Gajevy of the Shinsengumi
New Chapter: The Oath of the Exiles, Part 2
by Impracticaldemon
See source link for link to FFN. I’m at Impracticaldemon on FFN.
Words: ~2600
Summary: Levy is a servant girl at an inn in Edo-period Japan (1864). She doesn’t know much about her past or her powers, but the red-eyed police officer she “meets” during a police (Shinsengumi) raid on the inn seems to have some ideas. New Chapter: Levy now has her guild mark and is an official member of the Guild in Exile. Conversation with Gajeel about the darker nature of the Oath of the Exiles.
Chapter 8: The Oath of the Exiles, Part 2
Prompt: Marriage/Living Together
Author's Note:
Once again, I have decided to post a short (~2600 word) chapter, rather than wait to complete the whole story. I hope you enjoy this! :)
~Impracticaldemon
Saitō-san and Yamazaki-san—or rather, Gray-san and Lahar-san—left the Vice Commander's office with Levy. Erza-san stayed to speak with the Vice Commander, which didn't seem to surprise anyone. Levy was very curious about the two of them, now that she knew that they were contracted to be married. After all, a marriage contract was a serious thing, far more important in many ways than the wedding itself, which was more of a party.
When they reached the small inner courtyard frequented by the executive officers, all three of them stopped by common accord. In Levy's case, it was more a question of being deep in thought and automatically coming to a halt when the men did.
"Congratulations, Levy-san," Gray-san said in his usual quiet voice. He bowed a little to her—she hurried to return the bow, as he was one of the most senior captains—and then turned and walked away to his room. Levy sensed that although his face and eyes remained as serious as ever, he was pleased with her.
Even as Gray-san reached the door to his room, which opened onto the courtyard, a big man with long, shaggy black hair came loping toward him. Gajeel was still wearing his blue and white Shinsengumi jacket and iron-reinforced headband, so he must have come right here from his patrol duties. He looked as though he were suppressing the urge to run, and his strides made quick work of the distance between himself and Gray-san.
"Jellal-san timed things as well as usual," murmured Lahar, putting a hand lightly on Levy's shoulder. "He made sure that Gajeel would be finishing up his rounds when you received you mark."
Levy's eyes were fixed on her mentor, who was speaking in low, emphatic tones to Gray-san. She could tell that the captain's responses neither surprised nor pleased Gajeel. Yet, despite a fierce scowl, Gajeel nodded to Gray-san at the end of their brief conversation and parted from him without any notable acrimony.
"Gajeel is handling things well," Lahar noted, sounding pleased. His hand was no longer on Levy's shoulder, and in fact he had moved a step away from his trainee. Levy glanced at him to make sure he wasn't being sarcastic, but he appeared to be serious.
"Watin' for me, are ya?" Gajeel walked up to them and stood glaring down at Lahar.
"It seemed possible that you would stop by," Larhar agreed, "and this place is much more private than the soldiers' compound."
"Hnh." Gajeel finally looked directly at Levy, and he drew in a breath and seemed to make himself let go of his annoyance. "How you doin' Shrimp? Don't mind me, I'm just a little tense 'cause I've been expecting this and wonderin' how it would go."
"I wish you'd been there." Levy clapped a hand over her mouth and felt herself turning red. "I-I mean everyone was great, and Erza-san was there, and nothing bad happened—I'm fine, I swear!—it's just that I guess I'm used to you being around."
"Now that's saying something," noted Laharl, amused. "It's taken me years to be able to say the same."
"Har har. Don't you have some patients waiting for you or somethin'?"
Lahar-san smiled slightly and bowed to Levy. "Congratulations, Levy-chan. You did well."
A moment later, the Shinsengumi's biggest and second-smallest warriors were alone in the pleasant courtyard. Unlike the main practice yard and most of the rest of the land around the two compounds, this area had gardens along the outer walls and greenery planted around a pretty cherry blossom tree in the center, near where they stood. The shade from the tree alleviated some of the heavy August heat.
"I guess I should be congratulatin' ya too, huh?" muttered Gajeel.
"I—think so?" Levy hazarded, unsure of her companion's temper.
"I'm happy that it all went smoothly, at least. An' I'm glad Titania was there—fierce woman, but a good friend for ya."
Levy nodded.
"Guess we should go back to our room. I need ta change and get somethin' ta drink."
