A/N: And here we are! The final chapter is here! I hope you guys liked it! It was a bit of a struggle to make myself finish this, I'm not going to lie, but I'm so glad to call this one done! Thank you guys so much for reading! Thank you for sticking with me despite the long wait 3 I hope you enjoyed the story!
Chapter 9: Protection
Levy held tightly on Gajeel's hand as their footsteps slowed in front of their apartment building. She wasn't aware that she was shaking, but Gajeel had felt her small movements by his side. When they came to a halt outside of the large glass door, Levy dragged in a choppy breath and Gajeel brought his gaze down to rest on her. She looked so small then, her blue curls shifting in the breeze, trying as they might to hide the expression on her face. But, Gajeel could feel her fear without having to see it on her features. Her hand, clammy in his, tightened its grip.
Gajeel squeezed her hand in return and she turned her head to meet his gaze. With a faint smile, Levy puffed her chest and gave Gajeel a nod. He pulled the door open for her and let her walk in front into the lobby. Once inside, Levy again struggled to breathe. She kept her hand tight in his as he led her up the stairs and onto their shared floor.
Gajeel walked with her to her door and stood behind her as her hand landed on the knob. When her fingers made contact, she froze. Her jaw was tight and her breath was ragged. He could see her hand shaking as it rested on the cold brass of the handle. After feeling safe away from everything since the incident, Gajeel could see how the prospect of returning to her apartment was daunting. He placed his hand over hers and twisted the knob with her, very slowly allowing the door in front of them to give way to her home.
When she saw the inside of her apartment, her gaze turned dumbfounded, as though she was surprised to see it looking just as it usually did. Everything was normal; there were no remnants of how they had left it days ago. Levy released the air that had trapped itself in her lungs and gingerly took a step inside. When she got a step in, she stopped again. Gajeel saw the panic in her features as her feet rested where the man had met her before. So, he spoke softly.
"Why don't you stay over at mine instead?" Gajeel moved his hands onto her hips and pulled her back a step to rest against his body. Though she had initially jumped at the touch, her whole body relaxed against his frame.
"Are you sure?" Her voice wavered.
"Of course, Shrimp. I can't let ya be alone right now. Wouldn't be a very good boyfriend now, would I?" He grinned into her hair. Her shoulders relaxed then and he felt her body shake with the stifling of a giggle. He wrapped his arms all the way around her waist and lifted her fully back out into the hall and away from her worries.
"Oh! Gajeel, shouldn't I at least grab some clothes?" The hospital had torn the dress she came in considerably, but since Gajeel hadn't had the forethought to bring her clothes when he picked her up, she had had to put the ripped garment on to get home. Luckily, Gajeel had worn a jacket that he had given to her as soon as they had stepped outside, but he understood how much she probably wanted out of that dress. Still, he didn't think she was quite ready to go back in, even just for clothes.
"You can just borrow something of mine. Probably best to give yourself some time before trying again." He could see the glint of defeat in her eyes, but she seemed somewhat relieved to not have to go back in just yet. So, she nodded.
Gajeel gave her a grin and walked them across the hall to his own apartment and let them in. He watched Levy's frame as her shoulders relaxed once inside. She was able to take in full breaths, the shake that racked her body before dissipating before his eyes. Seeing how his home affected her was enough to make his stomach flutter. She seemed much more at ease here; her body visibly relaxed.
Without a word, she followed him to his room and waited as he rummaged through his drawers for something that would suit her. He settled for an old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants she could tighten and set them out on his bed. As he started to walk out, she darted out her hand and caught him by the wrist.
"Wait, Gajeel-" she started, "I, uh… well, sorry if this is a weird ask, but could you maybe help me. I… it still hurts and… and it would be really nice to have some help." Her head was pointed towards her feet, the blush on her cheeks trying to hide from him. He wasn't sure if she really needed the help or not, but there was no way he was going to make her do it herself if it was troublesome enough to make her ask for help. He tried not to blush himself as he smiled down at her.
