Later that day Gajeel just went straight home, and really reconsidered his life. He remembered back before he had ever met Levy, back when he was in Phantom Lord, and the darkness clouded his heart. Before Fairy Tail, Gajeel didn't even know that compassion existed among guilds, or romantic relationships, or even any relationship for that matter. Before Levy, Gajeel didn't even know if he was capable of love. But then he realized only one capable of love was able to have their heart be broken.

That was when Gajeel went back through his memories, he went back to when him and Levy first, officially, expressed their feelings for one another, 3 ½ years ago.

3 ½ years before

It was not during a mission that they first confessed their love to one another, or while Levy was at the library, and Gajeel just "happened" to be there when she fell off the step stool. It was not when Gajeel saved Levy from a monster, or any sort of attacker. Or when either Gajeel or Levy had too much to drink and started word vomiting.

But instead, it started a couple weeks after Levy moved into her new apartment. First it was the sink facet, then the door hinge fell apart, next was the leak in the ceiling, and now it was the windows, when they opened they fell out of their hinges. It was almost as if Levy was purposely breaking things around her newly built apartment, just so Gajeel would come cover, and fix it. Because she was.

"Damn, Shrimp," Gajeel announced as he was fixing the hinge on the window, that almost looked as if it was beaten with a hammer, "It's almost as if you're breaking all these things so that I would come over and fix them," he laughed.

"Nnnno, that's not it. That's not it at all," she was a terrible liar, blushing furiously. Luckily Gajeel was turned the other way, otherwise he'd caught her bluff. "You're way, cheaper than any other repairman, all I have to do is whip you up a meal of iron and food,"

"Right," he smiled has he turned around accomplishing his job. "It's finished, real easy actually, now you can open the window without it falling off," he leaned his butt against the window seal, "You know shrimp, if you wanted to hang out with me more, you should have just asked,"

Levy turned away feared he might see her blush this time, she also had no idea what to say to him, it's not like he was wrong.

"Huh? What is it? Am I right?" he ran over to face her, noticing her blushing face and reluctant look, "You really think I would mind?" he grabbed her face to move up towards his, to look into her soft brown eyes, scared, like they did when he for the first time saw them. No, he likes to keep those memories deep in his psyche.

It's too late now, Levy thought, he already knows that she likes to be around him, and he's not fraying away.

"You know what?" Gajeel asked, as he placed his hand on her cheek, "I like being around you too,"

"Really?" her eyes now turned into hope as she held on his hand on her cheek.

He smiled, "Yep, sure do,"

Go big or go home, Levy thought as she reached up, getting up on her tip toes and gently pecked Gajeel on the cheek, "Thank you," she smiled breathing him in.

Now he was the one who was blushing totally, staggered that Levy would act so fearlessly. "And you're not too bad to look at either," he laughed.

Shaking her head as she grinned, "Come on, let's eat,"

3 ½ years after

Gajeel was somehow living his life, but barely living at all. He wanted to cry, but his eyes remained dry. He wanted to punch a hole in every wall of his house, but no violence remained in his heart. He had decided in that moment that he would shut off everything. Any emotion he held, happy sad, or angry he was going to turn off. After all the best way to not get your heart broken was to pretend you didn't have one.

For the next couple of weeks now Gajeel would wake up every morning feeling empty, take a day long job request, comeback, eat dinner with Panther Lily, and then he would sit in his bed until he slowly drifted away into a painful unconscious oblivion.

He tried to spend as little time at the guild as possible, but Mirajane would always supply him with his daily scraps of Iron, and she was now his only way of getting it. Some days he would go without it, just so he didn't have to see how Laxus touches her, how he talks to her, how he loves her. All in the ways Gajeel never quite did, and never in ways Levy loved back, Gajeel thought.

"Levy, hunny," Laxus was talking to Levy again, usually he tried to hold back the hunny's, dears, babes, whenever he was around Gajeel, but this time he couldn't help himself. He ran over to the petite mage, who was now on her first week of her second trimester, and getting enormous.