"Gajeel…" Levy hesitated. "What's wrong? Why are you—why were you—so anxious?"
A large, heavy hand came down on each of Levy's shoulders. "Well, gee, it might be 'cause if ya'd chosen wrong then they would've killed ya!" Gajeel gave her a short shake. "An' I've put a lotta work inta ya now kid… don't want it to be a waste, do I?"
"But—the memory block?" Levy asked, trying not stagger.
"Yeah, that." Gajeel frowned. "Thing is kid, it's not super-reliable these days, even with the Yōsei like you. It relies in part on an iron-binding and, well, some of us don't mind iron"—he gave an ironic half-bow—"and all of us have had to learn ta live with it."
"Oh, iron's never bothered me at all—" Levy broke off as the implication hit her.
Gajeel gave her another small shake. "Figurin' it out are ya? They already knew that. Lahar would've told them as soon as you told him about conjurin' iron."
Levy was staring blindly into Gajeel's broad chest. They had known all along—Gray-san, Lahar-san, and Jellal-san, even Erza-san— they had known that her options were to swear the oath or die. A spell bound in iron almost certainly wouldn't seal the memory of a Fae who could conjure iron.
"They said I didn't have to die," she heard herself protest aloud, knowing that it was already a moot point, but reluctant to admit that she'd been deliberately tricked and put in peril of her life.
Gajeel shrugged. "They had ta tell ya that, Levy-chan. Otherwise it wasn't a free choice. The oath has to be freely given—that's always the most binding magic, ya know? I mean ya don't but… think about it."
Levy nodded numbly. If the only alternative were death, it was hardly a free choice. And of course it made perfect sense that a promise made under coercion had far less value.
"But now that I know?"
"Doesn't matter now. The promise was freely given, that's all the magic cares about. Remember that: there's a reason that humans don't trust the People. We don't lie and we can't break our promises, but we're damn good at gettin' what we want. Well… the dragon-folk like me an' Natsu tend to hit first and talk later, but the Yōsei and the Oni are known for how well they can spin a story." Gajeel tipped Levy's face up so that he could see her eyes. "The demon-folk are pretty powerful even without trickery, and they rarely care about human lives anyway. But the Yōsei, especially the purebloods, are awesome at magic but not exactly built to take punishment like the rest of us."
The chin in Gajeel's big fingers tilted up a fraction further.
"I am not weak, I'll have you know! I'm much tougher than I look!"
"I know that, Levy-chan. All the magic folks are tougher than they look—and can usually hit harder than ordinary humans, too. But see, I could take apart a human crowd without breaking a sweat." Gajeel seemed to be pulling his accent back together. "You still need to refine your magic. And you can't even use your magic in public without making life ten times more dangerous for yourself in the future—not unless you're very, very careful and a Guild Master gives you permission."
Levy stared at him, processing this along with everything else. "So, just hypothetically, if I found myself outnumbered or outclassed in a fight and used magic to get out, and somebody noticed, I'd be in trouble?"
"Yep. First off, the crowd would be scared and they might unite to tear you apart—a mob's a scary thing, don't kid yourself—and secondly… well, you'd most likely be sentenced to death by the People."
Levy shook herself free of Gajeel's loosened grip, and he didn't try to hold her.
"What is it with you people and death?" she demanded angrily. "How about, you know, a few days in jail, or a fine, or something? People—I mean people in general, not the People, gah!—anyway, people make mistakes. It happens."
"Yeah, but the Exiles are being hunted twice over. We don't want humans to remember that we really do exist—at least, the world doesn't seem like a safe enough place for that yet—and we can't let that bastard Laxus and his crowd start to identify magic with the Shinsengumi. Because one mistake with magic could get all of us killed. So"—Levy interrupted him.
"Does it work?"
"The Ban?" Gajeel considered the question seriously. "Yeah, I'd say that it works. It gets pounded into us all our lives and I'm guessing there are a lot of the People who would let themselves die or get injured rather than use magic around humans without permission."
"But what about the man Freed—somebody mentioned that he was an Oni working with Laxus, right?"
Gajeel stared at her sombrely. "Mmm-hmm. What about him?"
"Well, he didn't seem to be hiding his green hair. I mean… that would make people wonder wouldn't it?"
"It's complicated. It's… politics."
