Happy new year! I hope you all are safe and healthy!

Quick little update: I had my baby! She was born on December 24th, at 4:50 am! That's right! A Christmas Eve baby! I love her so much! Motherhood is extremely rewarding, and it's given my life new meaning. She's my broke best friend lmao!

Anywho, I'm not sure how much longer I want this story to go on for. I honestly should have ended it when Zeke was born, but I couldn't help it lol. Picking this story back up made me realize how short these chapters are compared to the chapters that I write for "Karma", which is literally double the size of these chapters. So when I switch back and forth between stories, I lowkey kinda dread all the proofreading I have to do for "Karma".

Let me know if somewhere around here is a good ending point, or if you guys want me to continue this story! I have some ideas I can use to continue, but I also don't want to drag it out. I want to know what my readers think.

Enjoy :)

Chapter 53

Tension

The walk home was an oddly silent one. Unnecessary tension built up between the small family and Levy couldn't help but feel as if it were all her fault. Gajeel reassured her that something likely still would have happened if she hadn't left, but still! It probably wouldn't have gotten to that extent if she'd stayed.

She just wanted to cry. She wasn't sure if it was the hormones or what, but she felt like she'd done some damage to their family by storming out the way she did. Though she didn't see it herself, she knew for a fact that he tapped into his Phantom Lord days to get their son back and felt at fault for that, too. Her hold on her mate and son tightened as if they were going to vanish right before her eyes.

Gajeel felt her energy, smelled her anxiety, and saw her frustrations with herself, and wanted nothing more than for this whole thing to just blow over. 'Easier said than done.' Her grip got tighter as they neared their small home and he wondered if they should move again. They'd been there for a little over eight years, and now they were expecting. They definitely didn't have the space and he wasn't about to make Zeke share his room.

Levy saw the destruction he left in his wake, but she didn't see exactly how much and what exactly he'd done. The trees they were walking through were starting to thin out into a clearing, and she saw their house in the distance, which was odd since they picked it specifically because it was well hidden. Her eyes grew big, but not big enough to the point where she was truly surprised. She knew what he was capable of, and it was one of the many reasons she felt protected when she was with him.

He'd leveled a good portion of the area immediately surrounding their home. Trees and shrubbery completely obliterated, turned to sticks and piles of leaves and branches on the ground around them. She'd seen him punch trees down out of anger, she'd seen him train with Lily extensively, but never to the point where everything around them was decimated completely. It was like every tree or boulder he came in contact with exploded!

They approached their home, nothing but emptiness surrounding it. Levy knew Gajeel liked to be hidden, and she also knew they wouldn't have the space for another child, so she was the first one to break the silence. "I guess we're going to have to move, huh?"

Was she talking about what he thought she was? "Why ya sayin' that, Shrimp?"

"Well, I know you like to stay well hidden away from civilization," she replied, her voice quiet as she pushed the door open to reveal the forgotten about mess he made in the house. "And this isn't very hidden."

"Yeah…" Gajeel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he took a look around. "Sorry, I uh… kinda went crazy… But… it was all worth it."

"I know, and we'll have to talk about that at some point," she sighed, locking the door behind them. "But for now, let's clean up. I figure we can talk once we're settled and comfortable."

"I'll help straighten things up while Gajeel gets Zeke situated," Lily offered, flying to the kitchen to put things away as Levy took over the living room.

Gajeel moved slowly, taking this as an opportunity to try and clear his head a bit before they talked. He felt bad leaving Levy and Lily with the mess he created, but he was sure they knew this was more important. He took his son to the bathroom first to get him cleaned up before putting him in his bed.

'Why am I so nervous 'bout talkin' ta Lev?' It was as if they hadn't been together for almost a decade, or been through thick and thin. He supposed it was because he hadn't let himself get that out of control since his darker days, and he just knew she was going to scold him for it… would she? Hell, he was scolding himself for it. When was the last time he had to end someone's life, let alone several people's? Was there a better way? These things he never stopped to think about, and he only hoped his son didn't pick up that terrible trait.

He made the bathwater then put Zeke in it, scrubbing away any visible dirt he could find. This whole thing did take a mental toll on him, and it was a larger toll than he wanted to acknowledge. No, it didn't necessarily help that Levy left, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that it still would have happened if she were there. Not to mention, they still didn't get to talk about the reason she left in the first place.

He pinched his brow in exhaustion with wet fingers, not caring about the water now dripping down his face. He contemplated taking a really hot shower and just going to bed, dealing with all the talking in the morning. 'Yeah… that sounds good…' Was it realistic, though? 'No.'

