The field was gorgeous, yet the black-haired man didn't seem to notice. He was too busy glaring at the patient looking woman beside him, crimson eyes irritable as she watched the sky with care. Her blue hair, usually pushed out of her face by a headband, hung loosely in her eyes. It was a good look on her, though it made him snicker when she puffed her breath out in irritation, aggravated when it hung in her eyes.
Losing his patience with her, he rested his chin on his open palm, glaring around them. "The fuck are we doin', woman? Been sittin' here for nearly three hours. Night's comin', and it's not exactly safe for ya to be running around the woods…"
She shushed him. "Hush, Gajeel! Just wait! You'll see." She sat with care on her knees, her hands folded in her lap. She tilted her head back to look at the stars, which had begun to gleam in the skies.
It seemed like ages before the petite Levy McGarden suddenly dubbed that enough time had passed and urged him to stay where he was.
"Watch," she murmured.
She moved with slow, exaggerated moments.
And then she took off at a sudden and dead run. He barked out a startled sound in surprise, and she only laughed as millions of fireflies darted into the dark night sky, lighting it with their gentle glow. She came jogging back a few moments later, flopping next to him. "So!" she said, breathless. "What do you think? Impressed with my mad skills?"
Usually, Gajeel was blunt.
And he continued to be so as he watched in amazement, his previously annoyed eyes full of awe and wonder. "Pretty," he admitted, voice gruff. It was rare that Gajeel used such words. He waved a hand through the air, catching one, then two of them. He studied them, and then used his other hand to ruffle her soft locks with a calloused hand. "Not bad, shrimp. For someone of your size."
She puffed up in anger, but it dissipated as she saw the warm look in his gaze when their eyes locked. She smiled softly, and let him tuck a lock of hair behind her ear with gentle fingers.
He said nothing as he watched the way the fireflies cast their beautiful glow on Levy, merely watched the way her eyes danced when she leaned over and simply pressed her lips against his, hesitant and shaky, yet determined.
He spoke no words as he cackled and forced her into his lap, trapping her there and resting his chin on her head as they watched the fireflies above them, eager to witness the beauty of the world around them.
"What are we doing, Dad?" a small voice said crossly. Crimson eyes flashed irritably as the girl glared at the starry sky above them. "It's cold out here. Look, the snow's going to come soon!"
A large calloused hand ruffled her black locks, and she scowled, looking up to Gajeel. "Don't," she warned, "You're messing up my hair!"
"Gihi," he chuckled, voice low. "You been spending time with bunny girl again, Lex? She always makes ya fussy about your damn hair. Be patient. You'll see. Pretty sure you'll like it."
"Ugh," Lex - Alexus Redfox - moaned. She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, looking away and crossing her small arms. "Haru and the others don't have to do this!"
"Haru and the others don't have me for a dad," Gajeel pointed out. "Now shut up, kid, and watch." He crouched beside her, his arm becoming an iron pillar. "Ya can't tell anyone about this, got it? This is your mother and my secret place, and I guess if ya ever get married, that guy can come here."
Alexus perked up at the mention of her mother. "Mom, too? I guess I can keep it secret…"
"Good." Gajeel waited a moment. And then his iron limb snapped forward, slipping through the grass at a wild speed and sending fireflies into the sky. Alexus gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth as they glowed around her, surrounding the pair. The nine year old was amazed by what she saw, and Gajeel chuckled as he returned his arm to normal. "Your mom showed me this place. Haven't been here since before. S'where she told me she was gonna have you." He prodded her side, and Alexus giggled, swatting his hands away.
"I'm sorry, Gajeel...there was n-nothing I could do…"
Wendy's voice echoed in his ears, and he watched with a protective gaze as Alexus wandered off to enjoy the fireflies, her eyes glittering with excitement.
He'd told Levy not to go on the job, that he had a bad feeling about it. But she'd been insistent on it.
"It's the first job Team Shadowgear's accepted since before Lex was born, and that was nearly five years ago, Gajeel. Just one. And then I'll be back and we can have that date I promised, okay?"
Gajeel regretted ever reluctantly agreeing. She'd been killed when an unexpected attack had come from a mage no one had known about. One strike of lightning and she'd gone down. Jet and Droy had brought her to Wendy and Porlyusica as soon as possible before running for Gajeel, but there had been nothing that could be done.
Alexus had been forced to stay with Salamander, Lucy, their son Haru, and their daughter Sage for nearly six months before he'd gotten a hold of himself enough to take care of her. She'd never questioned anything, never asked why her mother was gone. Simply accepted it at the funeral and moved on, though she sometimes admitted that she missed her.
His girl was strong, nearly stronger than him, and that was saying something.
Wendy still felt guilt about the matter, especially when someone brought up Levy's name, but they were all careful to reassure that she was fine. It wasn't her fault, it was the man behind it.
Alexus hesitated, and then suddenly scribbled a word into the air, murmuring in a voice he could barely hear, "Solid-Script: Shooting Star." She threw the word as high as it would go, and it was like a star streaked across the sky as it soared.
She beamed up, proud of her work, and then ran back to Gajeel. He let her tackle him in a tight hug that he returned, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as they watched the fireflies around them, spellbound by their beauty.
And...running behind again! Gah! This was for the prompt "Spellbound" and the one for the next prompt will be posted later! I used my Gajevy child Alexus in this one!