Comfort, lies, and secrets
They were a few drinks in and feeling better than they were a couple of hours ago. After she finished taking him on a small tour of her condo, she offered to make him something to eat and he declined, telling her he'd whip something up for the both of them.
He hated the fact that her "boyfriend" made her do everything for him and his fat friend, and she just went with it, too! Now that he was there and staying permanently, he planned on trying to sweep her off her feet without her even knowing it was happening. He was going to show her how someone as amazing as her should be properly treated. She was going to realize that he was a man, and that she was dating a boy.
After he fed both her and himself, she pulled out the hard liquor and told him that she had to buy a new bottle every other day, or every day on tougher days. He was impressed with her drink choices, but also worried about how much she actually drank. He never took her as someone who'd be well versed in alcohol, and he was bummed that she never came to him about it.
He watched his dad let alcohol drive a wedge between them when Gajeel was a young adult, and it wasn't pretty. They lived in the same house but didn't really speak to one another for a long time, and ever since then, their relationship was on the weaker side. Eventually, he sobered up and went to Alcoholics Anonymous and did better for himself, and because of that, Gajeel vowed to never become a heavy drinker. He saw what it did to his dad and how much of his life was seriously altered because of it.
So, watching the love of his life talk about how much she drank left a bad taste in his mouth.
He needed to save her, desperately.
This time, though, was an exception. They didn't really drink much together, and they both just lost the homes they grew up in. Plus, he kind of wanted to make it a thing to drink with her every now and then now that they were going to be living close by again.
"What about your bike and your car?" Levy asked. She was sitting on her couch with her legs stretched out and her feet on his lap. It was chilly because of the air conditioning, so they had a blanket laid out, covering their legs. She was a little buzzed and she wanted more. She wanted to get drunk enough to be numb to everything.
"I packed everythin' I could fit from my house an' my shop into a buncha bags an' shoved 'em into my car," he said polishing off his third drink and setting the glass on the side table next to him. "I hit up a friend an' he was able ta ship my car an' my bike, so it'll be here in a week or so."
"I'm really sorry you're being uprooted," she pouted. "I know things are rough, so you can stay here in the guest room for as long as you'd like."
"I 'preciate the offer, Lev," he said, his hands subconsciously massaging her feet. "But I wouldn't be able ta stay here an' see that bastard without beatin' his face in, an' I don't think ya would like me much after that."
"You would never see him," she said, not thinking twice about how good his hands felt. This was normal between friends. "He's barely here."
"Fer my sanity, Lev, I can't stay here with ya." It was true. He wouldn't be able to take it. Why would he subject himself to that torture?
He saw her relax a little while he massaged her feet. When did he start doing this? She reached for the bottle, and he quickly reached over and took it from her, wanting her to have some self-control. "I think that's enough fer tonight, Lev."
"What? Why?" She needed more. She wasn't numb enough yet. "I have to drink until I can't think anymore!"
"Levy," he turned to face her, crossing his legs on the couch but leaving her feet in his lap. "Why didn't ya tell me 'bout yer… habit?"
She knew exactly what he was talking about. She was in denial, but she definitely had a drinking problem that she'd like to blame on Jet, but it was always her choice. She could really only blame herself. How could she bring herself to tell Gajeel?
"I guess… I was worried that you'd look at me differently," she spoke softly, averting her eyes. He was rubbing her calves soothingly, reassuringly. In a way that told her he wouldn't.
"How much do ya drink, Lev?" He lightly traced the scar on her leg.
He was staring at her with those piercing red eyes, making it impossible for her to look away or avoid the question. "A lot…"
He shook his head in disappointment. Was she truly that miserable? How could she not see that? "Can ya promise me somethin'?"
"Sure."
"Promise me ya won't drink unless yer with me," he said firmly, holding out his pinky. He'd move in next door if it meant he could keep tabs on her. "I know ya drink every mornin'; I was able ta figure that out a while ago. So, yer gonna have ta eliminate that mornin' drink unless we're together."
"That sounds like you want to see me every day," she grinned, locking her pinky with his.
"Why wouldn't I? Matter of fact, I saw some condos fer sale when ya pulled into the complex, an' if ya persuade me, I might he willin' ta move in one of 'em," he smirked, his hands now trailing up and down the entirety of her legs.