He was slightly injured, so it took him a little longer than he wanted to clean Zeke up, but after maybe thirty minutes, he had him wrapped up in a thick towel and headed to his room to get him dressed.

"Looks like yer mom and Lily cleaned up most of yer Dad's mess," he mumbled to his son while he got him in his favorite pajamas. It wasn't nearly as tedious as washing him was, and it only took a few minutes.

"Just promise me yer gonna wake up soon." Gajeel tucked him into his twin-sized bed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Me an' yer mom can't stand seein' ya like this."

His eyes zeroed in on the window, which had a missing screen. He didn't realize it before, but that must be how they got to him. 'I'm gonna make a new screen an' put bars on all the windows.' He'd have Levy enchant them so they would be impossible to break through. Then, the windows would be the least of their worries. For now, he bolted it shut.

"Gajeel?"

Levy stood in the doorway to Zeke's room, watching silently as he sealed up the window in a quiet rage. Was that how it happened? God, how she wished she hadn't left.

"I dunno how, but they got him through his window," Gajeel said, walking up to his mate and dropping his head on her shoulder. "I was thinkin' of puttin' bars up and havin' you enchant 'em or somethin'."

Timidly, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling unworthy of his current affections. "Yeah, we can do that for now until we find another place."

He lifted his head, garnet eyes staring vulnerably into sad honey. They were both broken, or damn near, and they only needed each other to heal. "I'm gonna go shower."

Levy stood there as he went into the bathroom and shut the door. Why was he so… sad? He only did what he needed to do to get his family back… unless it wore him down more than she thought? If anything, she should be the sad one! But, she couldn't deny the fact that he needed her and she needed him, and they needed to talk. She opted for leaving Zeke's door open for now so they could keep an easier eye on him as she almost tiptoed to the bathroom.

Gajeel smelled her before she opened the door. "Ya comin' ta join me, Shrimp?"

He figured she'd want to talk now, which was honestly fine with him. It only meant getting it over with faster. And on the plus side, he'd get to be intimate with her again after what felt like forever, and he wasn't about to turn down any loving from Levy.

"I thought you could use the company," she said, shutting the door behind her and peeling off her clothes.

"Well, I ain't gonna deny ya," a mischievous grin spread across his face as she drew closer, his red eyes scanning her body for any visible changes. 'No, it's too soon…'

She gave a shy smile back as she stepped into the shower facing him, thankful for the steam that just began to fill the space. This time, there was a comfortable silence between them while they let the water warm their bodies. She thought about where to start, knowing she'd have to be the one to say something first since, after all, she felt it was her fault.

Leaning into him in an embrace, her arms splayed across his back and her cheek pressed against his chest. She was then thankful for the water since it was now masking the tears she couldn't stop from flowing down her face. "I'm so sorry."

Try as she might, she couldn't hide her tears from him. He knew her far too well. He held her, just as he always did when she cried, with one hand in her hair and the other on the small of her back. "Why ya sorry, Lev? Ya did nothin' wrong."

"I-It's all my f-fault," she tried to keep her voice strong, but she was always weak when she was with him. He was the only person she could ever show weakness to, and he always made her feel safe.

"Lev, ya left 'cos I was dumb," he said, lifting her head so she was looking at him. "If I woulda just been honest, ya never woulda left. It's not yer fault, it's mine."

Before she could respond, he grabbed her shampoo and started to work it through her hair, lathering it nicely. "An' even if ya stayed, they still woulda found a way."

"How c-can you be s-so s-sure?" She sniffled, letting the sensation of him massaging her scalp calm her down.

"Just a hunch."

After a bit, she returned the favor, applying a generous amount of shampoo to his thick mane. His hair took a bit more work than hers, but she loved playing in it and he loved it when she did. Maybe it was just a ploy to get her to do his hair so he wouldn't have to. Who knew? She laughed to herself as she looked up at him with the most positive look she'd given in a few days.

"I love you, dork," she gave a small smile, pulling him down for a kiss, to which he happily obliged.

"I love ya more, Shorty," he returned her smile with a soft one of his own.

They washed and conditioned each other's hair, as they both took great pride in their wild tresses. Levy actually convinced him to take better care of his skin a few years prior, so they had similar routines in the shower. She started soaping him up, thinking it was cute how much they adapted to one another, and how over time they developed the same train of thought. Like it was second nature, they cleaned each other's bodies like their own, enjoying the intimacy they both needed.

