Author's note: Woohoo! Yep, it's true! I'm still alive! Working on a new baby! (no, not a new fanfic, just creating a new otaku in the family hehe)

Guest , it's such an awesome thing to hear as a fic writer. because the hardest thing is to keep with the original character, but make it real at the same time. and it brings me so much joy to hear you guys say this.

ioanna-chan , your comments make me wanna give you a great, poufy bear hug. (((hug)))

Mechanical-Rose-Sama , yep, I love making my Gajeel mad, even though sometimes I don't even intend to. But I don't have a male mind, so I don't know how they think and what kicks their pride. thankies!

Beautiful but dangerous , d'awwwwww... frankly, I had no idea how to feel about it, either, lol. it was kinda hard to write from my life experience, since I'm not really an open person. I like keeping things very personal, and this was a challenge to me. the little nagging voice kept bringing me down. "they won't like the story, because your life sucks!" or "omg, they'll pity you haha" or "they'll be so jealous of your love life their reviews will put a knife through your heart". so, yeah, it took a while to gather my courage and write about my love story. But now I'm glad I did. all because of you, wonderful lights that give me hope that there's still good left in this world and keep praising my humble skills. so thank you

SpudyPotato , it's still continuing, unfortunately, since my inspiration ran off with a sexy hunk. but I do thank all of you guys who keep reading it!

All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)

Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!

Chapter 20: Moving in

Levy was doing a final slumber party with Lucy while the two packed, since Levy's landlord evicted her.

At one point, Levy looked at the blonde woman, blushing slightly.

"Hey... uhm..."

"What's up?" Lucy glanced her way, putting a box aside.

"Uhm... I have some... questions..." Levy turned redder.

"About...?" Lucy pressed, Levy's reluctance making her curious. Levy placed her palms over her face, covering her reddened cheeks. "Come on, you can ask me anything, really. What's up?" Levy groaned loudly, opening her fingers to look at her friend.

"Is it normal to... get wet when Gajeel kisses me?" Levy held her breath as Lucy stared at her. Then she burst into laughter. "Aw, don't laugh! I'm a virgin! I don't know what's supposed to happen! Well... I've seen some porn vids, I know his lil' thing has to get inside my lil' thing multiple times for.. ya know... pleasure, but other than that... Everything's new." Levy said fast, her cheeks not losing the red tint. Lucy laughed more.

"Sorry... sorry..." She said between giggles as Levy groaned some more because of her laughter. "I'm not laughing at you." She fanned herself with her hand, trying to calm herself. "I thought you wanted to ask me something else. Well, for one, if he makes you wet just by kissing you, he's doing a heck of a job." Lucy winked at her, Levy puffing her cheeks. "To answer your question, yes, it's very normal. I take it haven't had sex with him yet?"

"No, I didn't even let him see me topless yet..."

"Wow, he must be in a lot of pain." Lucy said sympathetically.

"He groans a lot when he touches my ass..." Levy said in a thoughtful voice, Lucy bursting into laughter again. "Whaaaat?"

"Depending on what voice he used when he groans, you can tell if he likes it or not. My guess is he loves it." She giggled.

"Oooh... Okay, that makes sense, stupid me. Oooh, now I get it! See, he doesn't tell me stuff like this! Now I understand why he leaves so suddenly from bed and goes to the bathroom when we have a kissing marathon." The two girls laughed.

"You know, you should tell him if and when you wanna talk stuff like this with him. I think he sees you're too shy and doesn't wanna embarrass you. A relationship must be open and you have to communicate, talk anything and everything."

"It makes sense."

"And...?" Lucy grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. "What else did you two do...?" Levy's cheeks reddened again.

"Nothing, really... Just A LOT of kissing. He doesn't rub his hands where I don't want him to for the moment. He likes kissing my neck and, frankly, so do I..." The bluenette said behind her hand, like a secret.

"Wait till he gets lower..." Lucy smiled wickedly, Levy turning her face in disgust.

"Okay, ew. I've seen that in some porn and I think it's really gross."

"Only if he doesn't know what to do." The blonde sang, smiling knowingly.

"TMI, woman, TMI." Levy raised her palm to stop her friend from relating any intimate stories.

"Wanna know a little secret that drives men crazy?" Levy nodded, getting closer to her busty friend. "Next time he gets into a kissing frenzy, take his earlobe in your mouth and suck it, then bite it lightly. You'll drive him nuts with that. Oh, and if you wanna get him in the mood, go behind him and kiss behind his ear, maybe give a little lick."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Natsu becomes an animal when I do that."

"TMI! TMI!" Lucy laughed at her reaction, enjoying torturing Levy. The rest of the evening was uneventful, the two girls finishing packing in record time. The next few hours were spent in luxury, since Lucy brought sea food after she heard what an ass was Levy's landlord. The two girls ate the wonderful dishes, Lucy taking the leftovers with her. Levy looked curious at her as the blonde grabbed the ladder and placed it under one of the windows.