"Really? You'd do that?" She sat up in excitement, not even noticing the way his tipsy hands were touching her. "I'd love that! I'd stop by and see you every day before and after work!"
"Just so ya can drink?" He raised a brow, just messing with her.
"No! To see you, obviously!" She swatted at his arm with a giggle. "The alcohol is just a bonus!"
"How's yer boy gonna feel 'bout ya comin' ta see me every day?"
"He'll be alright," she said, leaning back and resting her head on the back of the couch. "I'll tell him what happened and he'll understand."
"Does he know 'bout me?" Gajeel couldn't help but ask. He was now there to pose as a threat, so he needed to know specific things.
Levy looked away and twiddled her thumbs. "He knows I have a best friend that I visit, but… he doesn't know if you're a guy or a girl. I never mentioned your name… but to be fair! He never asked, so…"
Good. "An' does he know 'bout the matchin' tats?"
Levy nodded.
Even better. "Good."
Levy was too buzzed to try and figure out why he had this mischievous look on his face, but what she did want to do was watch some movies. He wouldn't let her drink anymore for the night, so she needed to distract her mind.
"The leasing office is open 'til noon tomorrow, so we can go up there and see about getting you a tour of one of the properties and possibly getting started on the paperwork." She swung her legs off his lap and planted her feet on the floor. Damn. She missed the warmth. She reached for the remote and cycled through her various streaming services. "You sure you don't want to look around first?"
"Why, ya don't want me so close t'ya?" He poked, wondering if she was looking for a scary movie to watch. Maybe he could get her to snuggle up next to him.
"No, no, I do! I just don't want you to miss out on better living spaces just for me, you know?"
"But I want this," he said plainly. "I wanna be as close t'ya as I can be. I need ta make sure yer safe, Lev."
She looked over at him, he was very serious. She appreciated it. "Okay. Thank you, Gajeel."
"Ya don't gotta thank me," he said, mimicking her and swinging his legs off the couch. He bumped shoulders with her. "I would do anythin' ta be close t'ya. I was entrusted by yer mom ta take care of ya, anyway. Can't do that if I'm somewhere else."
He always had this power of making her lose herself in his ruby eyes. But she was strong. "You don't have to take care of me. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."
"I know. But I want ta take care of ya." He said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into him. "Just let me do my thing. Ya need someone lookin' out fer ya these days. Don't push me away, Lev."
"I could never push you away, Gaj," she was still drawn to the deepness of his gaze.
"Wow~ I haven't heard that nickname in ages," he grinned. "Remember when ya used ta call me 'Gajy'?"
She cringed, hating herself for how cheesy she was as a child. She flipped through a few movies she had saved and clicked on one, leaning back and more into him. "Ugh. Don't remind me."
"Call me anythin' ya want, I won't mind." He adjusted so that she could get more comfortable. "Ya can even call me 'daddy' if it tickles yer fancy."
She whipped her head up so fast, she could have given herself whiplash. She was met with a smug and nonchalant look, and he directed his attention to the television. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Of course, he would, but she'd find that out eventually. After all, he was gonna get in that sooner or later. He just had to wait for the right time to pounce. He smirked, not even looking at her. He knew just how to push her buttons. "Ya gonna hit the lights?"
"Oh, yeah," she pulled out her phone, able to control them from there, and dimmed them until they were all the way off. "Better?"
"Much," he rubbed her arm. He was loving every minute of this. He got to hold her, to smell her, to just be in her space in general was the best thing ever. He couldn't wait to make her his forever.
She liked this. She was having a good time, and she was happy. She felt super safe and comfortable against him like this, and it honestly was kind of foreign. She didn't get moments like these with Jet. It was nice to have a friend to hang out with and have movie nights and drink with. She was really lucky to have Gajeel in her life.
She was still a little drunk, so she was more comfortable than she probably should have been. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and snuggled into him a bit more. Even though she just put a movie on, she could feel herself getting sleepy; she'd probably pass out like this and neither of them would mind in the slightest.
"If yer tired, then sleep like this, Shorty," he said, hugging her back and resting his head on hers.
She nodded, yawning sleepily. How did he know?
This was harmless, right? This was a common occurrence between best friends, surely.
Some months later
After some waiting, Gajeel finally got himself just about situated and he couldn't be more relieved. He used the insurance money from his shop to open a new one, and he managed to get lucky and come across a former shop that was much larger and had most of the bigger equipment he needed. He was able to get up and running within the month with help from the stuff from his old shop.