Levy brought her head up after not hearing a response and her cheeks darkened more when she met his gaze. He was looking at her so tenderly it almost made her heart jump out of her chest. She glanced away after seeing him nod and reluctantly raised her arms.
Seeing his cue, Gajeel skillfully pulled up her dress from the bottom, being careful not to accidentally graze over her wound. He pulled it over her head as he caught sight of the stitches on her stomach. The area still held a faint red hue around it and the sutures stretched as she leaned with the pull over her head. It was still a little puffy, but it was clean and clearly well sewn. His eyes grazed over her body, then. She was right in front of him only in her underwear and she was simply beautiful. Her small waist, though recovering from her wound, looked soft but toned. Her hips practically begged him to hold them. Their curve was stunning and he could just picture how good it looked from behind as well. Her arms went up to cross in front of her chest and brought his eyes up with them. Though she was small-chested in comparison to most other girls he's known, he thought they were perfect. They suited her well and he could tell they would be the perfect handful. She was just perfect in every way.
They stood close, their heavy breaths stirring the air as he relinquished his hold on the discarded dress and let it fall to the floor. Gajeel wanted so badly to hold her, but the stitches on her stomach kept pulling his attention away. He looked at it again as worries of after care nudged at his brain. He wasn't sure what the doctor had advised her to do when she came home, but the last thing he was going to do was hurt her.
"Does it hurt?" Gajeel asked softly, his hand moving to rest lightly on her hip. He was careful not to touch it, but his fingers needed to feel her to be sure this wasn't a dream. He had expected her to jump or to move away, but her tummy just moved at the easy pace of her breathing. All he could do was take in the sight of her like this; undressed and comfortable.
"A little…" she said quietly, "They gave me antibiotics and pain medication before I left though, so I'll be okay." She managed to look up at him and let out a shaky breath before reaching up and placing her hand on his cheek. He was a little surprised at the returned touch until she guided his face down so his lips could meet hers. The kiss felt so different than the ones they had shared at the hospital. There, the kisses almost seemed desperate; as though it was all he could do to hold onto her. They had been needed. He had to kiss her because he could have lost her and she needed to kiss him when he was revisiting his own old wounds. Those kisses were necessary, born out of fear and longing and pain. But this, this was right. Her lips were chapped but still they were soft. Warmth spread throughout his chest and his cheeks darkened under her touch. This was what it felt like to be wanted. It felt like he was on fire; the beating of his heart echoing through his ears. He felt her hip move under his fingers and he dared to tighten his grip. She let out a small whimper into his mouth and he jolted back, pulling himself away from her. His face moved away from her touch and his hand quickly released its hold on her hip.
"Did that hurt? I'm so sorry, I-" his worried rambling was cut off by a small giggle. He looked down at her; her features painted a lovely pink. Gajeel furrowed his brows.
"That was a uh, a good sound, Gajeel." He blinked at her in disbelief. She rubbed at the back of her neck and sighed. "But, I suppose we should be careful." She still held a smile as she reached over to where he had laid out her clothes. She picked up the pants and he shook his head to pull him back into the moment. Despite the fierce blush on his face, he took the pants from her and kneeled down so she wouldn't have to. He let her rest her hand on his shoulder as he helped her step into each leg and he had to bite his lip as he pulled them up over her butt. She tied them herself as he grabbed the shirt. He pulled it over her head and let the fabric fall over her stomach. They stayed close for a moment, both of them silent but Levy now less exposed than before.
He tried to stifle the look on his face as he thought about what happened. She had liked the way he touched her and it was going to drive him mad not being able to do it again until she was healed. He knew she had wanted the kiss and even though she liked what he did, he wasn't confident he wouldn't end up hurting her if he let things go too far until she was better. So, he resigned to just being able to kiss her while she was here; a painful, but necessary sacrifice. He wouldn't take anything too far until he knew he couldn't end up hurting her.
