Wait, he said what?

The trip up to Big Sur was… interesting to say the least. The whole time, Jet had been so sweet to her. She hadn't seen this side of him in a while. And when they started to butt heads, he'd end it before it escalated. They made their six-hour drive and got there just in time to check in since it was a late reservation, and they spent Saturday evening on the patio overlooking the Pacific and talking and learning things about one another that neither of them knew.

She had to say, it was the nicest time she's had with him, and it was the most cordial conversation they had in a while. She learned so much about him and vice versa, and she was relieved that he didn't ask who her friend was. She knew by now that he frequented Gajeel's shop, but she knew he wouldn't do or say anything to Jet to let him know who he really was.

They had a nice dinner, and Jet offered her alcohol, which she really wanted, but she couldn't break her promise. She remembered him being taken aback when she denied it, and he was a little pushy with it, but he let up when she kept telling him no. Why was he so intent on getting her drunk? Couldn't they have a good time without it? Besides, Gajeel was right. She drank too much and needed to cut back, or it could be detrimental to her health.

After they ate and relaxed, he brought her inside and laid in front of the fireplace with her, listening to her talk about current events in her life and at work before having a very intimate night, which… well, let's just say she didn't get there, but it was still intimate, nonetheless. Usually, he would only focus on him, giving her a few quick pumps until he finished and that was that, but this time it was a little different. He took it slow and lasted longer than a few minutes this time. He still wasn't really focused on her apex, but it was still better than usual.

Honestly, Levy had only been with Jet, so she didn't have anything to compare it to. As far as she knew, this was the best sex she could ever get, and if she wanted to get off, she'd have to do it herself. She was used to it, so it wasn't a big deal.

Overall, she had a really nice time. Yet, there was a tiny voice in the back of her head that she was trying her hardest to suppress making her wonder what it would have been like if she had gone up to Big Sur with Gajeel. Why the hell was he infiltrating her thoughts in such a way? She'd never thought about him like that, so why was it creeping into her mind all of a sudden? They never shared any super intimate moments that she could remember, but… he was a huge entity in her life. Big enough to where if he somehow dropped off the face of the earth, she'd break down and not be able to function for quite some time. She'd probably even quit her job and move back home… or to the island her mom went to, she guessed.

Her feelings weren't that drastic for Jet.

Why? They had a totally different relationship than the one she had with Gajeel, so she should feel that way about Jet, instead.

But she didn't.

While she loved them both, the love she had for Gajeel was completely different from the love she had for Jet, and if she had to explain it, she wouldn't know how! The only thing she knew was, if she were faced with an ultimatum where she had to choose between Gajeel or Jet, Gajeel would win with no hesitation. Whatsoever.

And that was kind of bad, right?

They did spend the majority of their lives together, and she still felt a pang of hurt in her stomach for leaving him like she did. But he was so forgiving, so kind. He truly was one in a million, and any girl that got to have him would be extremely lucky.

But… she didn't know if she wanted him to date anyone.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" Jet asked, noticing she had been staring quietly through the window for the past twenty minutes. They were on their way back home and just about halfway there, but she'd been so quiet, he had to know what was on her mind.

"Nothing, really. Just thinking about what a good time I had," she looked over with a smile, trying to pack those strange thoughts away.

"It was a good time, wasn't it?" Jet glanced over, feeling very hopeful about last night. In his eyes, he did so well and she loved every minute of it. He was confident in his work and expected results in the next month. 'If she gets her period, then I'm going to be fucking pissed!'

Aside from that, he felt their relationship improved a lot last night. With all the talking and listening and bonding and stuff, he felt like they got a lot closer.

Though, if he had to put his finger on something, she was still weird about her tattoo. She would never let him get near it for some reason. Anytime he tried to touch it or kiss it, she'd cover it or back away, saying something about it being sensitive. He knew it was a matching tattoo with her best friend, so maybe that was weird to her.

Whatever. He wouldn't stress about it.

"Thanks for being nice to me," Levy genuinely meant it. Every time they spoke for more than a few hours, somehow, someway, they'd fight.

"Heh, I gotta be nice sometimes or you'll try to leave me," he said jokingly, but he was all too serious.

Levy stayed silent pretty much for the rest of the ride thinking about her future. 'Try to leave him…' Did she see a future with Jet? Sure, she was comfortable, but was he someone she saw herself dealing with for the rest of…

For the rest of what? Her life?

God no.

But until when?

What did she see in her future?