"Uhm... what are you doing?" She asked her friend as Lucy placed the plate with leftovers on the top step of the ladder and raised herself. Lucy reached for one end of the curtain support, took off the little plastic cover and placed a few shrimp pieces, then closed it. She repeated it on the other end, placing a few fish heads inside.

"Oh, you're evil. Pure evil." Levy smiled widely at her friend.

"No one hurts my friends and goes unpunished. Let's see who'll want to lease this place in a few days. And you'll be long gone. Plus, it was a smart thing you didn't gave him any IDs. He just has a name and your phone number, which I will be changing later today." She high-fived Levy, smiling smugly. "And you'll be long gone by the time he figures things out." Lucy didn't stop until all the holes in the house were filled with seafood leftovers.

Natsu came in the morning to get Levy's stuff, her landlord coming in a few minutes later, taking the money from Levy with a disgusted look. The girl gave him the key with a smile, then turned on her heels and left. She felt part sorry for what she did with Lucy the night before, but the asshole deserved it, as Lucy said.

The ride to Natsu's was uneventful, the pinkette being strangely silent all the way, letting the two girls chat away. Natsu stopped in front of his apartment building, pulling into his parking space. Levy moved behind the car and waited for him to open the trunk. As soon as it opened and Levy motioned to grab a backpack, a strong arm beat her to it. She jumped aside when she heard a familiar growling, her heart stopping when she turned to face her boyfriend.

"Thanks for calling me. Again." Gajeel looked furious at Levy's blushing form. "You relying on me makes me feel so good, cuz, ya know, I said we're a team..." His voice was thick with sarcasm, Levy looking at her feet.

"I didn't..."

"Didn't what? Wanna bother me? Cuz I'm sooo busy. Too busy to help my girlfriend when she doesn't have a place to stay." His red eyes burned into hers, Levy's insides twisting painfully. Gajeel took everything from Natsu's car and moved them inside his own, fuming all the way. Levy glared at Natsu, knowing he called his brother.

"Blame me all you want now, but you should've called him first. This is a huge blow on his self-esteem. Go make up, you can kill me tomorrow." Gajeel opened the passenger's door and went to the driver's side, starting the car. Levy could see he was upset, Gajeel rubbing a palm under his nose as he looked out the window. The bluenette sighed, thanked Lucy and Natsu, and headed for Gajeel's Mustang, getting inside without a word. He didn't even wait for her to buckle up, driving away with a screech. He reached his place in record time, stomping the breaks in anger. The raven haired man got out without looking at Levy, hurrying to unload the few boxes with Levy's belonging.

"I got it." He said in a neutral tone when Levy motioned to grab a box, his glare making her back off and letting him do the macho thing by carrying them. She sighed, waiting next to her boxes as Gajeel took everything to the elevator. She followed him silently when he grabbed the last box, watching him heave them into the elevator.

"You don't have to prove anything, you know." She ended the thick silence before they reached Gajeel's floor. "I know you can take care of me."

"Then why?" He snapped his eyes to her. "Why won't you let me? Why won't you rely on me? It's not a bad thing to ask for help. It's not shameful, it's not something that makes me look at you differently." The elevator stopped, Gajeel hauling everything out. Levy grabbed a smaller box with a sigh, even though she could feel Gajeel's glare.

"I'm sorry, OK?" She said exasperatedly when Gajeel closed the door with his heel when he brought the last box. "I'm not used to relying on others, beside my mom and brother. I can't change this side of me for now. I can't help your manly pride by stomping on my own. It's not that I don't appreciate this, just understand that I've been a bother (or so I've felt) to everyone but my mom and brother. We've been all by ourselves ever since I can remember. And every time we needed help, or were forced to rely on others, it backfired. We got kicked in the nuts too many times. Understand that it's gonna take a while to get used to another pair of helping hands. Plus, this is my burden. There's no need to bring my shit into your life, since you got so much on your hands." Levy burned her eyes into his, Gajeel clearly not happy. "So I'm sorry I can't change as fast as you want me to."

"I don't want you to change!" He raised his voice a bit, Levy flinching. This made Gajeel pause, realizing she was uncomfortable with him like this. "OK?" He said in a softer tone. "I don't want you to change. I just want you to use these two hands of mine. I want you to use me, too." He reached to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, then pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed her forehead, smiling when he felt Levy move her hands around his waist and hugged him back.

"Let's get you settled in." He said in a much calmer voice, releasing the bluenette and heading for the boxes.

They spent the next few hours arranging Levy's stuff next to Gajeel's, where he showed her. For a moment, she thought it was weird, but let it go. If Gajeel wanted her stuff next to his, who was she to refuse?