He was true to his word and purchased a condo in the same complex as Levy, and it was really the best thing ever because she was also true to her word and stopped by every day. He felt bad though; he didn't have much furniture and was slowly getting piece by piece as time progressed. Of course, the first thing he bought was a massive bed since he was a real stickler about his rest and mental health.
But that truly was a contradiction since he was madly in love with a taken woman, who just so happened to be his best friend in the entire world. And said woman had a key to his condo and permission to use the place freely whenever she needed to get away from her piece of shit boyfriend.
She knew his work schedule, so sometimes she'd take her work to his place while he wasn't there so she could get some peace and quiet. She sometimes even napped in his bed while he was working.
That didn't scream mental health.
That didn't scream mental health at all.
But what it did scream was 'threat', and he knew it all too well.
You see, Jet was in this motorcycle club that Gajeel was very tempted to join. And said motorcycle club decided to make his shop their go-to spot. Annoying, yes, but it brought in great money, so he wasn't complaining. But he did get to see firsthand how shitty he was.
Him and his fat friend.
Surprisingly enough, Jet still didn't know who Gajeel was, which only made his role as a "boyfriend" shittier, because who the fuck doesn't know who their significant other's best friend was? Especially after being together for so long! He really didn't ask about her life, nor did he even care to know. Why was he even with her in the first place?
Unfortunately, Gajeel knew who Jet was and what he looked like, and it annoyed him that she'd even be with someone so scrawny. He couldn't protect her! He was skin and bones! It bothered him even more that they had the same bike, and it made Gajeel want to trade it in for a new one, and in even more annoyance, their little club frequented his shop at least once a week since they were very active. They got a wash and detail minimum each time they were there!
But they tipped well, so he couldn't complain.
You're not really supposed to tip your mechanic, but he again, prided himself in his exceptional service and it paid off well. He had to admit, they were a nice bunch of folks. Except for two. But however much he detested them, he always did his job and did it right.
Speaking of which… one of the members he took a natural liking to since he was a cool guy and had a cooler bike. He told him that they were all going to get their bikes detailed on Saturday morning, so he had that to look forward to tomorrow.
Today, he took half the day to go buy a couch and a nice flat screen for the living room, and he took solace in the fact that Levy was at his place working. She went into the office maybe two or three times a week, and on the days when she worked from home, she went to his place to avoid seeing Jet and having him ruin her mood.
She needed peace and a clear mind for her translations, and whenever Jet opened his mouth, it made it horribly impossible to concentrate. She was at Gajeel's right now, sitting at the island in the kitchen since he didn't have a desk yet and working on somewhat of a big project.
It was perfect because he was out shopping for furniture and wouldn't be back for a few hours. He was too much of a distraction! But a better distraction than Jet, nonetheless. At least Gajeel didn't piss her off.
She straightened her back and rolled her neck, feeling the muscles tighten. She could really use a desk and a decent chair, but for that, she'd have to go into the office or go home… neither of which she wanted to do.
She picked up her phone and sent a text to Gajeel.
Levy – Can you PLEASE buy a desk? My back and neck are killing me!
She sent that as sort of a joke because it was his place, not hers. What if he didn't want a desk? It wasn't like she'd be doing this forever. Just until…
Gajeel – It was supposed to be a surprise but I already bought one. And a chair you would like. Should be delivered today.
A warm feeling filled her. He was so nice! She didn't expect him to have done that! Well…
She really should have.
He made it very clear that he wanted her to be in his space as much as possible. Why wouldn't he do things to make her comfortable? He spoiled her.
Levy – Thanks! I owe you one!
As soon as she sent that text, her phone started ringing. She rolled her eyes before picking up. "Yes, Jet?"
"Hey! How's the office?"
Oh yeah. Since she wasn't at her place, she just told Jet that she was going into the office instead since all her things were there… which was a bold lie on her end. She had everything she needed in her work bag, but she needed to make it believable, right?
"It's actually quiet, today. My supervisor is on vacation," she said, tapping her pen on the counter. She really wanted to get this conversation over with.
"Oh, nice, nice." He paused briefly. What did he want? "How was your commute?"
To make things solid, she parked her car in Gajeel's garage whenever she went over there. Aside from that, it was strange for him to ask questions like this. "…Jet?"
"What? I can't ask my girlfriend how her day is? Geez."