Again, she found herself struggling to keep that tiny voice in her head at bay, that voice telling her exactly who she saw in her future. She just didn't want to admit it.

But it was Gajeel, her best friend in the whole world! Why—no, how could she even see him that way? How would that even work in the first place? He's so massive compared to her! 'Oh, God!' She was sure her face was beet red by now!

It… wasn't a bad thought.

It still surprised her, though. It also kind of made her laugh because it would never happen, anyway. Her and Gajeel? His large frame hovering over hers small? All that hair that would surround them in their own little world? Those large arms wrapped around her waist while his lips caressed her?

She inadvertently squeezed her thighs together. Would he be rough with her? 'He seems like the type.' Jet was always… simple and fast. One position, and one position only. Nothing kinky or out of his comfort zone.

Vanilla.

But again, that's all she'd experienced.

She wasn't dumb. She'd watched porn before; she knew there were different ways to have sex, but she was used to Jet and how he did things. She'd always been curious, but never enough to want to try something different.

Well, let's rephrase that.

She did want to try something different, and she asked a few years ago, but with him being the type of person he was, his immediate answer was "no." So, she just packed away those thoughts, never to be heard again. It wasn't really a big deal, so it was easy to not think about.

But she couldn't help but know that it would be the opposite with Gajeel. He would be completely carnal with her. He'd probably eat her alive. How could a very, very, small part of her not be curious? 'Just a minuscule thought, nothing major!'

"You alright, Levy?" Jet asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She whipped her head to the side, meeting a slightly concerned Jet. "Yeah, why?"

"You're really quiet, and your face is all red!"

Oops. She was so embarrassed! How could she call herself a girlfriend when she's thinking about getting laid by someone else? Right after she spent a decent night with her significant other? She was such a terrible person for that!

She could hear Gajeel's voice now. 'Clearly, ya weren't satisfied.' But she was! …wasn't she? "Sorry, I'm just a little warm, I guess."

"Why didn't you say anything? I would have turned the AC on!" He turned a knob and the cool air flooded the car. "Geez, don't be dumb."

"Rude," she rolled her eyes and focused on the foliage whizzing by the window again.

"Sorry, but it's the truth," he said, suddenly annoyed. "If you're hot, why would you just sit in silence? You're your own worst enemy sometimes."

'Well, I wasn't really hot!' But to be honest, she deserved that. She shouldn't have been thinking about someone else like she was. "…sorry."

So much for a good ending to a good weekend.


The first thing Jet did when they got home was his usual; hopping on his bike and driving off to go do who knows what, so Levy took it upon herself to walk down the street to Gajeel's place.

She missed him tons. This was the first time she'd gone almost two full days without seeing him since he'd been here! It was Sunday evening, so he should be home. She got to his condo and saw his bright red car parked in the driveway, her heart skipping a beat.

What the hell was that all about?!

She skipped up his steps and stood in front of the camera he had above his doorbell, a wide smile on her face. "Gajeel~ I'm coming in!"


Gajeel was in the shower, washing all the grease and grime from his body, and unaware that Levy was welcoming herself in. He was actually thinking about her right that moment, wondering how she was feeling and if she had a good time with her boy toy.

He was hoping she had a horrible time. He was hoping that she would come over upset or crying just so he could console her. He knew that was a really bad thing to wish for, but her being with that asshole had to have been worse.

He already knew he was a selfish man.

But he was a selfish man with good intentions for Levy.

He wanted to swoop in and be her shoulder to cry on, because, 'a shoulder ta cry on is a dick ta ride on.' He chuckled to himself at his dirty joke as he stopped the water and stepped onto his floor mat.

"Tch. She knows she wants this." He stood in the large mirror, looking at the entirety of his body. He didn't work out too much, he was just naturally built. Strong. Handsome. Smart. Hung. And best of all, nice. Way nicer than that skinny douche. She should really be honest with herself! She's already all over him and she doesn't even know it! "I mean, look at me! I'm hot!"

He toweled himself off and hung it back up on the rack, enjoying the steamy bathroom. His favorite part was opening the door and stepping into the cool air. It was refreshing. He could never walk around naked in his old house since his dad still lived there, but here? He did it every chance he got!

In another life, he could have been a nudist!


"Huh, he's not in the basement… he's not in the kitchen or living room…"

Levy could only assume he was laying down, watching a show, or something, so she trekked down the short hallway and through his open bedroom door, glancing around. He wasn't in bed either! She looked towards the closed bathroom door. Maybe he was in there.

