A/N: Sorry the update was so late; lack of inspiration and a super busy schedule made this very hard to write. I'm trying to include everyone as much as possible, I really am! So if anyone didn't get much of a line here, they will in the next chapter, I promise! Thank you so much for sticking with me as long as you have! ; v;

Chapter 9

There was no crowd at the beach. It was Monday, day two of their trip, and since it was a weekday, not many people were there. Laxus set up an umbrella while Bixlow tossed down his towel, laying on it. Laxus scowled, "Ya' gonna lend a hand?"

"I am way too tired to lend a hand right now, dude," Bixlow responded, yawning and stretching.

"You slept early and you woke up at 9. You slept for twelve hours."

"...I can do better," Bixlow muttered before stretching and scratching his stomach.

Gajeel walked towards the two, wearing new swimming trunks Laxus had bought him. He felt bad, what with all the money Laxus had spent on him, but after a month of it, he really didn't want to tell him that. He shrugged it off and tore off the tag residing on the trunks.

Gajeel watched the two as they bickered about their bullshit. Bixlow looked up, "Hey, Laxus," He whispered, "Look at them, over there."

Further away were the women of the group; Mirajane, holding a camera for Lisanna, taking many pictures of her. "You'd make such a cute model!" She said. Evergreen smiled as she adjusted her shades, standing under an umbrella held by Elfman and Freed, the exceptions if the group.

"Elfman, sweetheart," she muttered, loud enough t for Elfman to hear, "Could you be a dear and rub some sun lotion on my back? I need to keep my skin as healthy as possible, of course!"

"Uh, sure- ah-yes!" Elfman stuttered, handing the umbrella to Freed who almost dropped it, and taking the lotion from Evergreen. She sat down and let him rub the lotion on her. Bixlow cringed, "He's dying out there, I must save him!" He shouted, with exaggeration, receiving a slap on the back by Laxus.

"Go be a hero." Laxus laughed. With that, Bixlow ran off to the girls who shrieked as Lisanna was practically jumped.

"So," Laxus started, turning to Gajeel, "May I offer you a seat?"

"Oh shut the hell up," Gajeel snarled before sitting on the chair Laxus had set up. Laxus grabbed a bag sitting by the umbrella and pulled out a travel mug, decorate with the logo of their city's local college. He took a sip and grinned. "Well that's not fucking water."

"No, Gajeel, why would I go so low as to bring alcohol to the beach?" He said sarcastically, "I am going to enjoy my time here, Gajeel, ya' want some?"

"I- well, yes," Gajeel accepted his offer and drank from the mug. It was beer, very well brewed, and nice and cold. "What is this, from work?"

"They let me keep a stash for myself," Laxus responded, taking back the mug, "A case for work and a case for home. And of course I got another for here," He raised his mug proudly before taking another swig, "And, I've got some more back at the hotel."

"How much did you bring?" Gajeel jumped up.

"Enough," Laxus chuckled in response. At the moment, he was too proud of himself to be drunk. Gajeel snatched the mug, "Am I supposed to act proud of you?"

"Sure, that's cool."

"Ass," He said before taking a sip and returning the travel mug to Laxus. He sighed, feeling a lot more stimulated.

Bixlow came back over to the duo under their umbrella, body covered in sand as if he had it thrown at him. "I smell alcohol," He sang, brushing sand off of his chest. Laxus threw him a mug. He had a bunch of them in his bag; clearly they were not allowed to drink there. Bixlow's mug had a pink and blue gradient. It was his personal mug given to him by Lisanna.

"So, you're just gonna let yourselves get drunk?" Gajeel said, standing back up and looking down at Laxus, "In a public place? Where you aren't even allowed to get drunk?"

"Yes."

"Dumbass." Gajeel teased, kicking his chair and almost making Laxus fall over. Laxus laughed.

"Have a little fun, maybe, Gajeel?"

Don't take this the wrong way; he wanted alcohol. He very much wanted some beer, but he didn't have a mug of his own, and he definitely wasn't going to share it with Laxus anymore now that Bixlow was here. Was he going to ask Laxus to buy him a mug? No, hell no, Gajeel was in debt to him already. Didn't really look like he cared about it, obviously, but Gajeel did care.

He sat back down and watched the two as they slowly grew drunk. Laxus and Bixlow laughed, watching the girls play around in the water. They clinked their mugs together; "Cheers for hot babes," Bixlow yelled proudly. He downed the rest of his beer faster than Laxus and moved to the bag to sneak a refill from a well-hidden bottle. Eventually, Laxus handed over his mug to Gajeel.

"Ya' wanna finish this?"

Gajeel looked at Bixlow then back at Laxus, "No."

