hair, kissing him fiercely as she ground her weight down onto him. Gajeel's hands on her hips were holding her steady as the fire in her belly burned its way through her body, toes curling in pleasure as she swore out her climax, his name on her lips.
"Fuck I missed ya, gorgeous" Gajeel breathed, peppering small kisses across her shoulders and up her neck.
"I missed this, us. I missed you, Gaj. Having you next to me and feeling like you were out of reach... God's, I don't want to do that again."
Gajeel buried his face against her skin, inhaling deeply like he was trying to commit her smell to memory. "Me neither, Shrimp."
With one last, lingering kiss, Levy found herself spun around, his calloused fingers gently combing through her hair and she melted back against his chest, practically purring at the feeling of his fingertips massaging her scalp, working away the last bit of tension she carried.
As the water grew tepid, and the bubbles dissolved, Levy pulled the plug and allowed the water to gurgle down the train as she stood, wrapping them both securely in the large fluffy towels Gajeel had set out earlier.
"Hey, 'Jeel?" She turned to face him hesitantly.
"Mmm?"
"Can I, uh, I mean, would you mind... Can I brush your hair?"
Gajeel blinked, stunned by her request. "Uhhhh, sure?" His heart faltered in his chest for a moment, it was hard to breathe when she was smiling up at him like that. 'Fuck, I'm gonna marry that girl' he thought to himself, as he slung an arm around her shoulders and guided her to their bedroom.
Wrapped in her fluffy black robe, Levy knelt on the bed behind Gajeel, hands gently sectioning out his hair before she started to carefully brush through the unruly length. Gajeel had to stop himself from purring under her attentions - the gentle way she was detangling his hair was so different to his usual style of just ripping the brush through. He was almost pouting when she finished the last section and set the brush down, but rather than stopping, she simply switched to using her fingers to comb through his raven mane, her nails raking lightly against his scalp as she started to braid his hair away from his face. He couldn't help the moan that slipped out, her hands on him was a feeling he had missed desperately, and having her play with his hair like this felt almost more intimate than anything they had done before.
Quickly shedding his towel, Gajeel turned to face her, hands making quick work of the bow holding her robe together. He wanted - needed - her bare before him, to join their bodies and reaffirm in his own way that she was here and they were okay. Thankfully, Levy was on the same page, her breath shaking and eyelids heavy with desire, and her small hand shot out to grab him, guide him into her walls, already warm and wet and waiting for him. Gajeel kept his eyes fixed firmly on her face, hands twisted together on the pillow beside her head.
"I love you, Gaj" she breathed, feeling the coil inside her winding impossibly tighter.
"Love you, Levy" he growled, trying to keep himself under control, not wanting to finish without her.
His profession of love sent her over the edge then, with a sharp gasp, her back was arching under him as her eyes glazed over and her walls held him tight, the friction pulling his own release from him with a groan of her name.
Rolling off her, so as to avoid smothering her small frame, Gajeel pulled her in close to his side as he curled protectively around her, content to lay there in the afterglow and feel the happiness that was practically radiating off Levy. Unfortunately, the universe had a different idea, because no sooner had they nuzzled in comfortably than their phones began to chime in rapid succession.
"Uggghhhh go away!" Levy shouted in the general direction of the noisy devices, annoyed at the interruption to her cuddle time. Chuckling at her outburst, and happy to see his girl more animated than she had been all week, he rolled over to see what all the commotion was about.
Natsu - Party @ the studio @ 7
Natsu - Don't be late
Natsu - And please don't show up w sex hair!
Wendy - They're launching the album NOW! See you guys tonight!
Wendy - Maybe take the long way, just to be safe!
Lucy - Congrats on the surprise album release? See you tonight. Please look respectable!
Groaning, he passed Levy's phone over to her. "If yours is anything like mine, ya probably wanna check that".
Scrolling quickly, she turned to him with wide eyes. "Oh my god! Gajeel! The album!"
"God's woman, quit screamin' at me!" He laughed, her enthusiasm infectious. "Come on, let's get organised. I know yer gonna want to spend hours preening over ya hair." He was affectionate in his teasing, not that anything was going to dull Levy's smile now, her excitement practically radiating throughout the room as she scurried around, already rummaging through the wardrobe.
"Do I look okay?"
"Kitten, if ya looked any better we'd still be in bed" he murmured lowly to her, trying to keep a lid on his arousal. Gajeel knew he was in for a long night, the way her jeans were hugging her legs had his mouth dry, and the vision of her incredible rear filling the out the denim, pocket seams stretching to contain her voluptuousness, had him feeling somewhat like a Neanderthal with the desire throw her over his shoulder and take her home.