"Alright, I'll just tell him through the door that I'm here," she said to herself as she approached the door.

A wild choice on her end, because as soon as she was about to speak up, the door swung open, and an unsuspecting, nude Gajeel walked right into her, sending her stumbling backward and him tumbling forward, landing on top of her in a pretty dramatic fall to the floor.

She was frozen in place, having just thought about this not too long ago! How in the world did this happen?! Why was he was naked?! And why did he feel so good pressed against her like this?! When they fell, he held her tight to try to cushion the blow for her, and she held onto him, unintentionally getting a good feel of him. She planted her hands on his very firm chest and gave no semblance of effort to push him off of her. "G-Gajeel!"

Okay. This was…

He was stunned, not expecting this event to happen at all! Sure, overall, this was what he wanted, but not like this! But on the plus side, 'on many plus sides,' she had her hands all over him! He didn't think she realized it, but she got a really good feel of the muscles in his back before she felt up his chest. Was she supposed to be pushing him off?

She wasn't doing a very good job.

But what she really needed to do was keep her hands off unless she wanted this to escalate. He was already hard! Geez, she was going to see that! But wait! Maybe this was a good thing! He wasn't anywhere near ashamed of his body, and he honestly really wanted her to see it, anyway.

But what he didn't want to do was make her uncomfortable.

"Oh, shit! Fuck!" He lifted his head and looked into a pair of wide, slightly curious eyes. That didn't look like the face of someone who was uncomfortable! "I'm so sorry, Lev!"

"It-it's okay, it was my fault!" She saw him trying to lift his upper body off of her and her eyes were drawn to the intricate tattoo on his chest. 'Yes!' She wanted to get a closer look at it, anyway, but as he was wriggling around… something else had gotten her attention. "Wait!"

"Ya already copped a feel, what? Ya want another one?" He grinned wildly at her, watching her face get even redder than it already was.

"N-No!" She averted her eyes. She did not! And she wasn't going to get tripped up on his words, either! "It's… it's… your…!"

Oh. 'Oh.' She felt him. 'Fuck!' He really didn't know what to do in this situation! Now she at least knew his dick liked her! It was him that was embarrassed, now. "Alright, Shorty. Close yer eyes, an' I'll get up an' cover myself."

He… didn't have to, but she wasn't going to say that out loud! Her hands were still on his chest just lingering… while their eyes were locked in a strangely comfortable gaze. Why did this feel so natural?

"O-Okay," she said timidly as he slowly lifted himself off her. She put her hands over her eyes while he moved, her curiosity getting the best of her. She peeked through the cracks in her fingers and… just wow.

She was a sneaky little minx, peeking through her fingers like that. He wasn't blind! But it did make him feel good that she wanted to see his body. He moved slowly just for her enjoyment, his body rising from hers. She was so warm, she felt so perfect under him, and judging by her reaction, he knew for a fact now that he'd be getting in that soon. Would she deny him if he advanced? Would she push him away?

Probably not.

He stood up, his manhood at full attention caused by the vixen laying on the floor sneakily watching him. He couldn't help himself. He had to tease her. "Ya like what ya see, Lev? I see ya lookin'."

She huffed, she knew he saw her staring! So, she did the most obvious thing she could do at that moment and dropped her hands. Which was a mistake! He still had that wild grin on his face, a smug look saying, 'I knew it!' Well, he was an absolutely gorgeous specimen!

His body was top-tier, and he was working with a lot. Everything about him was visually perfect! From the way his long dark hair contrasted with his olive skin, the piercings, the tattoo, his broad chest and shoulders, his abs, his long, toned legs, and the way he was so hard for her…

Look at her. Mouth gaping like a fish out of water. She had zero issue drinking in the sight of him, and she clearly wasn't put off by this at all! He had a chance! He raised his arms, flexing his muscles for her. "Cat got yer tongue? This is all yers if ya take it."

She pushed herself off the floor and stood in front of him, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to let this get her all tripped up! "You should put some clothes on!"

"Why should I? When yer enjoyin' the view?" He said, mimicking her and crossing his arms with a smirk. Was this a common occurrence between best friends?

"Ugh!" Levy rolled her eyes. He was right, but she wasn't going to tell him that! She poked his chest. "Look, you're just naked. It's natural. It's nothing to be bothered by!"

Oh, so she was just going to completely gloss over the fact that he was hard as a rock? He supposed that was smart, but as long as she was standing in front of him with that beautifully curious look on her face, he wasn't getting soft anytime soon. He watched as her eyes fell, looking at him.