"It's not that you can't, it's just strange. You never ask."
"You're right, I'm sorry. Trying to do better there."
This was new. What provoked this? "Okay… well, my commute was easy today. Light traffic."
"Good, good. Um, so I actually wanted to run something by you."
Oh great. He was only ever nice when he wanted something. Why was it so hard to find a decent guy? 'I mean, I'm not looking or anything, but…'
She sighed. "What is it?"
"Hey, now, don't be like that! You haven't even heard what it was."
"You're right. Sorry. I'm listening."
"Me and the crew are going on a midnight ride up and down the coast, and after we get out bikes washed in the morning, I wanted to take you somewhere for the weekend."
Her eyes were wide; he'd never offered to take her somewhere! She was always the one asking to go places with him until she stopped. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing! I promise! I'm not hiding anything. I just… I barely see you anymore since your friend moved here. I want some face time with my girl."
Wait. Was he… jealous? He'd always been super possessive of her, but she never left or did anything outside of the house, so he never had a reason to feel like this. 'God, imagine how he'd feel if he knew my best friend was Gajeel.'
"What do you say?"
It didn't sound half bad. "Where are we going?"
"I splurged and got us a room at a small spot in Big Sur! That view is going to be incredible!"
She couldn't deny that. One of her favorite shows had a few scenes in Big Sur. "You mean, your parents splurged."
"However you want to spin it, Levy. You in or out?"
"Wow, it sounds like you'd go with or without me," she joked.
"Well, I kinda already booked the place, and it's non-refundable, so~ yeah. I can't let that go to waste."
"So, you were going to go regardless? What if I had plans?"
"Levy, can we not do this right now? Are you coming or not?"
"Ugh, Jet," she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sure, whatever. Just let me know when we're leaving. It's a six-hour drive."
"Great! You'll have a good time!"
"Can we take your bike?"
He laughed heartily on the other end. "Come on, Levy. You know bikes are for men."
"But you said there's a guy in your crew who rides with his girlfriend!" It wasn't fair! He never let her ride his bike! A small part of her wanted to call him a misogynist, but… was he really?
"Yeah, and that's freaking insane. I keep asking him why he lets her, and he just tells me there's nothing wrong with it. Crazy."
"Jet… that's…" She didn't even want to open that can of worms.
"Crazy, I know. But I'll see you at home. Have a good day at work."
He hung up before she could even say bye. Typical. When was the last time he even told her he loved her? When was the last time she said it to him? Did she even love him anymore?
Did she ever love him?
She looked at her phone, smiling when she saw a reply from Gajeel.
Gajeel – You don't owe me anything shorty.
Right as she was about to respond, her phone rang again. "Ugh! Why is everyone calling me! I have work to do!"
She pressed the dreaded green button. "Hi, Mom."
"Levy! How are you?"
"I'm okay, Mom. Just working." Really. People had the worst timing!
"Speaking of working, Gajeel tells me you've been going over there to work when you're not in the office."
"Geez, are you two best friends, or something?" Levy felt some type of way only because she knew they were up to something behind her back! "What are you two planning?"
"I just told him to keep me updated, that's all. Do you guys have any plans for the weekend?"
"Mom, why would I have plans with him when I'm with Jet? You're making it sound weird!"
"I'm just asking. Why? Do you have plans with Jet?"
"Yeah, actually," Levy leaned back and sighed. "He decided to book us a place somewhere up in Big Sur."
"You don't sound too thrilled. Maybe you shouldn't go."
Gajeel pulled into his garage next to Levy's white BMW, thinking their cars looked nice together. His and hers. A white BMW 530e and a tuned up, fire engine red Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. He tweaked the engine a bit right when he got it and turned it into even more of a beast. It had a deep growl and the exhaust sounded amazing. His car was his baby.
He grabbed the plastic bag that was sitting in the passenger seat and exited his vehicle before digging his keys out of his pocket to open the door. When he stepped in, he heard Levy on the phone with her mom, so she likely didn't hear him come in. Was her mom still keeping up her end of the bargain? He walked up the few steps that led him from the garage door to the main living space, still unnoticed.
"It was kind of sprung on me, so I didn't get the time to be thrilled," Levy said, shuffling papers on the counter.
He couldn't wait for that desk to get there. He wanted to see her comfortable.