Levy didn't miss the way his eyes darkened as the skimmed her body, taking advantage of his distraction to gaze openly at him - baggy jeans tucked into motorcycle boots, leather jacket, flannelette and a wife beater all topped off with his flowing mane of hair, piercings glinting under the street lights. He looked like everyone's fantasy of a 'bad boy' and suddenly she understood what he meant by not wanting to share. The thought of someone else looking at him the same way she was had Levy seeing red.
"Come on Gaj, let's get in there so we can get out again faster."
"If I didn't know better, kitten, I'd say you weren't talkin' about this party"
Levy winked at him then, pulling open the door to the studio and stepping inside.
The room had been transformed, their equipment packed safely away and in its place were high tables with trays of food, ice buckets against the wall filled with drinks, and more people than Levy thought would possibly have fitted in the space. Taking a deep breath, she scanned the room, thankfully finding Wendy and Lucy nearby she wove her way towards them, at one point even ducking underneath someone's outstretched arm.
"Phew, made it! Hey!" she smiled, greeting each of her friends with a tight hug. "Who are all these people and why are they here?"
"Studio people, journalists, other artists on the label... Some random floozies" Wendy sneered at several girls lurking nearby, scattering them.
"You doing okay Levy?" Lucy asked, eyebrow raised. It was obvious to them all that she wasn't talking about the party.
"Yeah, I guess? I don't know, it's still weird" she scanned the crowd, easily spotting Gajeel above everyone else's heads. "Still a bit strained, but we'll get there." Levy smiled at her friends, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'd rather be at home, honestly!"
"Me too! I don't like these parties" Wendy cried, much like the older bluenette, she preferred to stay in and enjoy the company of her boyfriend and her cat.
"I don't mind them" Lucy shrugged. "Get sent to plenty for work, so I guess I'm just used to it. Uh, Levy?"
"Hmm?"
"Go find your man, I just saw Minerva walk in and well, you don't wanna leave him alone with her around." Lucy pointed towards the door where a slender woman with black hair and stern features was standing, scanning the room. Thankfully, Levy had been keeping one eye trained on Gajeel since they arrived, doing her best to orient herself as close to him as possible, so she made her excuses and closed the distance between them in a few strides.
"Lev'? Ya okay?" he asked, surprised to see her show up next to him and them more or less attach herself to his side.
"Tell you about it later?" she smiled tenderly up at him and snuggled closer under his arm, just as the woman Lucy had pointed out showed up in front of them.
"Gajeel! So good to see you" she purred, batting her eyelids so heavily that Levy had to stifle her snort.
"Minerva." Gajeel's tone was measured, and Levy could see the tension on his face.
"Congratulations on the album, it's wonderful! Your talents know no bounds, it seems."
Levy coughed at the double entendré, putting her free hand possessively on Gajeel's stomach, smiling as she felt him relax a little under her touch. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure? I'm Levy, and you are?"
"Minerva. I'm a fellow artist with Gajeel's label" she sneered at the smaller woman, eyes giving her the once over before going back to roving Gajeel's body.
"Oh, I don't think I've heard of you before. You must be quite a talent if you've been signed without any major publicity."
Gajeel choked on his beer, trying not to openly gawk down at his girlfriend. It was no secret amongst his stable mates that Minerva had blackmailed and slept her way into a record deal, but no one had the gumption to confront her about it, all too aware of her volatile nature brought about by her substance issues.
"Yes, well, clearly they know talent when they see it" she preened, completely unaware she was being made fun of. "How do you two know each other?"
"We've known each other practically our whole lives, haven't we Gaj?" Levy smiled mischievously up at him, and Gajeel quickly understood the game she was playing.
"Yeah, Shrimp and I go way back. It's 'cause of her the Slayers even exist. She's pretty special."
Levy's cheeks flushed under the praise, as a warmth bloomed in her chest. "It's easy when you have such a wonderful partner" she emphasised, laughing to herself when the woman in front of her still didn't seem to get the hint.
"Yes, he does seem pretty wonderful. Excuse me, I should make my rounds."
"God's Lev', ya saved me there" he sagged with relief once it was just the two of them.
"Lucy said you might need some help" she giggled. "What's her deal?"
"Drugs, mostly" he shrugged, steering them towards their group huddled in the corner. "Everyone knows she slept her way into a contract, thinks she can get whatever she wants that way."
"Seems to me she's got her sights set on you next?"
Gajeel just groaned in response, as they joined the rest of their band mates.
The next few hours ticked by slowly, the group content to stick together and avoid the inane chatter, taking turns to brave the crowd for drinks. This time it was Levy's turn, and as she loaded up her arms with the icy beverages, she was stopped by a hand on her wrist, fingers gripping entirely too hard for comfort.