"Ya sure ya ain't bothered?" He leaned into her space, raising a brow. "Ya been lookin' at my dick fer a while, now."

Her eyes snapped back up to his, when did she start looking down there?! 'Oh my God!' She poked at his chest again. "Just get dressed!"

"Okay, Shorty," he let out a small chuckle, before turning around and walking to his closet. He was probably going to have to take care of his… problem again, but he couldn't very well do it while she was right there! 'Guess I'm gonna be uncomfortable fer a bit.'

When he turned around, she got a good look at his tight butt. It looked so good. Hell, his whole body looked good! Her stomach fluttered when she saw their matching tattoo on his shoulder, satisfied that she had claim on a part of his body. 'Why the hell am I thinking like this?!'

All those thoughts she was trying to keep locked away, those thoughts whispering to indulge in the man in front of her, they were screaming now. She wanted to jump him. She wanted to eat him up. And what was strange about it was that it didn't even feel weird to think about! Could she cross that line with her best friend? There was no turning back if she did.

Whatever. She'd just have to take those thoughts to the grave because she was in a happily committed relationship with Jet.

Yeah.


"Did ya have a good time with yer boy?"

After their… mishap, they ordered takeout and hung out in his living room. He couldn't wait to furnish his basement and turn it into a movie room. He had a bunch of ideas, most of them accommodating to Levy since she spent a lot of time there, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He wanted this to be as safe a space for her as possible.

He wanted her to be comfortable. And happy.

To be honest, he wasn't sure how she'd react after all that happened. He was expecting her to be awkward, or to avoid him or something, but she was her usual, cheerful self. She actually didn't mind seeing him naked! He should have known she'd be okay with it with how she felt him up. Her hands felt amazing on him, and even though she had clothes on, he still got to feel a little bit of skin-on-skin action.

He couldn't wait to have her.

"Yeah, it was okay. The best part was the scenery." She had a movie playing in the background, mainly as white noise as they talked. Honestly, she was having a really hard time forgetting the events that just occurred, and she would likely have a hard time forgetting them for a long time, if ever.

But it wasn't a bad thing. It only gave her something to fantasize about at night.

Gajeel was curious about Jet's conquest to knock her up, but he couldn't very well just ask her something like that outright. He hated the bastard for even coming up with a plan without her knowledge maliciously like that! He took pride in the fact that he was the complete opposite of that douche.

"Ya mean, ya enjoyed the outdoors more than the time ya spent with yer boy toy? Rude," he joked, pointing his fork at her.

"Well, I mean," she started, not knowing what to say. She would have rather taken that trip with Gajeel. He would have appreciated the view. "It was really pretty."

"Gihi! Why're ya even still with him, Lev?" He asked like he always did. "I know yer comfortable, but maybe ya should take a step outside yer comfort zone."

"I know," she grumbled. "I just hate breakups. We've been together for so long…"

"An' he hasn't tried ta marry ya yet? Ridiculous." If it were Gajeel, he'd have her locked down in a year!

"He never even mentioned it," she said, taking a bite of food. "Not that I even want that."

"Ya don't wanna marry him?" He was holding back pure excitement for her answer. That only meant his chances with her were rising.

"Absolutely not!"

"Then I assume havin' his kids are off the table," Gajeel said nonchalantly, a little too interested in his food.

Levy looked over at him, wondering where that came from. It was kind of a sensitive topic, but it was Gajeel. She could talk to him about anything. "I… don't think I can have kids. But even if I could, he'd be the last person I'd want them with."

Gajeel paused, she was solemn and quiet. He was afraid there was something going on and it only made his heart break for her. This must have been a hard thing to say out loud. "Sorry, Shorty. I… didn't know."

"No, it's okay, I don't mind talking to you about it," she said, directing her attention back to her food. "I guess there's something wrong with my body, I don't know. If some miracle were to happen and I were to get pregnant, I'd probably lose it."

God, how depressing! That… really sucked. He wanted her to have his kids! But that didn't mean he couldn't give it a shot. Who knew? Maybe his swimmers were stronger than Jet's. "Fuck, Lev. Do ya even want kids in the first place?"

"I've always wanted kids! So for this to happen to me is absurd!" She was exasperated, to say the least. "But maybe it's a good thing I can't, because like I said, I sure as hell don't want them with Jet!"

Would she… want them with him? Gajeel couldn't help but wonder. "Well, let's me an' you try ta go half on a kid. We can co-parent!"