"So," Levy needed to ask the question they were both avoiding just so she could have peace of mind. Looking at his face, she saw the scar Zeke left when he scratched him. "What happened to him?"

"He was brainwashed, I guess," he closed his eyes as she traced the scar lightly with her fingertips. "Jade said he was affected by Evil Eye or somethin'."

The thought of her and remembering what she did, or what she tried to do made Levy tense up, which did not go unnoticed by Gajeel.

"Hey, she's actually the one who saved him," he explained, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. "I was kinda unsure how ta feel 'bout it, but that night she came by, she tried ta warn me… but I was bein' stubborn an' dumb."

"She… warned you?" Levy didn't know how to respond. He could have prevented this! And if she stayed and actually talked to him about it, she could have helped prevent it, too! Their son was taken because they were both being stubborn and dumb and now they had these awful feelings to deal with.

"Yeah, an' if I woulda listened, we wouldn't be in this situation," an extremely remorseful look graced his features as he saw the anger and frustration on her face.

"If I would have stayed and actually talked to you about it, we both could have tried to prevent it…" Levy was definitely beating herself up and so was Gajeel, and the only way they could overcome this was by talking it out and conquering it together.

"When he went missin', she's the one who found me in the woods an' took me ta him," he held her against his chest again, quietly assuring her it was all okay now. "An' she helped me get him back, too. We can only be thankful ta her fer gettin' our son back. I really don't know what I woulda done without her help. I think she was tryin' ta redeem herself, or whatever."

"I guess she did well, then," Levy said, feeling indifferent toward her. She was genuinely thankful, but she still didn't like the fact that she tried to come after Gajeel. Even though she didn't show it, she was just as possessive as he was.

"Let's not think 'bout this anymore," he shut the shower off and helped her out of the tub, wrapping her in her favorite towel. "We got him home with us, he's safe now, an' I'm all yers."

"I don't think I'll truly have peace of mind until we find a new place."

"I know, an' we'll find one soon," he said, picking her up and taking her to their room, but not before stopping to check on Zeke. "But first, we rest."

He sat her on the edge of their bed and dried her hair, knowing she loved it when he cared for her like this. He was waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind and he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.

"Ya got any places in mind?" He broke the silence after a few minutes, sitting on the bed between her legs so she could return the favor and dry his hair.

"There's a small part of me that wants to move away from Magnolia, but the larger part of me wants to stay close to the guild," she said, surprised she was able to admit aloud that she wanted to leave their friends and family. "Fairy Tail is the only thing keeping me here."

"I think we should stay close ta town, Lev," Gajeel said, following her up the mattress when she scooted back to lay down. "I know how good ya feel 'bout bringin' Zeke up 'round the fairies. Just think of how uncomfortable yer gonna be if ya take that away from him."

Levy laid on her back, her head propped up with a few pillows, and Gajeel laying on his stomach between her legs hugging her torso. She knew that he knew, but how does she bring it up? She looked at him with wide eyes wondering what to say. Would he be excited? Would he be upset? They mentioned having another kid in passing, but never really set anything in stone.

Her mind was running a mile a minute, and he knew exactly why. It was written all over her face! He kissed her tummy, feeling her relax a bit while she still watched him with wide honey eyes. She was clearly having issues telling him, so should he just break the ice for her? He rested his head on her stomach, practically hearing the butterflies. "I know, Lev."

Instantly, tears fell down her cheeks again as if she'd done something wrong which only preempted him to hook his arms under hers and hug her securely. "Every time I try to tell you on my own, something prevents me from doing it!"

"Why ya cryin', Shrimp? This is amazin'!" Gajeel exclaimed, genuinely ecstatic. "I would never complain 'bout ya havin' my kids!"

"Something always has to go wrong! Why can't I just… ugh!" Levy let her frustrations get the best of her, but her mate was great at calming her down as usual. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be strong for us, but I feel like such a terrible person!"

"Hey, now," he said, rolling onto his side and adjusting her so that she was hugged into him. "Yer the furthest thing from terrible, Lev. Yer an amazin' mother, the perfect mate and a great friend ta everyone 'round ya."

Burying her head deeper into his chest, she took in his calming iron scent in a deep inhale. "You're not just saying that, right?"

"Ya need ta have more faith in yerself," he said, kissing the top of her head. "An' if ya won't do it fer me, do it fer Zeke and fer the new baby growin' inside ya."

She nodded, feeling the love she always felt with him swell in her chest as he held her tighter, eventually dozing off for the rest of the evening and well into the night.