Levy on the other hand, knew he wasn't capable of hurting her. If anything started to be painful, she knew he would be able to stop and she trusted that even if things heated up before she was completely healed up he would be gentle. She had noticed how hard he blushed after she told him it was a good sound that she made and she knew it would be impossible not to want to see him blush like that again. So, while Gajeel resigned to trying not to touch her too much, Levy decided that she would like to keep him flustered.
Levy was the one who broke the silence that hung in the air.
"So, uh, have you eaten yet this morning?" she asked, her tone sweetly disguising the decision she had just made.
He blinked back to the moment again and shook his head in response.
"Well, since you're the one who's going to have to deal with having me here for awhile, making breakfast is the least I could do." Levy walked past Gajeel and made her way to the kitchen, Gajeel trailing behind her.
"You're crazy if ya think I'm letting ya cook in your condition." He stopped her right in front of the kitchen door and held his hand on it so she couldn't run in.
"Gajeel, I'm sure I can make breakfast without dying." She said slyly.
"I'm not willing to take that chance." he said with a cheeky grin. "Now go sit; find us something to watch." He motioned with his head towards the couch.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at him. She knew she wouldn't be able to argue with him on this, but it felt good to be so cared for. She walked to the couch in defeat as he made his way into the kitchen.
As much as she didn't want to let on, the pain in her stomach was getting worse and she struggled to find a comfortable way to sit. After a few minutes of shifting, she found a manageable position and flipped through the channels on the T.V. until she came across something that was satisfactory.
After about fifteen minutes, Gajeel emerged from the kitchen carrying a large plate of pancakes. He set them down on the table and made a return trip to grab their toppings and drinks. The familiar breakfast just about made Levy cry; the feeling of normalness settling into her chest. Though she still had some pain, having pancakes at Gajeel's place felt just like it had the last time. It was lovely to feel so at home again.
They didn't need to talk as they ate; the sound of the show having drawn their attention. Pancakes were devoured in record time but neither of them moved to start cleaning up. Instead, Levy reached up for her medication. With food in her stomach, it was now safe to take and she was excited to have the ache in her belly subside.
When the pills were downed, she returned her glass onto the table and shifted so she was leaning against Gajeel; a position most comfortable. Without missing a beat, Gajeel wrapped his arms around her. The warmth of his chest against her made her whole body relax. His body was so inviting and she was beginning to curse the fact that she didn't have some sort of healing power to speed up her recovery process.
"Could we maybe lay down?" Levy questioned, "Like before?" She held a small grin on her lips, giddy to return to the comfortable position they had chosen the last time they were on the couch together.
"If that'll be comfortable." Gajeel responded, already shifting. Levy nodded eagerly and shifted with him. After a moment, Gajeel was laying down with Levy facing him so she wouldn't lay on her wounded side. He draped his arm carefully over her waist and pulled her in close so her face was flush against his chest.
There, Levy could hear his heartbeat for herself. Gajeel's heart sounded strong and steady under her ear and another wave of calm flooded over her. Here, in his arms, against his chest, next to his heart, she was safe. So completely and utterly safe. She took in a long breath, savoring the moment she knew no fear could come and get her. She nuzzled her face against his chest, adamant to express how she was feeling before anything changed.
He hummed in response. Gajeel leaned his head down to place a soft kiss on the top of hers and for a moment, they stayed just like that. Neither Levy nor Gajeel wanted to be the one to disrupt the comfort of the moment. It was calm and it was bliss. Levy knew the fluttering in her tummy that she usually felt around this man was felt collectively in the air. Her own heart was beating just as hard as she knew Gajeel's to be.
It wasn't long before the two of them dozed off, the lulling sound of the show coming through on the television offering sufficient background noise. Whether it was hours or days that had passed by the time they woke up, neither of them could be too sure. The show Levy had put on in the beginning had long since ended and something new was now airing on the screen. The laugh track that woke her clued her in to it being a comedy, but she couldn't be bothered to be even slightly interested. Her arms wrapped tightly around his chest and he groaned back to consciousness, a toothy grin plastered on his face.