"Yeah, you do," Laxus confirmed, grinning and handing him the mug before standing and walking towards the girls, soon followed by Bixlow. Gajeel remained seated under the umbrella, staring at the mug. It would be embarrassing to drink this-then again, Bixlow left. Gajeel downed the rest of the beer and relaxed into the chair.

He wanted to keep the relationship secret; He was weirded out and uncomfortable. Gajeel wiped sweat off his face and closed his eyes, "What the fuck man," He mumbled shortly before drifting off.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothin'," Gajeel said to the man above him as he played with the small trinket in his hands. Gears from the watch he'd earlier taken apart sat on the table beside the ragged couch where he'd sat. His small hands moved along the gear as he observed the texture. The man sighed and sat beside Gajeel.

"Takin'' shit apart again, huh?" He mumbled, wrapping his arms around Gajeel, "Y'know, I used to do that too, just take things apart, look at the pieces, and put 'em back together. Somedays, I'd make new stuff." The man picked up a larger gear from the table and held it in front of Gajeel's face, "I tried to make a robot once."

"Did...did it work?" Gajeel asked, staring at the gear the older man held.

"Hell no," He laughed, "Eh, not worth it; materials were too expensive 'nd I had no clue what I was doing."

"I wish I could make a robot some day," Gajeel said as he leaned on the man's side, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that?" He pointed to the metal bottle in his father's pocket. His father pushed it deeper in, out of Gajeel's sight.

"Not worth it, kid."

He stood up, ruffled Gajeel's head and walked towards the kitchen, "Not worth it."

"Gajeel?"

"Dad…?"

"Gajeel!"

Gajeel almost sprang from his seat and yelped, but was held down by Laxus. He sighed in relief. How long had he been asleep? It was still bright outside, so it shouldn't have been too long, right?

"We're going to the boardwalk for some food, you wanna come?"

He definitely wasn't staying here alone, "S-sure," Gajeel said, standing and folding his chair.

The group headed for the hotel to put away their beach items. Laxus watched Gajeel as he grabbed his clothes to change into. He closed the door to the bedroom and took off his swimming trunks.

"You got a tan?"

Gajeel yelped in surprise, covering himself as much as possible. "What the hell!?" He yelled, "You can't just come in here when I'm fucking changing!"

"Says who?" Laxus asked, leaning on the doorframe. He grinned at Gajeel's frantic movements to cover himself. He then moved in and grabbed Gajeel by the shoulders and shook him, "Relax, Gajeel," He teased before throwing himself on the bed, "Have I not known you long enough?"

"You…you've only known me for like, just over a month!" Gajeel countered, finally getting hold of his pants and yanking them up, much to Laxus'-hidden-disappointment. Regardless, he brushed it off, sitting beside the larger man who rolled towards to other side of the bed to make room. Gajeel lifted his legs onto the bed and rested on the frame, examining his room. The walls were decorated with framed seashells and blue paint. The TV was smaller than the one in Laxus' room, which explains why he'd chosen that room. The floor was carpeted with a navy blue saxony carpet. Laxus' room had similar qualities, but a green color scheme.

And a bigger TV.

Laxus sat up and leaned over to Gajeel, whose gaze continued to wander around the small bedroom. He moved in front of his face with the hopes of distracting him, "Oi, Gajeel."

"What?" Gajeel answered, turning to him.

"You wanna go?" He asked.

"..Yeah, yeah." Gajeel stood from the bed and headed for the door, Laxus right behind him.

"Hey."

"Yeah..?" Gajeel turned to him, awkwardly.

"Your tan ain't that bad." He teased again. Gajeel groaned, annoyed, and turned back around, walking to the door of their hotel. Laxus laughed at his reaction and followed him, closing and locking the door.

They were in the hallway. The walls were painted a cream color with a jade border-not a good combination of colors to Gajeel but not something to let bother him; the hotel was pretty decent. The floor had a green berber carpeting and throughout the hallway were lamps hanging throughout the walls, one beside each hotel room door. They reached the elevator. The walls were covered in blue, striped wallpaper; in the corner on the right, however, the walpaper began to peel, revealing chipping red paint. As the elevator door closed, the silence between the two grew more and more awkward.

Gajeel thought to himself that he should probably say something, however, would Laxus say something? Lets hope for that.

The elevator door opened on the first floor. Gajeel sighed in disappointment, and Laxus looked around the lobby. Behind the counter was a young girl who waved their way. Her hair was curly and dark red, and her small diamond earrings sparkled as they were shined by the small lamp light beside her. Laxus walked over and checked them both out for the night, and announced to her, "We should be back by eleven."

"No problem!" She waved them off, "You have fun now! Enjoy the rest of your evening!"