"Then don't go. I'm sure you'll have a much better time spending the weekend with—"
"Don't say it," Levy knew she was going to tell her to hang out with Gajeel instead, but…
"Why? Is he there right now?"
"No."
Yes.
But she still didn't notice him sitting on the couch with a smirk on his face.
"Then why can't I say it? Why do you get like this when I mention him?"
Levy sighed heavily. Why did she always find a way to bring him into the conversation? "I don't know, Mom."
"You should be true to yourself, Levy. I don't know why you're fighting it."
What the hell was she talking about?! "I really don't know what you're saying."
'Yeah, ya do,' Gajeel thought to himself. If denial were a person, it'd be Levy!
But that's why he was waiting on her. Because he knew she loved him.
"You know exactly what I'm saying. Just look at you right now. You're in his space constantly because that's where you find peace. You spend more time with him than you do with Jet!"
"How do you even know?" This was another conversation she wanted to end. Feelings for Gajeel? Did she even see him that way? Could she? Wouldn't it make things weird?
They were just best friends, nothing more, nothing less.
"Because he tells me."
"Ugh… I'm trying to work, Mom," she needed to be saved from this conversation! Sometimes her nosy trait was insufferable!
"You just don't want to be told the truth. Did you know that Jet has never once called or checked up on me?"
Her head fell lightly onto the counter. It looked like she was done with work for the day. If it wasn't Jet calling to bother her, it was her mom calling to harass her! She just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a week!
Where was Gajeel when she needed him? 'Wait, what?'
"He's doing better now!" Levy whined.
"Honey, you really need to stop vouching for him. It only makes you look bad."
Gajeel saw how worked up she was getting and decided it was time to intervene. He stood from the lone reclining chair he had in the corner of the living room and made his way to the kitchen.
Levy heard rustling from a bag being placed on the counter and her head shot up, her mood improving drastically when she saw him. And he brought food! What a miracle! She was starving!
"Gotta go! I was just presented with food!"
"Tell him I said hi."
"Hi Misses McGarden," Gajeel greeted, coming around to sit next to her. "I'm takin' good care of her, don't worry."
"Thank you, Gajeel. Lord knows she won't do it herself."
"Gee, thanks," Levy said, digging in the bag and pulling out containers of food.
"Okay, dear. Have a good time this weekend."
"Eh, I dunno about that," Levy mumbled, opening a container to see shrimp fried rice. "Talk to you later! Love you!"
"Love you too, Levy."
She hung up the phone and shoved it into her pocket. She was definitely ignoring her phone for the rest of the day!
"That was brutal," Gajeel said, handing her a fork. "I caught the tail end of it. Sorry she stressed ya out, Lev."
"It's okay," Levy dug into her rice quickly, humming at how good it was. "Thank you so much for the food! You're a lifesaver!"
"Don't mention it," he had an elbow on the counter and his cheek resting in his hand while he watched her put back that rice like she hadn't eaten in days. How could someone be so beautiful? "I knew ya would be hungry since yer not eatin' an' all."
"Yeah!" She looked at him in a playful accusation with a mouthful of food. "I know you're secretly trying to fatten me up!"
"What can I say? I just want ya ta be healthy," He shrugged, opening his container of orange chicken. "So, I hear ya got some big plans this weekend."
"Ugh," she rolled her eyes again. Surely, they'd get stuck back there if she kept doing it! "Yeah, Jet decided he wanted to book us a spot six hours up the coast without telling me."
"Damn, what if I wanted ta take ya somewhere?" Gajeel was a little bummed, but he wasn't going to let that diminish his hope that they'd break up soon.
"I know! I asked him 'what if I already had plans?' and he pretty much told me since it was nonrefundable, he was going with or without me. Asshole!"
"That's shitty," Gajeel took a bite of his chicken, agreeing that it was delicious.
"Yeah, and I even asked him if we could take his bike," she continued, not letting up on her rice.
"Lemme guess, he said no," Gajeel deadpanned. Jet was really the most woman-hating guy he'd ever met, and he was pretty sure he was just using Levy for free cooked food and a place to stay.
"Yeah. Apparently, it's for men only," she sighed. How did she manage to get stuck with him? She really shouldn't have accepted the first guy who crossed her path. "Even when he told me there's a guy who rides with his girlfriend in the group!"