"Sleep okay, Shrimp?" His voice was low and somewhat raspy, the intoxicating pull of sleep still heavy in all his features. Levy found it to be both extremely adorable and incredibly attractive. She smiled up at him and caught his lips in a sleepy kiss, humming the affirmative.
Even awake, they continued to lay together, taking advantage of the peaceful calm that settled into the room. After a while, they sat up; still close, still on the couch together. They switched between watching shows and playing games and talking about the small things that they had yet to discuss.
"So you're telling me you've never read any of the classics?" Levy questioned, taken aback. Gajeel closed his eyes and simply shook his head. "Jane Eyre?" Another shake. "What about To Kill a Mockingbird?" Surely he had read that one.
"Nuh-uh." He said with yet another shake of his head. She blinked slowly, scouring her brain for other examples.
"1984?" Nope. "Frankenstein?"
"I told ya, Shrimp, I never had much time for reading." When Gajeel released that admission, Levy felt a little guilty. Instead of dwelling on it though, she just shook it out of her head and turned back to him with a smile.
"Alright then, fine. I'm going to read you as many as I can." She said it so matter-of-factly that Gajeel simply didn't have a choice but to agree. She grinned wildly when he nodded this time and stood up quickly-a little too quickly.
"Woah, hey, hey, careful." Suddenly Gajeel's steady hands were on her and she relaxed into the touch. Her vision came back after a moment and she smiled softly up at him.
"Sorry, uh, I think I just stood up too fast." She admitted with a huff of a laugh. He let out a sigh of relief but didn't relinquish his hold on her. They stayed that way for a short time, simply breathing each other in, no words even needing to be spoken. It felt so comfortable to be here with Gajeel that a small, nagging thought was weaseling its way into her brain. Maybe she could just stay here?
"Can I-" she stopped, her words getting caught in her throat in a feeble attempt to strangle her and wrestle the thought back inside.
"Hm?" He asked, a nudge to continue her sentence.
"Can… can you maybe go over to mine and get a few books?" As it turns out, she couldn't do it. She couldn't ask that much of him yet. He had already done so much for her and despite the overwhelming desire to just make her recovery stay permanent, she chickened out.
"Yeah, sure. Any ones ya want?" He asked, not seeming to notice her internal struggle. He placed a small kiss atop her head and she sighed blissfully as he stepped away from her and closer to the door.
She shook her head, "No, grab anything that interests you." She smiled when he nodded his response and slipped out the door. In the sudden silence of Gajeel's apartment, she thought about it more. The pestering idea wouldn't leave her alone. She had already become so used to this place and so immensely comfortable with Gajeel that the idea of eventually returning to her own apartment was almost sickening. Despite her want though, it was much too soon, much too fast. She shook away the thought once again and hoped it would stay gone until it was a reasonable time to approach such a thing.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted with the sound of the front door opening once again. Gajeel came inside with another toothy grin, his hands full of books. Hardbacks embellished with gold wording, one of the few paperbacks she owns slipped into the pile as well. Overall, she counted 6, a lovely start to Gajeel's introduction to the classics. She smiled back at him and sifted through the stories he laid out on the living room table. Running her hands over the indents of the covers, she chose one and ushered Gajeel to sit. He held up a finger before grabbing their glasses and retreating to the kitchen momentarily, returning with full cups that he placed carefully on the tabletop beside the books. Then, he settled back in next to her and slung an arm around her shoulder.
"Alright, Shrimp, educate me." The grin was somehow sheepish and cheeky at the same time and Levy couldn't stop the return of that fluttery feeling in her stomach. So, she wet her lips and opened up to the first page of one of her favorites- The Great Gatsby. With a soft intake of breath, she started reading.
They spent much of Levy's recovery time going back and forth between reading and napping, with the occasional time Levy persuaded Gajeel to sing for her thrown in intermittently. His voice had not been what she was expecting, rough and ragged, not the typical voice of a singer, but confident nonetheless. At first, though she didn't want to admit it, she wasn't too fond of it, but the more he sang to her, the more it grew on her. His voice suited him, it worked well with his songs and after a couple, it surprised her how much she had begun to enjoy it. He sang about his past through metaphors and jokes, about pain through other people, and most recently, he sang about her.
