By the time Gajeel's band finished their set and we found something to eat, it was well past midnight. There was no curfew at Fairy Hills but I still didn't feel comfortable going home this late. Gajeel took me to his apartment.

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. My stomach was doing flips.

His apartment was cleaner than I expected, but then the only boys' rooms I'd ever seen were Jet and Droy's. The walls were grey and the floors were a dark hardwood. Most of the furniture looked antique, as if he'd bought them secondhand, or handmade in his welding class.

Gajeel offered to sleep on the couch, which settled some of my nerves. His bed was large and comfortable, with a fluffy black blanket and large pillows. The window was covered with a thick curtain that didn't let any light in.

I was extremely tired, so I didn't have time to snoop before I crashed among the pillows, wearing one of his shirts.

The night couldn't have been more perfect.

The smell of coffee and pancakes filled the air, along with some loud rock music. I groaned and rolled over, ready to march downstairs and tell off Laki for daring to wake me up this early.

It wasn't until I realized I hadn't hit the cold cinderblock wall of my dorm room that I remembered I wasn't home, and Laki wasn't the one cooking.

I sat up, rubbed my eyes and couldn't help the grin that etched across my face.

I slid out of the bed and my feet hit the cold hardwood floor. I made my way over to the door and pulled it open.

In the kitchen, Gajeel was pouring pancake batter into a skillet. His long, messy hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. The coffee pot next to the sink was full and two mugs were sitting next to it. I poured one for myself and sat at the table to watch him cook.

Panther Lily circled around my feet and meowed. I reached down and scratched behind his ears and he purred.

Gajeel placed a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of me and kissed the top of my head.

"Mornin', Shrimp," he said.

I smiled up at him.

This. This was home.