There went the selfish side of him. She just told him she couldn't, and yet he still wanted to try. 'Why am I like this?!'

She looked over at him all wide-eyed again. What was he suggesting…? "Are you… trying to adopt, or something?"

He scoffed. Of course, she'd ignore the obvious. "Sure, Shorty."

"While that idea sounds fun and all, I couldn't do that while I'm with Jet."

That statement annoyed Gajeel, only because Jet was trying to do that to her! But that annoyance was quickly extinguished by her words. She said it sounded fun? That wasn't a no! "Hm. Just know, the offer will always stand."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," she gave a small smile, the idea of having a kid with Gajeel never crossing her mind until now. It really didn't sound too bad. She'd grown up with him, she knew his habits and traits, she knew that the kid would definitely be raised right and have a good life. He was a good man.

Maybe they could co-parent.

But, again, that was just her best friend, nothing more, nothing less. Wouldn't it be weird to adopt a baby with him?

'Levy… you know he's not talking about adoption…' That voice in her head made its presence known, telling her something she subconsciously already knew but didn't want to admit. Even still, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

If she weren't broken.

Three months later

Every time Jet showed up at his shop, he had to fight the intense urge to beat his ass. Because every time he showed up, Gajeel would overhear shit he didn't want to hear. Ninety-nine percent of it was trash talk about Levy. He couldn't take it! He was going to snap one day and have to deal with the consequences later!

Lately, the talk had been about her not getting pregnant and him talking to some tramp behind her back. Gajeel didn't know if he'd actually cheated yet, but he definitely wanted to!

He just wanted to grab him by his scrawny little neck and beat him to a pulp! And the worst part about all this was Levy was none the wiser about it! She hadn't the slightest clue that her "boyfriend" was actually dirt. From the ground. No. He was shit. From an animal's ass.

And no matter how many times he tried to gently tell Levy, she'd just brush it off like it wasn't a big deal! What the fuck was that all about?! He'd tell her that he doesn't really say nice things when he's at the shop and her response would be something along the lines of, 'what he says to his friends is none of my business.'

Why the fuck did she keep defending him?! It infuriated him more and more as time progressed!

It seemed like he was going to have to intervene soon, or she'd never know her worth!

Today, by far, was the worst.

Jet had to have come in having a bad day, also needing general maintenance on his bike. Given his attitude, no doubt about it they were going to fight tonight. Then, he'd be expecting her to show up at his door, and he'll do what he does best, consoling her from the fucking friend zone.

She'd leave him eventually.

That's what he had to keep telling himself.

He was going crazy.

"I can't fucking take it, man," Jet said to Droy. "It's been too damn long. Why is there a woman like that that exists? It's dumb!"

"Still nothing?" The fat one asked.

"I told her this morning she should go back to the doctor to see what other options there are, and she basically fucking told me no. I just had to leave, you know?"

"So she knows, now?"

"I'm just so pissed! What's the point of a woman who can't have kids?!"

Gajeel's blood was boiling. What a dick! It was to the point where he wanted to call it a day early and head home. He couldn't stand to be in the same vicinity as that guy! He couldn't beat his ass, he couldn't say anything, or Levy would hate him forever! He stopped what he was doing, telling one of his employees to take over for the day.

After he washed his hands, he grabbed his keys and just as quickly hopped on his bike and left. Fuck them. He wasn't going to even give them the courtesy of telling them he was leaving!

He still had his temper, and that was why he stayed away from people; people were dumb. And if he would have stayed and listened to that stupid conversation, he probably would have gotten arrested.

He needed a drink.


It was around ten at night and Gajeel was laying in bed and watching television, pleasantly drunk. He'd been drinking slowly all day, so he was in a much better mood than before. Why did she choose that asshole? Why didn't she see the love he had for her? It was clear as day!

He loved her regardless of if she could have kids or not.

That didn't mean he wouldn't try, though. You know, once he got ahold of her.

He turned his glass up to his mouth, polishing it off. He really should stop for the night, but he was kind of depressed. This whole 'being in love with your best friend' thing was finally starting to take its toll on him and he didn't know how much longer he could wait.

He tried going to sleep, but he was restless. His thoughts of her were too intense. 'Fuck, I really shoulda stopped a few glasses ago.' He had a tendency to get emotional when he was a certain level of drunk and he'd crossed that threshold a while ago.

He tried to avoid getting this drunk around her because he knew he'd end up saying some crazy shit to her. Nothing bad, just those thoughts he'd keep to himself and never tell her. He was afraid if she saw him like this right now, he'd end up confessing.