"Ready for this one, Shrimp?" Gajeel asked, a pointed smile on his lips as he sat on the arm of the couch. It had been a few weeks now since she had gotten out of the hospital and though she never brought up her fitful thoughts of wanting to say, neither of them brought up her returning to her own place yet either. The guitar now stationed in his hands was old and worn and she was surprised that the strings hadn't given out yet. The discarded case by their feet now held Patherlily instead of the instrument it was intended for and Levy couldn't help but smile down at the small animal. She crouched down to pet him and looked back up to Gajeel, nodding her approval for him to begin as her fingers carded through the soft fur of the napping cat. Pantherlily purred his approval as well and Gajeel cleared his throat.
The strum of the guitar filled the room, reverberating off of the walls in a way surprisingly similar to a studio. It sounded good. Then, he was singing, lyrics about pixies and soft blue curls making their way to him, a tough girl that could handle him, a bookish girl that could change him. Levy tried not to look at him as he sang out of fear she would cry. She kept her eyes trained on the cat, hands running over his small, curled up frame as she paid close attention to the lyrics Gajeel crooned. He sang of fear and wanting, of worry and love, and Levy wasn't able to stop the tears coming in the end.
By the time the last chords rang through the room, they were falling steadily from her eyes and she finally managed to spare a look up in Gajeel's direction. His gaze was trained on her, but it was soft. A small smile upticking the corner of his lips. Through the tears, she choked out a laugh, bringing herself up from her knees and into his arms the second the guitar had been discarded on the couch. He held her then, tighter than he had been able to when she was recovering.
"Stay." He broke the silence, cutting off a small sob that had been coming through her. She leaned back from the hug and blinked at him, not understanding.
"Stay." Gajeel said again, hands on her waist and a firm look in his eyes. "With me, here." He attempted to clarify and it was like her brain was lagging. It stuttered through the processing of his words.
"What?" She managed, her throat sore from the crying. He blinked back to himself and let her go, favoring instead to rub his hands down his face.
"Sorry. Too soon. I really shouldn't ha-"
"Okay." She spoke suddenly, cutting off his ramble. "Okay."
He turned back to her, his gaze scanning over her face for any sign she could be messing with him. He must have found no trace of a lie as the grin retook its place on his lips.
"Okay." he said back, pulling her against him once more.
"Are you ready?" Levy asked, her arm intertwined with Gajeel's as they sat together in the busy restaurant. He was wringing his hands together, nervous. She watched him swallow, forced and strained. He looked over to her before grabbing her hand and pulling it up to his lips. He gave her a shaky nod.
"Thank you for coming with me." He said. She didn't need to say anything back, but even if she was going to, there would have been no time. As she looked up from their joined hands, a waiter walked over with a small woman trailing behind him. She was short like Levy and though her hair was blue just like hers, it was darker, more of a purple the longer she looked at it. Her face was bright and she held the same toothy grin Gajeel did. Gajeel only stared as the woman thanked the waiter and sat down next to them.
"Wendy." The first words out of his mouth were rushed, frantic, as if he had never thought he would get this chance. Never in a million years. Levy had spent the past few months telling Gajeel that she was certain Wendy would contact him when she had the chance. As time went on past her birthday, he had become more and more disheartened, believing her less and less as each day passed them by. But then, out of nowhere, Gajeel received a message from an unknown number. All it had said was "Please call me when you can, we need to talk.". That had made Gajeel even more anxious, wanting it to be her so desperately that he couldn't bring himself to find out in case he was wrong. It took about a week of convincing from Levy for him to ring the number and he hadn't been able to speak for most of the call when it turned out to be his little sister. The call had been short, but they agreed to talk over dinner in a few days. Gajeel had let Wendy pick the place and now they were all seated together at a light wood table, soft piano filling the air accompanying the wafting smells of various expensive foods.