Two weeks passed in a blur, Levy searching each day for a new apartment. She had to hurry, since autumn settled in, bringing cold rain and whipping winds.

On her fourth week at Gajeel's, she finally found a place to rent, taking a few days off from work to get everything done. So she was home on a Wednesday when Gajeel opened his door with a smile, knowing his girl would greet him with a peck on the lips. His stomach rumbled as his nose picked up a wonderful smell, his grin widening as he took off his shoes.

"I'm home!" He yelled after Levy didn't show up to beam at him, as she usually did. He grabbed the small present box and pocketed it, then popped his head in the kitchen. The food was on low heat, Levy nowhere to be seen.

"Puss?" He continued his search, noticing a few cardboard boxes in the bedroom door. He raised an eyebrow at the scene, following the sounds he heard from the room.

"Hey, Squirt." He said from the door after he looked inside the bedroom.

"Hey, puss. How was your day?" She beamed at him, resuming her packing. Gajeel's stomach dropped as he watched her place her stuff neatly in a couple of boxes.

"Uhm, fine... What's all this?" He felt his throat constrict, but didn't let his shaky breath out.

"Oh, I found a really nice lady who's renting a one room apartment. You're saved." She chuckled, then stopped what she was doing and turned to him with a tender look. "Thank you, Gajeel. Really. I don't know what I'd've done without you. You took me in this weather and never asked for anything in return."

"But you payed your own expenses, even though I specifically said you don't have to, but you're as stubborn as Natsu. And that's sayin' somethin'..." She laughed, getting closer to him.

"Still, thank you. You're my knight in shining armor. You have no idea how much it means to me." Levy noticed the sadness in his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Then why are you leaving? Cuz I sure as hell didn't kick you out." His voice was almost a whisper, making Levy frown.

"You... Wait, what?"

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Am I such a bad company? I can't wait to get home now. I've had too many single dinners and now that you're here... The food has taste again." He placed his hands on her lower back, surprising Levy with the tenderness and vulnerability in his eyes.

"I thought... when you helped me with... I assumed it was temporary..." She felt her breath leave her body at the mere thought.

"I wanted to make it a surprise, to tell ya the truth. As our fifth month anniversary." He released her to check his pockets, pulling out a small blue box that had a small ribbon on it. "It's a week early though..." Levy stared at him a long moment with her mouth open, taking the small box from his hand with trembling fingers. It looked just like a ring box, so she held her breath as she opened it. She was quite sure she wasn't ready for a ring and the commitment it meant. Levy exhaled a laugh when she saw the key to his apartment resting on a blue cloth inside the box.

"What?" He asked, not sure why she laughed.

"Nothing, nothing. I thought it was... something else. I panicked for a moment."

"Oh, don't worry, I already bought the engagement ring." Levy almost dropped the box, her cheeks flaming. "Something told me it was yours. I had to buy it. Calm down, I know when to give that to you, and it ain't now. Small steps." He smiled smugly. "You can stop ringing the doorbell now that you have your own key."

"I don't know what to say... I mean... Are you sure? I can come by in the weekends like before..."

"I won't stop you if you don't wanna make your moving in official, but... Now that I know what's like to wake up next to you... among other things... I told you, food tastes better with great company." He waited a moment before he continued. "What? You need more compliments? I don't want you to take it the wrong way, but my apartment hasn't been this clean in years. I never thought someone can be better than my cleaning lady. And the food... Woman, you're spoiling me. And I like it. Of course I don't want you away..." Levy smiled warmly at him, looking from her boyfriend to the key and back at his expecting face. "I practically moved you here the first weekend you spent with me... And I don't expect anything from you. I never expected you to clean and cook and practically force me to tidy up after myself. I was surprised, to tell ya the truth. You're the only one who told me to fire the cleaning lady after you found dust all over the place. I don't even know where you found it, I couldn't see a darn thing. But you made the place shine, which never happened before. I smacked my head on the window after you left, it was so clean I thought it was open." Levy laughed, imagining the scene. "I'm not the one to beg for a girl, I'm not doing that same mistake twice. If you wanna stay, since you're already here... You're most than welcomed. But I'm not gonna stop ya if you don't wanna..."

"I do!" Levy said hurryingly, cutting Gajeel's words. He stared at her sincere face, then a crooked grin stretched his lips.

"You do, huh?" His playful eyes made Levy realize her two words had other meaning as well, her face flaming.

"I mean I wanna be here, close to you. Stop laughing! I didn't mean it like that!" Gajeel laughed boomingly, seeing his girl so flushed. "Ugh! You're horrible!" She said with a smile, smacking his chest, then returned to her clothes to place them back in their drawers.

"Leave them, I'm starving. Let's eat." Gajeel went to her and grabbed her hand, yanking a blouse from her other and throwing it unceremoniously on the bed, pulling her to the kitchen.

TBC

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