"Cheery," Gajeel mumbled as they walked out of the sliding doors. The two walked up to the boardwalk where Bixlow and Evergreen waited. "Hey!" Bixlow called, waving his arms at them.

"Anything?" Laxus asked.

"Nah," Bixlow sighed, "But...we found…"

"Taffy," Evergreen finished, annoyed; the rest of the group had gone to the taffy shop right beside them. It was large and had various chocolates and taffies displaying by the window. They were wrapped in a clear plastic back, which was closed by a gold-colored ribbon. The sign read "Tiánmì Sweets; candy - soda - baked goods"

"I mean," Evergreen started, "Why would they go and buy such sugary foods when we're about to eat dinner?"

"Is that not something you would consider dinner?" Bixlow asked, sarcastically.

"Absolutely not! I have to keep my weight thin and myself healthy! And that means NOT eating candy BEFORE dinner! Bixlow, would you stoop so low as to eat candy right before dinner?"

"Are you asking me a legitimate question?"

"...no." She said before giving up and entering the shop. The rest followed and were welcomed with the scent of fudge being cooked to their right by a man in a pink chef's coat. A woman wearing a darker pink t-shirt stepped in front of the four with a platter of small squares of fudge.

"Free samples?" She asked them. Evergreen denied, but Bixlow happily took the offer. Laxus grabbed two and handed one to Gajeel.

"Eat this with me," He said. Gajeel took it and did so.

It was sweet.

They left the shop with bags of candy and an annoyed Evergreen. "Well?" She turned to them, "Are you still hungry? After all of those free samples? Hmm?"

They looked at each other and nodded. Evergreen sighed, "Lets...go find a damn place to eat," she grumbled.

The boardwalk was full of colorful shops and diners. Eventually, the group had chosen a burger restaurant, which sold their food in large scales. Bixlow, overjoyed, ran into the room and took a seat, as the restaurant was empty for the moment anyway. Laxus put a palm to his head, "Aren't ya' supposed to wait, dumbass?"

"Just come inside!" Bixlow yelled, excited. They entered the tiled room and sat in the corner of the restaurant, on the cushioned red chairs. A man can up to them, dressed in a black and white striped button-up shirt, with black khakis and a red bow tie. His hair was slicked back, as if like a greaser. He looked up from the small notepad from his hand and greeted them, "Good evening! How may I help you?"

Laxus looked at Bixlow, then at the young waiter, "Drinks?"

"Sure!" He said cheerfully, "We offer lemonade, iced tea-"

"I'll take an iced tea," Evergreen interrupted, "And with a lemon slice, possibly?"

"No problem!" He answered, writing the order down quickly, "We also serve grape and orange soda-"

"Orange," Laxus said, everyone else nodded in agreement, except for Gajeel.

"I'll take a grape."

"Excellent!" He cheered, writing their orders down and looking up from his notes once more, "I will return to take your orders shortly."

The group was silent as the waiter walked back into the kitchen. Gajeel stuck his leg out into the aisle and gazed out the door, all the way on the other side of the restaurant. The sun was still setting, revealing a pink tint to the sky and clouds. He could see very few stars, and an airplane flying with an ad strapped to the back. The ad was indistinct, as Gajeel was too far away to read it.

The drinks arrived and they each ordered the same burger, save for Evergreen; a large double cheeseburger with bacon and lettuce-the one healthy thing in the meal-served with fries. Evergreen ordered a small veggie burger, no fries. "She must keep her figure," Bixlow mocked before he was slapped with a glove. Gajeel continued to look out the entrance as the waiter left and returned with their dinner.

A large was probably not a good idea, however they were still "starving." The burger appeared to take up half the plate, while the fries filled the rest of it. Bixlow dove in immediately and Lisanna took small bites of her fries. Laxus lifted it up and turned to Gajeel, "You okay, man?"

He snapped out of his gaze and turned to meet Laxus' eyes, "Y-yeah, I'm fine," he said before beginning to eat. Laxus shrugged it off, taking a large bite of his burger.

Bixlow dropped the other half of the burger and rested back in his seat. He sighed loudly, yawning and catching his breath; he'd eaten so much and so fast. Lisanna watched as her mate rested an ar on his stomach. "You okay?" She asked as she ate more of her food. He only nodded, "I…" he began before panting, "I need a break."

"Oh, it's all the fudge!" Evergreen exclaimed, "I told you that was a terrible idea!"

"Bixlow, maybe you should have listened," Lisanna agreed, "Though I still can't finish my meal myself! I'll...take it with me, maybe."

"C'mon, baby, you ate candy too," Bixlow whined, groaning over his full stomach. Laxus laughed at his friend's misery.