"So tell me, then. I mean I'm stuck now, right? A member of this big happy family? By my own free will?"
"Levy…"
Levy was glaring at the ground, fighting back tears. She finally belonged somewhere. She'd been momentarily happy about that. But now it seemed like her life still hung in the balance. After all, she didn't know anything about the politics everyone kept talking about. Maybe she was on the wrong side after all. The man—demon—Freed… She brought his human alias to mind: Amagiri Kyūjyu. Well, she hadn't gotten to study him, obviously, but he had seemed polite and he had actually helped Gray-san to stop the infighting between the Satsuma and the Aizu warriors.
"Yeah, I can almost hear what you're thinking, Levy, and I get it. But, okay, what about us? I mean, you came looking for me didn't you? You must have decided at some point we were okay—or at least a better alternative than the streets. You don't know anything about the other side, but that also means they could be even more ruthless than we are, you know? At some point you have to decide to trust your instincts."
The words tumbled over her, somehow both coherent and incoherent. She closed her eyes against the tears—she had taught herself how not to cry a long time ago, after all. She could hear anger growing in Gajeel's voice, and something else. Levy pushed the unwanted panic away and concentrated. She had often found that understanding the unspoken emotions was more important…
"You were worried about me."
Gajeel stopped in the middle of trying to sort out his next sentence.
"Duh. I mean—of course I was. See, I know you now. And you're pretty good at blending in and saying the right thing. But when it's important, when you care about something, well, you tell it like you see it."
"You thought I might say I wouldn't take the oath?" asked Levy.
"I…" Gajeel stopped and tilted his head up as though scanning the sky for inspiration. "I guess it's a risk analysis thing. Jellal's a straight-up guy, but there's no messing with him. Ah… dammit, Shrimp. It's like this: the percentage of the risk was low, but the consequence of failure was too high."
Levy furrowed her brow. She thought she understood, but Gajeel deserved to have to explain it properly.
"Try that again in real words, Gajeel?"
"Jeez, and you Yōsei are supposed to be so smart!" He took a look at the small, frowning face, and the tightly cross arms. "Okay. I was almost certain that you'd take the oath and join us—so low risk of there being a problem. But if you didn't then you were probably going to die." Gajeel paused again, and then added, very quietly. "Wasn't sure I could live with that."
Levy had to struggle not to respond to that implicit warmth. She had a sudden desire to bury her head in Gajeel's chest; it was embarrassing. There was a short, rather uncomfortable silence.
"That's why you weren't there," Levy said at last, when she could speak easily again.
"Mmm."
"Guess they think you're dangerous, huh?"
"You could say that." Gajeel was studying the sky again. "My history ain't exactly spotless."
Levy remembered Keiko-san's body sprawled on the kitchen floor and the wrenching pain in her arm when Gajeel had dangled her off the floor to question her. Then again, the Shinsengumi had suffered serious injuries as well as three men killed.
"You mean your history with the others? Like Natsu-san?"
"Yeah."
"On the bright side, that's before my time." Levy shook herself, like a puppy shaking off water. "Right. You're right. The people here have trusted me—even if they'll kill me if I screw up—and I've trusted them too. I owe Lahar-san for teaching me. I owe you for looking out for me—and for bringing me here at all."
"You need to be more careful about throwing around obligations like that, Shrimp! Honestly, I keep forgetting how little you know. The People take statements about owing favours awfully seriously—I thought I told you that!"
"Then I guess you'd better teach me more. I'm a good student."
For some reason, they were smiling at each other now. It was embarrassing. A moment later it got worse. Gajeel spun around defensively, but too late, as a sarcastic voice floated over to them.
"Don't you two already have a room? You—"
"Shut it, Flamebrain! Just mind your own business!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I'm trying to do, you know? But—"
"We're leaving, already! Come on, Shrimp, let's go—like you said, you've got lots to learn!" Gajeel gave Levy a small shove and then turned baleful red eyes on Natsu, who was grinning hugely.
Levy wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she had caught enough of it to want to leave just as much as Gajeel. She was quite sure that she didn't want to spend any more time under Natsu-san's sharp green eyes. Plus, hadn't somebody mentioned that all the dragon-folk had very keen senses? Who knew how long the pink-haired man had been listening.