Like he tried to do thirteen years ago.

He dragged a hand down his face in despair before getting startled by his phone vibrating. He picked it up, it was the motion sensor camera on his doorbell. Lo and behold it was Levy, standing at his door with a bottle in hand, fumbling with the key. Why did she look so angry?

Oh yeah. He did predict they'd fight tonight, and judging by the look on her face, he was right. 'I don't want her ta see me like this!'

Nothing good could come from whatever was going to happen soon… or maybe so.

"Gajeel!" Levy huffed, fresh tears staining her cheeks. She couldn't believe he said that to her! Ugh! Some things she could tolerate, but other things hit a little too hard! She kicked her shoes off, not even caring where they went before setting the bottle down on the counter.

Gajeel threw on a shirt and came out of his room in a hurry; he could hear the pain in her voice. What did that bastard say to her, now?

"Gajeel!" She really needed him. She didn't know what he was going to do or how he was going to help, all she knew was she needed to be in his presence. When he came down the hall with open arms, she nearly ran into them, burying her face in his chest. He smelled so good.

"Levy! What's wrong? What happened?" He slid a hand into her hair to calm her down like he'd done since they were teens. She smelled like she'd been drinking. He sighed. "Talk ta me, Lev."

She just wanted to stay like that forever. She was always at peace when she was in his arms. So much at peace, that her tears started flowing again. She couldn't keep her emotions from him ever. Why did she choose to date an asshole? Why was she so scared to leave him?

"Lev," he pried her away from him and held her face. He'd seen her sad, but never this broken up before. He was already in his own feelings, and the look in her eyes made him shatter. He pulled her back in, holding her tight. "Ya been drinkin'…"

"I know…" her voice was muffled by his shirt. "I only had a few drinks…"

He glanced over at the bottle on the counter. It was maybe about a third empty.

"Just… please," she lifted her head, her eyes pleading for him to let her have more. "Please let me drink until I can't remember anything tonight."

"Lev," he smoothed her hair back, his mind also clouded from the liquor. He knew whatever he said was probably in relation to what he heard at his shop earlier, which was downright evil. If it just so happened that it was what he said to her, he was going to go over there and beat him down.

"C-Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked, looking at him with watery eyes. She really couldn't go back there tonight. Not after he fixed his lips to say that to her! She'd be more comfortable with Gajeel, anyway.

Whoa. What the fuck did he say to her?! "Ya never have ta ask me that, Lev. Yer always welcome here. That's why ya have a key."

He kissed her forehead before ushering her into his room. "I'm gonna grab yer bottle an' meet ya back here. Get comfortable, make yerself at home."

He walked over to the counter and picked up her… 'bottle of Jameson. Damn.' Why did he kiss her forehead? Fuck, this alcohol was going to make him do some shit he was going to regret, he could already tell.

As he was mentally scolding himself, he went back to his room and shut the door, seeing her curled up in a ball on his bed. Man, what he would give to curl himself around her. He tossed the bottle on the bed and followed suit, plopping down on the bed and stretching out next to her.

When she heard him come back to the room and lay down, she rolled over and attached herself to him like a magnet. "G-Gajeel…?"

He laid on his side facing her, with her flush against his body and an arm holding her securely. "Hm?"

"Am I broken?"

Broken? What the hell? She was perfection. He looked at her, she was serious! "Is that what that fuckin' bastard said t'ya?!"

She avoided his gaze and nodded slightly.

He actually went home and said that shit to her?! He was so angry, he sat up and grabbed the bottle, quickly unscrewing the lid and taking a large swig. He handed her the bottle so she could drink, too. She definitely needed it tonight. "Tell me exactly what happened."

She sat up with him and drank. Her goal was to get blackout drunk tonight. She didn't want to remember the pain. She didn't want to think about her awful choices. She just wanted to be numb. She wiped her face and pulled herself together, taking deep breaths to even herself out.

"He… hasn't touched me since our trip up the coast three months ago, and I asked him why…"

She handed him the bottle and he took another drink, passing it back to her for her to do the same. He brushed stray locks away from her face, hating how puffy her eyes were from crying.

"He said… 'why would I screw you if you're defective?'" She sobbed, holding onto his shoulders. "He called me 'damaged goods', Gaj, damaged goods!"

Yep. That was the final straw. He was drunk as fuck and had no inhibitions, so he was going to go over there and beat the shit out of him! He stood drunkenly, his hands curled into fists. "I'm gonna kill 'em, Lev."