"You!" Minerva hissed, eyes glassy and slightly unfocused. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting drinks, what does it look like?" Levy smiled sweetly, refusing to play into her hands.
"You stay away from him! Gajeel will be mine, just you wait!"
"Gajeel is a grown man, he doesn't belong to anyone. But I will end you six different ways before I let you get your claws into the man I love. Have a nice night!" she hissed, before waving sweetly, wrenching her wrist free of Minerva's hold and making her way back to the group, shaking as the adrenaline wore off.
"Levy! Are you alright? You're shaking!" Wendy fussed, ignoring her complaints about being fussed over.
"What did she say?" Gajeel growled out through clenched teeth, having seen the whole thing play out from across the room.
"Nothing I haven't heard before" Levy shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Guys, I'm tired" Lucy whined, seeing the distress her friend was in and giving her an excuse to leave. "Do we have to stay?"
"Nah, this party blows. Let's bounce!" Natsu exclaimed, happy to finally have an excuse to leave.
"C'mon kitten, I wanna get out of here too" Gajeel wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her across the room to the door, calling their goodbyes as they went, until they were stopped just short of their goal.
"Leaving so soon? It's your party after all."
"Tch, not my scene. Rather be at home with my girl" he emphasised the 'my', hoping she'd get the hint. No such luck, apparently Minerva was too far gone for subtlety tonight.
"I didn't know you were seeing anyone. Is she here tonight?"
Levy and Gajeel just gaped at her, confused as to whether she was too wasted, to dumb, or too stubborn to understand. Gajeel smirked as an idea formed, bending to sweep Levy into a passionate kiss. When her arms wound around his neck, he dipped her slightly, resting their foreheads together in a rare, public moment of intimacy.
"Come on kitten, let's go" he whispered against her lips as hollers (and Natsu's enthusiastic "get a room!") broke out around them, their little display driving home the message to a now seething Minerva, who was the furthest thing from their minds as they stepped out into the brisk night air.
They made the short trek home in silence, hands loosely clasped together. As soon as Levy shut the front door behind them, Gajeel's arms were around her, holding her so closely he was almost crushing her.
"Thank you, Levy."
"You deserve to be celebrated, silly! You've worked really hard at this, I'm happy people are recognising that."
"No one was celebratin' you though, and you worked equally as hard at this. I'm sorry Blue, feels like we stole your thunder a little bit."
Levy waved off his concerns, smiling as she reached up to cup his cheek. "Silly Gajeel, I didn't do it for the recognition. I did it for you."
"God's above, I don't deserve ya kitten." He turned his face, kissing her palm as his rested against his skin, before guiding her to sit on the couch, her now bare feet in his lap, where he began to rub them in just the right way. "Wanna tell me what was goin' on earlier? Ya said we'd talk about it, and Lord knows we gotta get better at talkin' 'bout stuff."
"I know" Levy sighed, shoulders drooping as his warm fingers chased the ache of high heels out of her toes. "It's silly, but I just... After everything, I just wanted to be close to you, to feel like it was okay that I was there, being seen with you."
Gajeel's voice caught in his throat, stunned. He hadn't realised she had been so affected by their fight. "Lev'? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to make ya feel like that. I would parade ya up and down the country, that's how proud I am of ya, and to be with ya. I'm a selfish bastard though, and the way you look in those jeans makes me wanna keep you in my bed forever. Never mind that I think yer the smartest person I've ever met, and I don't wanna share any part of ya or yer sexy brain with anyone else, ever."
"Well, I definitely don't feel like you're ashamed of me after your little display at the end" Levy giggled, poking his with her toes. "You think she got the hint?"
"Doubt it, she was pretty high - could almost smell it on her. Probably won't even remember any of it tomorrow."
"Well, unfortunately for you, Lu was there" she pulled out her phone and showed him the image she'd been sent. "So you can pretty much guarantee that's going to end up on every media site possible."
Gajeel just shrugged, tossing her phone onto the table and sliding up next to Levy, her legs thrown over his lap as his hand rested against her hip. "Don't care. Means the world'll know yer my girl, and they oughtta know I don't share."
Levy smiled brilliantly at him, eyes sparkling in the dim lighting as she leant up to kiss him deeply, her chest feeling lighter than it had in a long time.
Aaand we're back to our regular programming, full of these two dorks being handsy. Thanks for sticking with me, we're in for a bit of a time skip (because logistics are booooring) and finally some tour action! I hope y'all are excited, the playlist for the next few chapters is pretty interesting! Apologies for any weird formatting - I'm using the app and it's doing some funny things to the layout.
Pretty please review etc - I cannot overstate how happy your feedback makes me! Sending love to you all xxx