As soon as Wendy had sat down, Gajeel couldn't stop talking. He apologized first, at least four times. He told her about what had happened so many years ago and he let her in on all he did for them growing up. He told her about the night they got busted and the reason he hadn't been able to see her. All the while she was quiet. She sat and listened, hands clasped over the table as people came around to refill drinks and supply the complementary bread. She and Levy chewed on some pieces but Gajeel couldn't think to touch it as he continued on explaining.
They paused the conversation when the waiter came around again to place their order and as soon as they were alone, he kept going. He told his sister about what he had been up to since they were separated. How he met Levy and that she was now living with him; this made Levy blush, opting to instead think about the new friend they were making out of the new tenant in her old apartment. Wendy was grinning now, wide and infectious. She listened with fervor, not daring to stop Gajeel's tirade of information as he gushed about everything he hadn't been able to tell her.
They were stopped only by the arrival of their food and as they ate, the silence that settled over the group was surprisingly easygoing. The sounds of utensils hitting and scraping against the plates accompanied the soft hum of conversions from other nearby tables, but no one at their table spoke. Levy hadn't said anything the whole time either, opting only to nod when Gajeel had looked to her for confirmation as he talked and sparing glances at the endearing look on the other woman's face.
When the waiter came around asking about desserts, Levy was tempted to say no, but Gajeel ordered them something to share, smiling at the waiter easily as he refilled their drinks once more. This time, as they waited, it was Wendy who spoke.
Unsurprisingly, Wendy had expected as much out of their upbringing, as if confirming the details she lacked didn't alter her perception of anything she previously thought. She forgave him, likely more for Gajeel's sake than her own, Levy guessed, as it seemed she held no ill will right from the start. That had made the tension dissolve from his shoulders and the smile on his face was a little more genuine after that. She told him about her foster family, how she now has a sister, Sherria, and how her adoptive family let her get a cat last year. That had made him laugh, joking about how she should bring the cat over for a kitty playdate someday as he had one of his own. She told him about how she was sad to not have heard from him for so long, but that now that she knows more, she understands completely and doesn't blame him.
It is Levy who asks if she would be willing to join them for Christmas. Gajeel turned towards her quickly at that, but Wendy just laughed. She counter offered for them to come back with her to her new family's for Christmas, and after a few nudges from Levy, Gajeel agreed.
They talked over the dessert, not wanting to waste any more time. It was like getting to know each other again and Levy was grateful to be here for it. By the end of the meal, Gajeel insisted on paying, offering the server a gratuitous tip because he was in such a good mood. They left together, walking down the sidewalk in the crisp air. Gajeel walked in the middle, an arm around each of their shoulders as they made their way to Wendy's hotel.
It was a painful goodbye to watch, but Gajeel seemed happier, taller almost, as they turned around and walked home. He held tightly onto her hand and when she looked up at him, he was almost glowing.
When they fell into bed that night, Gajeel held her closer than usual. He buried his face in her neck and she could feel the smile pressed into her skin. He told her he loved her over and over again and she giggled into the kisses he splayed over her shoulders. She told him the same and snuggled in close, reveling in the warm touch of his lips and the strong grip of his hands. The scar on her stomach no longer bothered her, long since healed and forgotten. Sometimes Gajeel would place tender kisses over the mark, making sure she knew how beautiful she was, but she often fell into laughter when he did, the brushing of lips on her stomach always tickling her. Tonight, the kisses stayed on her neck and shoulders, heat searing into every touch. In the dark, she smiled.
"I love you." She said, leaning her head back to rest against him. His kisses continued, a soft bite accompanying one towards the bottom of her neck.
He hummed against her skin. "I love you too, Shrimp." The nickname was used once again but it no longer made her agitated. He said it with affection now, no hint of teasing in his voice. He held her there, in the dark, under the warm covers of their bed, Pantherlily draped across their feet. He held her and he loved her, and that was more than enough.