Sacrament
"Ya sure 'bout this Levs?"
"Gajeel, we've been trying to organise something for the last how many years?" Levy huffed, all but stomping around the room as she tidied up the mess of the day. "Everyone seems to have an opinion - hell, even Igneel does! I don't want to remember it like this, it's meant to be just one day about you, about us!"
"So fuck 'em. Who cares wha' they're all sayin'. Le's jus' do it our way" he dropped the basket of washing on the couch, gathering the flustered bluenette in his arms. "T'morrow. Jus' th' three o' us. We'll sneak away an' jus' git it over wit'."
"Gee, that doesn't make it sound like torture or anything" she giggled, relaxing into his hold. "I don't have anything to wear."
"Don' wear anythin' then" he laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest against her ear. "I don' care wha yer wearin', Kitten. I jus' wanna marry yer already"
Unfortunately, best laid plans of men and all - they got sprung by a very irate blonde and her highly amused fiancee on their way into the courthouse.
"Gajeel Redfox!"
He'd winced at the shrill sound of his name being screeched down the echoey corridors, the sound reverberating off the concrete and stone of the corridor.
"How dare you try and pull a stunt like this!"
"Uhhh, mornin' t' ya too, Lucy?"
"Oh, don't you 'morning Lucy' me, you brute!" She marched right up to him, jabbing a long and perfectly manicured nail into his chest. "You do not get to sneak away at the crack of dawn and get married like this! And you!" she whirled to face Levy, who's smile quickly fell when Lucy set her sights on her. "You of all people should know better" the blonde hissed out, shaking her finger in front of the bluenette who, unlike her fiancee, had the good sense to look at least a little sheepish.
"I'm sorry Lu! But this whole wedding thing has been nothing but stress! I don't care whether things are ivory or ecru, or what kind of flowers represent whatever! I just want to marry the man I love, finally share the same name as my daughter. Nothing else matters to me, not like that".
Lucy looked between the couple who were now arm in arm, cuddled together with their daughter held securely on her Daddy's hip, and felt all her anger just melt away.
"Okay. Give me" she hummed, looking at her watch. "Six hours. Yeah, that should do it. Gajeel, go with Natsu. Emme, you want to come with your Mama and I?" Lucy giggled at the girl squirmed from her father's arms and ran towards her, wrapping her arms around her aunt's legs. "Well? Go on - shoo!" she ushered the boys away, pulling her phone out and firing off a string of text messages so fast that Levy could barely see her fingers moving across the screen.
Which was precisely how, exactly six hours later, Gajeel found himself wearing half a suit and standing under the blooming Magnolia tree in a very private corner of the town's botanical gardens. He had no idea how she'd done it - had no idea how Lucy did half the things she did, including putting up with his moronic cousin - but somehow she'd pulled together a wedding in half a day. It wasn't huge, wasn't fancy, and he wasn't drowning in anything other than his nerves - a fact which amused his father to no end, his red eyes sparkling as he silently teased his son, mimicking the way he twitched and shifted in anticipation.
"Oi, quit squirming boy. Anyone'd think ya got fleas".
"Shuddup Pops. Yer can't tell me ya weren't nerv's when ya married Ma"
"Nervous? Brat, I damned near ran from that church. Not 'cause I didn't love yer Ma, I loved that woman like I love breathin', but because gettin' married? 's a big deal, son."
"I love her, Dad. An' Emme, both o' 'em, like yer wouldn't believe. But, wha' if I ain't good enough? Wha' if I screw up, hurt 'em?"
"That's the secret, lad. As long as ya want to be enough, yer'll be alright. Even if ya do fuck it up - again - yer'll be okay. Those girls love you, Gajeel, though fucked if I know why, an' if ya love them back? Not much else matters". He clapped his son on the shoulder, reassuring him as Lucy came into view, her smile so contagious that even Gajeel felt his lips twitch upwards at the edges.
Then, his girls came into view and he damn near forgot how to breath at the sight of them.
Emme's hair had been brushed, flowers woven throughout the curls that fell around her face as wild as ever. Her sundress was tied with a bow, the yellow and white skirts swaying as she bounced along, little hand firmly grasping her mothers as they crested the hill.
And Levy. His Levy. A braid was taking the place of her usual headband, the blue strands left down curling softly against her bare shoulders, teasing his eyes to follow the pale creamy skin down into the sweetheart neckline of her dress, sleeves sitting daringly on her upper arms. Her waist seemed impossibly tiny, right where the skirts flared out to stop at her knees, a flash of yellow peeking out under the white as she walked. Her face was radiant, relaxed as she caught his eyes and smiled so brightly, the warmth of it chased away any lingering doubts Gajeel had of not being enough. She believed in him - in them - and that was all he needed.