"Yeah, an' they have a good time doin' it, too." Gajeel scoffed. "I dunno what his prejudice against it is, but…"
"Well, whatever," she hopped off her chair and went to the fridge, pulling out two sodas. "It is what it is. Want one?"
He nodded, accepting her offer and agreeing with her statement. "Make sure ya leave next weekend open fer me. I'll take ya fer a ride."
The look on his face made her weak in the knees and she really couldn't explain why! "Was that another dirty joke?"
"Gihi! It was whatever yer naughty little brain wanted it ta be," he laughed as she sat back down next to him.
"Okay, then. I'll leave next weekend open for you."
"That's what I like ta hear, Shorty."
That weekend
It was bright and early Saturday morning, and Gajeel was dreading going into the shop. Not because he disliked his job or anything. He loved his job. It was just the fact that Levy's boy toy was visiting with the rest of his gang and that only meant he had hours of detailing to do. He was so tired, today. Yesterday, the desk he bought for Levy came and they spent time putting that together, and while they were doing that, his couch and flat screen arrived, too.
She helped him set it all up, and by then it was getting dark outside, so they decided to break in the new television and watch shows and movies for the majority of the night. It was easy for her to be there since her boy was out on his midnight drive, and she didn't leave until maybe four or five in the morning.
Of course, while she was there, they drank and talked, just about anything and everything on their minds, and he told her about his plans to expand and hopefully have shops in every state. She told him she wanted to move up in her job so she didn't have to do as much work since sometimes it could get exhausting. She didn't want to bring work home anymore, and she honestly wanted to work fewer hours, but that was probably unrealistic.
He rolled out of bed and trudged to the shower. He always loved their talks. It gave him something new to discover and love about her. He just wished she'd leave that bastard so he could love her properly. He spent his shower fantasizing about how good she'd feel beneath him until it got to the point where he had to solve his growing… problem, which he did frequently while thinking about her.
But he could never tell her that. How creepy would that be?
It was just a bit later in the day, and Jet was on his way to the shop with the rest of his crew. They were a somewhat small group, maybe just a handful of them, but they were always out and about and just driving around like gas was free. Well, it was free for him, since he never paid for anything of his own accord.
Jet came from a very well-off family, and at a certain point, his parents didn't care at all about what he did, as long as he wasn't in their house. To keep him out, they provided him with a credit card and sometimes even cash so he could go and do whatever he wanted. After he moved in with Levy, he dropped out of college because it just wasn't for him, and surprisingly, they didn't cut him off.
He was living the dream. He had money that he didn't have to work for, he had this sweet bike and a cool hobby, and he was living nearly for free in his girlfriend's condo. Things were great. Except for the times when she didn't know her place, but aside from that…
He loved Levy, but his parents were old-fashioned, and it was a trait that was unfortunately passed on to him. He believed that women should cook and clean and that there were certain things reserved for men and men only. Now, granted, he was supposed to be the working man, but she had a really good job, and they both wanted her to keep it, so he just let her.
They've been together now for almost five years, and he didn't see them ever splitting up, but lately… ever since her friend moved to town, he'd barely seen her. He didn't inquire too much about who her friend was, but he was wondering if he should. She wasn't drinking anymore that he knew of, and she'd spend most nights out until the wee hours of the morning. He couldn't really complain too much because even before her friend arrived, he'd usually spend a lot of his time hanging out with Droy. She never said anything about it, so he assumed it was fine.
Thinking more about their relationship, he was kind of getting frustrated. He wanted a kid. He was nearing his thirties and they hadn't ever been close to even having a scare. It was taxing. Sure, they weren't as intimate as they used to be, because why would he want to fuck a defective woman? She'd gone to the doctor some months ago and found out it would be hard for her to have kids, and if she did, she wouldn't carry to full term. He didn't know the exact reason why, nor did he even want to ask and open up pandora's box.
She was so emotional, and her emotions shocked him. She never mentioned wanting kids, at least not to him, anyway. Perhaps this was a conversation they should have… after he took her up the coast today. The point of this trip was to get her drunk and do his best to get her pregnant. Which was his goal every time they were together for the past year. He swore if by next month she wasn't knocked up…
What was he going to do? He didn't want to let her go! She was cute, smart, and she didn't have an issue with his mindset like other girls would… that he knew of. He even thought about adopting, but the more he thought about It, the more he realized he wanted his own.