"No dumbass," Laxus said, "Lisanna had samples of candy. You had a box full of candy. And half a burger."

"Whatever," Bixlow groaned, sinking in his seat, "Elfman's not too hot, either."

They looked at elfman who had dropped his burger, too full to eat as well. "Untrue!" Elfman countered, "A real man eats all of his food!" He then tore at his burger and-almost forcefully-swallowed it. He dropped it once more, confirming that he could no longer eat.

Laxus was the first to finish his food and later Gajeel. Evergreen finished and ordered dessert to take home; a small apple pie. The rest packed their food in small containers to save for later. Mirajane and Freed stood, "I'll take Elfman back to the room," Mirajane said as she helped him stand up. Laxus nodded, paying the bills they'd received for their food. Lisanna and a reluctant Evergreen pulled Bixlow from his seat.

"Then we'll handle Bixlow!" Lisanna said, struggling to lift him from his seat. Evergreen huffed, "Honestly, must you have us drag you two!?"

They group split, leaving Gajeel and Laxus alone. It was dark, and the sky was clear. The two looked on to the crowd before them, walking through shops and going on rides. Laxus looked down at Gajeel, "You wanna go?" he asked.

"I...sure, whatever." Gajeel shrugged in response. They walked into the large crowd. The lights around them slowly faded into different colors, illuminating the area from a yellow light to a blue light. As the light turned green, they sat on a bench beside the entrance to the beach. Gajeel turned around to see a small fire on the beach, surrounded by a group of people, singing loudly. He watched them dance on the sand and spill drinks everywhere. Gajeel turned back around, "Fuckin' crazy," he muttered, leaning forward and resting his arms on his legs.

Across from him was a small ice cream shop with a really long line full of tired parents and screaming children. Regardless, the employees seemed happy to be there. Next to the shop was another fudge parlor. So many people, so much noise.

"How annoying," Laxus muttered, loud enough for Gajeel to hear. He nodded slightly. Gajeel sat up and leaned into the seat, looking up into the sky. Seagulls floated above them in a group, like vultures.m a little boy began crying, and Gajeel looked down to see that some asshole had taken it and threw it on the roof of a store. As the teen was beaten by the boys mother with her purse, one of the birds swooped down to lick the ice cream.

It was a bat.

Gajeel immediately looked back up and recognized the shape of their wings, confirming that they were definitely bats. "Holy shit," he said. Laxus looked up to see the bats, all floating in a circle.

"Oh."

"They're like fuckin' vultures," Gajeel said.

"At least they aint seagulls," Laxus said before adjusting his position in the seat, "Must be really late."

Laxus watched as Gajeel stared at the bats above them. He'd been in a trance all day. He decided to get his attention again.

"Hey."

"Huh?" Gajeel looked up at the man beside him. Laxus leaned over, slowly, placing his forehead on Gajeel's. He cupped his face with his hands and kissed his lips, softly. The touches were light and gentle. Gajeel couldn't get a sense of what was going on. His eyes were wide open. Laxus broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes. He giggled, "Why the hell're you surprised?"

"You...I-why did you…" Gajeel struggled to form a sentence. Laxus laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Let's go back," He whispered in his ear. Gajeel sat frozen before being pulled out of the seat by Laxus, patting his back and pushing him along. His arm rested on Gajeel's shoulders as they returned to the hotel. The woman at the desk yawned as she welcomed the two back. Laxus signed them back in and ed Gajeel to the elevator.

This elevator's wallpaper wasn't peeling. The color was orange and the floor had red tile flooring. Laxus ruffled Gajeel's hair, teasingly. Gajeel held his hands in his hair, and glared at his laughing partner until the elevator door opened. They both went silent as they ran into Evergreen.

"Thank god, there you are!" She called for them. The two looked at each other and stepped out of the elevator.

"Bixlow got himself sick, the fool," she scoffed, "The chocolates gave him stomach cramps; one had peanut putter. Seems like he has a peanut allergy." Evergreen adjusted her glasses.

"Well, fuck," Gajeel muttered. Laxus put a hand to his forehead.

"Anything about Elfman?" He asked her. She sighed.

"So does he. They're staying for a day, tomorrow. I'm not letting them embarrass me more by letting them walk around a puking mess, those men are disgusting."

"...Alright, fine no problem," Laxus said, scratching his head, "We'll go out alone, then?" he turned to Gajeel, who shrugged.

"Yeah, fine," Gajeel grunted in response before being softly punched in the arm. As Evergreen stormed back into her room with Lisanna and Bixlow, Laxus lifted Gajeel up and held him in his arms against his chest, grinning.

"That means we'll be left alone, Gajeel."

Gajeel processed what was being said to him, and blushed as he was carried to their room.