"Daddy!" Emme broke away from her mother, taking a running leap into her father's arms and kissing him on the cheeks. "Daddy, look! Mama's pretty!"
"Yer Mama's always beautiful, baby. Yer dress is pretty!" he set her down, laughing as she ran two steps and demanded her grandfather pick her up.
"Hi, you" Levy's voice was soft as she stopped in front of him, smile shy as she gazed up at him through thick dark lashes. Clearly, no one had even tried to argue with him about wearing a suit - not that she minded at all. It wasn't him to get dressed up, and he looked downright alluring in his usual boots, tight dark trousers, an unbuttoned white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, and a waistcoat that matched his pants. "You look damn fine today".
"Hi yerself, gorgeous. Yer so beautiful, Levs".
"Yes, yes, you're a fine looking couple who make adorable babies" Acnologia piped up, having to come stand in front of the couple. "Please make more at some point. Now, can we move on to the reason we're here?"
"You mean Lucy?" Levy joked, winking over her shoulder at the blonde who just laughed, gesturing her to turn back around.
"Heaven's sake." The older man sighed, shaking his head good naturedly. "Yes, Lucy - thank you for pulling this together on such short notice. Although, if these two weren't so ridiculous, you wouldn't have needed to. Levy? Brat? Please join hands."
"Wait, yer gonna marry us?" Gajeel turned his head, incredulous that his uncle was even thinking about doing such a thing.
"Yes, boy. I am both qualified and licensed, so if there aren't any further objections" he raised his voice to cut into Gajeel's whispers of "did you know he could do that?" with Levy, who just giggled. "Boringly, I have to tell you that I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to the law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence, and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to the law, is the union of two people, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life. Very boring, I agree. Let's move on, who wants to go first?"
"Oh, I guess I will? If that's alright?" Levy waited for any objections, but when they never came, she took a steadying breath, looking straight up into Gajeel's eyes as she began to speak. "Gajeel. There are things you cannot know before you experience them. No study can prepare you for the joys - or the trials. Because no one else's love, no one else's relationship, is ours. We are a song that did not exist before we began to sing it, together. I love you, in all your brilliance and all your pain, on your good days and your bad. You are, and have always been, the only one for me. I promise to love and support you, to celebrate in your triumphs and to carry you when the darkness is too heavy to bear alone. Rich or poor, sick or well - we'll face everything this world can throw at us, together. So, I call upon the people here present to witness that I, Levy Anne McGarden take you, Gajeel Kye Redfox, to be my husband." She smiled, lifting his hand to press a kiss into his wrist as he swiped a thumb across his cheek.
"Guess tha' means it's my turn?" His voice was thick with emotion, but there was a genuine smile on his face as Gajeel looked down at the woman he loved so very dearly. "Levs, I don' wha' I done t' deserve ya, or how I'm so lucky tha' I git ta love ya. I need ya ta know, whether i's th' days yer burn more brilliant than th' sun, or th' nights when yer collapse in ma lap, yer th' most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I love yer when yer a still day, an' I love yer when yer a hurricane. I know we can do anythin', long as we're t'gether, because there ain't anythin' we ain't already been through, an' there no one else I want to do life with." He took a deep breath, steadying himself so his voice rang out clear and strong. "I call upon th' people present here to witness tha' I, Gajeel Kye Redfox, take yer, Levy Anne McGarden, ta be my wife."
"Emme, you want to come up here sweetie? Your folks want to say something to you." The little girl walked happily with her Uncle 'Logia, who positioned her smack in the middle of her parents, who both knelt and took her hands.
"Emme, my sweet baby. You are the greatest thing our love has ever done." Levy smiled, wrinkling her nose as the little girl did the same.
"Ems, we promise we're gonna keep celebratin' together, comfortin' each other, an' lovin' yer fer th' rest o' our lives."
"I love you Mama. Love you Daddy!" she kissed both her parents, skipping down to find another relative to entertain her for the next few minutes.
"I can't believe that sweet little thing came from you, brat."
"Nah, it's all Levs, old man. Nope, not havin' another one jus' 'cause yer givin' me eyes." That got another laugh out of everyone, who mostly all missed the wink Levy shot st the man who was minutes away from being her husband.
"We'll see. Now, rings!" Acnologia took the rings from his brother, and passed them to the necessary person. "Gajeel, you first. Place the ring on Levy's finger and repeat after me."
