Gajeel plopped down on his couch and opened his beer, it'd been a rough day after getting home and he'd just spent an hour trying to get Ira to fall asleep. She was still scared about what had happened earlier, and even once Gajeel convinced her that he was the strongest and meanest thing that would ever get near her, she still needed three stories to calm her down enough to sleep.

The large man sighed and leaned back on his couch, thoroughly enjoying his beer in silence.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The sound of someone loudly knocking on his door instantly pissed him off. He'd just gotten the kid to sleep and he'd be damned if she was woken up again now. The large man took 3 of his giant steps to the door and swung it open before the person could knock again.

"What the fuck do you wa..." His roar died down as he looked into startled brown eyes. "Oh, it's you shrimp." he muttered, moving from the door so she could come in. "Whatcha doin here so late?"

Levy looked at him as if he were insane. He was shirtless and only wearing boxers, with his long dark hair tied back in a braid. Why does he have to be so attractive? "Late? Well I guess it is almost eleven...If you want me to leave I will."

Gajeel grunted as he flopped back down on his couch, "Nah it's fine, I just thought it was later than that...But be quiet so ya don't wake up the kid."

Levy stared at him at the word 'kid', but continued to walk over to the couch to sit next to him. She awkwardly held out the basket she was holding.

"I brought Lily some kiwi, how's he doing?"

"He's fine. He woke up a bit after I brought him home and just fell back asleep a little while ago."

"That's good, I saw what happened earlier and was worried."

"Gihi I know you saw, I could smell you spying on us." He smirked when she blushed and looked away, which ended up creating an awkward silence.

"So..." Levy started, finally breaking the silence."Who's the little girl?"

Gajeel just laughed, he knew that's what was coming. "She's my kid." He said bluntly, once again smirking at the small bluenette's shocked and confused expression.

"I see...who's her mother?" She asked timidly, a bit afraid of the answer.

"Hell if I know. I picked her up off the street a few months ago. She was alone and probably wouldn't have made it much longer on her own." He swished back a drink of his beer, still angry about how he'd found the girl hurt and abandoned.

"You could have told me, you know." Levy was a bit angry now. "I've been worried about you! I'm sure it's been hard on you and Lily, and I could have been helping you guys out."

"The only people I told were the master and the cowboy...and only reason I told him is because the old man insisted."

"But why didn't you tell me, Gajeel?"

"I didn't feel I needed to." He lied. I wanted to tell ya the first night...But I can't let either of ya get hurt.

"I thought we were friends, Gajeel." She hissed at him. "And if not we're at least guild-mates and you can trust me." Levy was almost in tears, she honestly couldn't understand any reason as to why he was hiding something so big from her. "Why don't you trust me? I trust you..."

Gajeel sighed, how was he supposed to explain without upsetting the small woman even more? "Listen Levy, it ain't that I don't trust ya." Gajeel paused, wondering how much he should tell. "There are some jobs that the master had me doing that are dangerous. They could kill me at any point if they wanted, but that doesn't scare me. The reason I can do these jobs is because I don't have anybody close who they can use against me, or at least I didn't. I haven't even told Lily about this stuff, all he knows is what I'm tellin ya now. Thing is, the less people who know the safer everyone is. Lily can protect himself but the girl can't...and I don't want you gettin hurt cuz of me either."

Levy nodded her head in understanding, and surprised Gajeel by sliding closer to him on the couch and hugging his arm.

"I know the master gives you dangerous missions, I'm not stupid." She sighed, "But I don't accept what you're saying. I care about you and I don't care if that puts me in danger. Plus, I live in a dorm with some of the strongest mages in all of Earthland. Ira would be safe with me, and you'd be safer taking Lily on missions with you." The small woman stared into his eyes, keeping his gaze.

"Gajeel I don't want to lose you, but if you keep being so stubborn and refusing help that's what's going to happen. Please don't leave me. I need you."

Gajeel stared at the woman still clinging to him. Did she just confess to me? Before he knew what was happening he was responding.

"I don't wanna to lose you either, Shrimp. That's why I'm so stubborn. I won't let ya get hurt."

Levy nuzzled deeper into his arm and sighed. "Well I guess that makes two of us. I know you're going on a mission tomorrow, and if Lily wasn't hurt I'd make you take him. I'll just have to come back in the morning and take care of both of them."

The large man glared at Levy until her last sentence finally clicked in his brain.

"What do ya mean come back? Yer spending the night."

"Huh-what?" Levy stuttered. What is he saying?

"I said yer staying here tonight. I can't leave right now to walk ya home, and there's no way I'm lettin ya go alone."

"Gajeel you idiot I'm an adult! I can walk home by myself!"

"Yeh, during the day maybe, but it's nearly midnight and we're on the shitty side of town. Plus it's like an hour walk to the dorms. Just stay here."

"Fine." She gave in at his surprisingly reasonable argument. "I didn't bring any sleep clothes though."

Gajeel grumbled while getting up and walking to his room. He came back out a minute later and threw a black t-shirt on top of Levy's head.

"There. You can change into that and sleep in the bed, I'll take the couch."

"No. I'm not going to take your bed."

"Oh for fuck's sake woman I'm tired! Will you just do what I say for once?"

"Well if you're tired then you should sleep in your own bed! It's plenty big enough for two people!" She said without fully thinking. Gajeel immediately shut up and just stared. What is she playing at?

"...What?"

"Your bed is big enough for two." Levy calmly stated, though on the inside she was freaking out. "we slept next to each other on Tenrou...in fact we spent seven years sleeping beside each other, so stop being idiotic." At that she got up and walked into the bathroom to change, walking out just a bit after dressed in Gajeel's giant shirt. Fuck. She looks too good in that.

Levy stuck out her tongue and walked into his room as he followed, obviously confused and beaten. The small woman was already curled up in his bed and staring at him. He figured he had no argument against this, (that wouldn't send her running) so he just crawled into bed as well, which was awkward considering he'd never bothered to put on any clothes.

This is gonna be a hard night. He thought, turning away from Levy as he felt a certain part of his body start to wake up. A really hard night.