Because of this, his eyes were wandering, taking notice of other women. He didn't even care that it was a bad thing. Hell, if Levy couldn't have his kids, then maybe someone else would. He wondered how long he'd be able to hide it from her.
It was something that was possible since he barely saw her anyway. He'd get to keep his routine going with Levy, while also fulfilling his dream to have a son! He never planned on leaving her, and if all of a sudden, she tried to? He'd threaten to kill himself. Yeah. 'That'll make her stay, for sure.'
He pulled up to the shop and saw a few of his buddies already there and having their bikes detailed, along with Droy. He parked and went in through the garage, seeing the owner working on one of them. "Wow, detailed by the owner himself! I can expect a job well done, then!"
Gajeel just grunted. He fucking hated this guy. The things he would overhear him and his fat friend talking about were beyond him.
"Yeah, you're late, dude," Droy called out from the couch in the small waiting area.
"My bad," Jet said, investigating the current bike that was being cleaned. "Me and Levy slept in a little bit. She was out late again."
Gajeel was having a hard time holding back a smirk.
"Again?" Droy asked incredulously. "Ya think she's cheating on you?"
'I fuckin' wish!' Gajeel thought to himself.
"She wouldn't," Jet said casually, heading over to the couch. "I'm taking her up to Big Sur after this, you know, so I can…"
Gajeel was trying his hardest to hear what Jet was saying. He had his own selfish reason for taking her there? Not just out of the goodness of his heart?
"Still trying, huh?" Droy asked knowingly, pulling out his phone.
Trying what?! It was driving Gajeel insane.
"Yeah, man. Still. If there's no change in the next two months, I dunno what I'm gonna do!"
"Here, check this out," Droy handed him his phone.
"She's hot. Did you message her?"
"Nope, not yet. I was waiting to see what you thought. She says she's also desperately wanting a kid, so I told her I'd give her your number."
"Shit! Thanks!" Jet copied her number and programmed it into his phone, thinking of reaching out to her now, or wondering if he should wait a few more months. "Your bike done yet?"
"No, he's working on Laxus', now. But I'm next."
"Where is he, anyway?" Jet asked, looking around the shop for him and his girlfriend.
"They walked up the street for coffee with Gil," Droy explained.
"And you didn't go with them? That's surprising."
"Yeah, well I wanted to show you this girl first," Droy stood from the couch and dropped a hand on Jet's shoulder. "But now, we can go met up with them and come back when our bikes are done."
"Sure, okay."
Gajeel was pissed. So, the little twat wanted a baby and for some reason, it wasn't happening with Lev, so he decides to have one behind her back?! Is that what he was taking her away for? To try to impregnate her? What the fuck kind of bullshit was that?! He was one hundred percent certain that they never talked about it, so why was he basically forcing this on her?! If she doesn't want one, then she doesn't want one!
He tossed and turned with the idea of telling her about Jet's malicious plans, but… they were in a relationship. Pregnancies in relationships happen. But at the same time, babies behind someone's back don't happen too often, and he figured that was definitely something worth telling her.
But again came his reluctance, because what if he were to tell her and she thinks he's lying or something? He doesn't have concrete proof! She'd hate him for trying to break them up, and she'd think he's doing it just because he wants her! He hated this! But what this did do was create another topic for them to discuss.
What were her thoughts on kids? Did she even want one? And if she did, he hoped to God she didn't want one with that guy.
He definitely did, though. He wanted at least two, but the woman he wanted to have those kids with was possibly about to have them with someone else. As bad as it sounded, he really hoped that scrawny jerk couldn't do the job. He couldn't imagine her being happy with that outcome if she was already this miserable now.
But this whole thing brought forth some concern from Gajeel. If Jet had really been trying for however long, then… was everything okay on her end? 'Maybe he's just shootin' blanks. Could never be me.' He decided to keep a positive face for now until he heard it from her directly. But would she even tell him? It was a bit on the personal side, and they really didn't talk about their sex lives with each other.
Something he appreciated greatly.
Why would he tell her that he'd only been with one other woman because he was waiting on someone else? How pathetic would that have sounded? And the last thing he wanted to hear about was her terrible sex with that guy… well, maybe he did.
Not in a creepy way, of course, but in an ego-inflating way. No doubt about it his moves were better than Jet's, and he would like nothing more than to show her. 'Soon.' It had to be soon.
He had to keep the promise he gave to her mom. He just needed an opening.