"Levy, I give ya all I am, an' all I'm to become. With this ring, I give yer ma heart." He slid the ring into place on her dainty finger, pressing a kiss over it.
"Gajeel. I give you all that I am, and all that I'm yet to be. With this ring, I give you my heart."
"Well, seeing as these two can barely control themselves, I pronounce you husband and wife you can - never mind" he laughed, seeing the couple already swept up in a passionate kiss, the cheers of their family and closest friends ringing loudly in the hush of the early afternoon.
From there, Lucy pulled out surprise after surprise - first introducing the photographer who'd been stealing around all afternoon, taking the all important pictures in secret; then the reception at Fairy Tail, of all places. Although, if Levy thought about it, it was kind of fitting. This place had been the start of them, all those years ago, so where better to celebrate the start of the next stage?
All in all, it had been the perfect day. Traditional? Not by a long shot, but neither was their relationship, and that had been the trouble all along, Levy realised.
"You ever want to quit journalism, you'd make a brilliant wedding planner." Levy squeezed the blonde in a tight hug as she slid into the seat next to her. "Today was perfect, I don't know how to thank you!"
"Anything for my best friend, Lev." She smiled, knocking their shoulders playfully. "Seriously, you're welcome. Couldn't have my best friend getting married at the courthouse! You know that family would never let us hear the end of it!"
"Good point" Levy chuckled, sipping her drink and watching her father in law spin his granddaughter around. "What about you though? You and Natsu have been engaged longer than anyone, when's your big day?"
"I don't know. We're not in any rush, you know? Maybe one day, or maybe never."
"Hey, if it works for you! I can't say anything, nothing about my relationship has been 'traditional'!"
"Don't I know it!"
"You know, it's all your fault? None of this would have happened if you hadn't dragged me out of the house that night."
"Oh, I know. Which is why I'm claiming godparent status for this one, too". Lucy winked at her friend, tipping her drink towards Levy's. "Honey, you ain't fooling me."
"Shush! Shh!" Levy hissed, turning to face the smirking blonde. "Zip it, Blondie. No one knows!"
"Not even -?"
"No! Not exactly something we planned, okay? But we had all this time when I was recovering from surgery, and Emme was gone with Chelia so much..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "My point is, I haven't told anyone yet, so not a word!"
"My lips are sealed" Lucy laughed, standing as she saw Gajeel making his way towards them. "Hey, can we take Em home tonight? I want a sleepover."
"Don't ask me - she's somewhere between five and fifteen, which apparently means she can make her own decisions, so go ask her. She'll always say yes to you".
"Say yes ta wha', kitten?"
"Lucy's going to take Emme for the night, she wants a girls sleepover". Levy sighed, nuzzling against the warmth of Gajeel's hip where he stood next to her.
"Emme does, or Lucy?"
"What do you think?"
"I think yer best friend is weird as hell, an' there ain't no one who spoils tha' kid like she does" he chuckled quietly, hand gently stroking down the bare skin of her upper back. "An, I think tha' means we can be as loud as yer want t'night". His voice was low, raspy with desire, and it sent a thrill down Levy's spine, suddenly impatient to be alone with her husband for the first time.
Well, by popular demand - and because it was well and truly passed due - Happy Wedding Day to these two!
Levy's vows are a rough transcript of a poem by Neil Gaiman, and Gajeel's are an excerpt from a poem by Clementine Von Radics, and Lucy is a little terrifying if she can pull a wedding together in a day!
Hopefully you guys enjoy this, I'm trying a new writing method for this story and it was pretty helpful for this chapter, so maybe I'll keep it up? Although, I'm not even sure how much longer this one is going to run for - not foreshadowing, just that I have an ending in mind and I genuinely don't know how long it'll be before we get to it.
Dragonfly - your feedback is always helpful! You gave me some general ideas, and some much needed reassurance, so thank you!
Rao - family moments are about to abound! It's so nice to know that you're enjoying some of my OC's and the way I get to play with some of the less fleshed out ones!
Nic - oh no! Hopefully your daughter bounces back soon, and your family stays well! Not out of the woods yet, but I guess we'll see how Levy's voice pulled through soon enough!
Copperreign - ask and you shall receive! I always worry about keeping my main fics separate (not having the same storylines at the same time) but hey, who doesn't love babies!
Thank you all for reading, for following and favouriting, and especially for your reviews! They really are a bright spot in my day!
Stay safe, and much love
- A.V xxx