This only sicken Gajeel, he'd always imagined that he would be the one by her side once they were married and having children.

"What did the doctor say?" Laxus asked wrapping his enormous arms around her still very small waist.

"Guess!" she commanded getting very excited.

"Oh, come on, just say it! Don't think I don't already know, that's why you're so excited. You won the bet," he sighed emitting defeat.

"Oh, come on, just say it," she smiled clasping his enormous mitts for hands.

He looked up just to amuse her, "A boy?"

"No," she smiled shaking her head, "It's a girl!" she exclaimed wrapping her arms around his thick and veiny neck.

He smiled still happy anyways.

"So… Isabella it is then?" she grinned just happy so see Laxus was hers.

And it was within at least two seconds of saying their new daughter's name, Gajeel got up, feeling complete resentment as to Levy's naming choice. He stormed out of the guild with everybody but Levy completely speechless.

"What's the matter with him?" Levy asked looking over at her Fiancé.

"He wanted us to have a boy," Laxus lied looking around noticing Juvia ran after her old team mate.

She eventually caught up to him, "Gajeel, what is it?" she asked grabbing his should, instantly he shook off her grasp.

"Leave me the fuck alone,"

"Juvia, thinks you should at least talk about it,"

"If, I do, then I won't ever stop being angry," he snapped.

She ran in front of him, "Juvia understands why Gajeel is angry,"

"I just can't live, seeing them together, how did this even happen? She wouldn't even have sex with me until we were married," he asked finally deciding to let go.

"It was about a year ago, when Levy was really sad because Gajeel was gone, and the only person who could cheer her up was Laxus. Laxus then fell in love with Levy, and decided to get her the flower that cures anything. It turned out it got rid of all her of her memory of Gajeel. She must have then had sex with him and when they found out she were pregnant, Laxus proposed," Juvia sighed, feeling completely regretful for her old friend. "Juvia, is sorry, Juvia knows how much Gajeel loved Levy, what made Gajeel so angry?"

"It was the name,"

3 years before

Levy and Gajeel laid in his bed just embracing each other and Gajeel as usual was letting his mouth get the better of him. "You know, you've been the only girl that has made me feel love, or anything even close,"

"Really?" her cheeks fluttered red, turning over onto his chest , theirs pressing together, "That's kinda funny, I feel the same way,"

That statement just made Gajeel feel liberated the finally thought he found someone who would never leave him, like Metalicana, he then continued to talk from his heart. "Well, that's it! I've decided you're going to be the girl that I marry," he grazed her cheek. "I don't care what you say, you're mine!"

"Well, you're mine, so I would love marrying you," she pressed her lips against his. "So…. What are we going to name our children," Of course Levy wanted children.

"Kids?" Gajeel slid out from under Levy, "You know how I feel about children,"

"I thought you loved me like none other? You know that we won't do it, unless we're married,"

"I would have waited for you forever anyways," he smirked.

"Good. So what are we going to name our children?"

You might as well, just charm her, Gajeel thought, "I don't know, what do you want to name our children?"

"I want our children to named, hmmm, Abigail, if she's a girl, and Ian if it's a boy,"

"I don't like Abigail, it sounds weird,"

"What about Ian?" she wondered.

"Yeah, that's alright," he agreed.

She decided to make a compromise, "How about this then, why don't I name the boys and you name the girls,"

"Fine," he really could careless, "What about Isabella?"

"You mean like Bella?"

"No, no, no, just Isabella,"

"What nickname would you give her then?" she knew Gajeel preferred to call people by a pet name than by an actual name. He would only call Levy by her actual name if he was being serious.

"Hmm, Bells," he answered getting up.

"Cute," she got up next to him and nuzzled his nose against his. "I love you, Gajeel," she pressed her lips against his.

Once they finally pulled away he smiled and repeated, "I love you more,"

3 years before

"She has to remember me then," Gajeel muttered after he told Juvia his story. He decided he would not give up on the love of his life.