Gajeel, for his part, wasn't all that concerned about what Natsu might have heard, but the guy had a damn good nose, even for a Dragon, and noses were far more accurate at reading emotions then people realized. Problem was, ever since the Split, and Lucy's trauma, Natsu hadn't been the same. Not that tact and sensitivity had ever been a big part of the Dragon-clan skill-set, but in the past Natsu had always been one of the kindest people in the Guild; now, he sometimes let bitterness get in the way. Gajeel decided that he'd break the rule against brawling before allowing Natsu to continue with his unwelcome teasing.
"Oy—Metalhead!"
Gajeel paused at the entrance to the courtyard, gritting his teeth and feeling his hold on his temper slip. This had better be important… He jerked his head at Levy to let her know that she should keep going, and then scowled back over his shoulder at Natsu. "What?"
Natsu grinned at him. "Commander Kondō says all captains have to be at lunch today in the meeting room for some important announcements. He mentioned you specifically, so you'd better hurry. See you then!"
[END of PART 2]
A/Note: I hope you enjoyed this "part-chapter". Comments and reviews are always welcome. I'm still hoping to post the rest of the chapter this weekend! Looking forward to writing the sweet parts.
Continuation of my last two prompts. Fairy Tail characters belong to Hiro Mashima, not me.
“Lev… What’s wrong?” Gajeel reached over to brush the bluenette’s hair out of her face as they laid in their bed, her head pillowed on his left arm. She opened her eyes to look up at him, a blush dusting her cheeks. “Who said anything is wrong, Gajeel? I’m fine, just very comfortable.” She smiled and closed her eyes again, afraid to hold his gaze. Worried he would see the hurt, the worry lingering there. She’d tried. Honestly she’d tried to keep her word to Lily and tell Gajeel. But every time she opened her mouth to tell him that she wanted to have children, she’d frozen and scrambled for something else, ANYTHING else to say.
Gajeel hadn’t seemed to notice, so she’d just let it drop after the fourth failed attempt. She’d finished cooking their meal, they’d eaten and made happy conversation about their days, and gone about the evening doing their own separate things. Gajeel, for his part, had noticed every time his tiny wife had stumbled over her words. She was normally so well spoken, so when she seemed to be scrambling to find words, it had caught his attention. He’d dismissed it at first, but when she continually did it, he started to get a little concerned. She still seemed happy though, so he’d let it drop, knowing she would talk to him whenever she was ready. But then the evening had dragged on, and she still never said anything.
Now they were in bed, comfortable and ready for sleep, Levy dozing in his arms. “Shrimp. There’s somethin’ botherin’ ya, and it’s botherin’ me that yer not tellin’ me. I ain’t gonna be able to sleep until ya do.” She turned further into his chest, burying her face with a groan. “I have enhanced hearing, Shrimp, but that was something even I couldn’t understand.” He rolled slowly, shifting their bodies so she was on her back underneath him, propping himself on his elbows over her. “Try again.” Her face flushed as she screwed her eyes shut. He almost kissed her to keep her from saying anything when he saw a single tear roll down her cheek, but he didn’t want to chance her losing the courage to speak.
“I want to have a child, Gajeel. I want to have YOUR child. I have wanted this for almost two years, but I’ve been afraid to tell you and I don’t even seem to be ab-“ Now he did cut her off with a kiss, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe her tears. He pulled back sooner than he wanted to when she hiccoughed. “Ya silly woman. I wish ya’d told me before. I had no clue ya wanted kids as bad as I did.” He stared down at her, his crimson eyes studying her face as she froze completely. “Y-you w-w-want k-kids?” She stammered out, starting to cry again. “Shrimp! That was supposed t’ be a happy thing! Why’re ya cryin’ more?!” He rolled them again, sitting up to cradle her against his chest.
“B-but what if… what if I can’t?! Statistically speaking we should have by now!” He wrapped his left arm around her, gently running his right through her hair and down her back to help soothe her. “Shh, Lev, shh. It’s alright.” She was still taking gasping breaths to try and stop her crying, or gain a little control at least. “Now ya listen here, woman.” Gajeel said calmly, stroking his fingers in slow circles on her back. “Yes, I wanna have kids with ya. I wanna see ya, belly swollen with my kid, hollerin’ at me that ya want crazy weird things in the middle o’the night. I wanna watch ya teach our kid to be smarter than their old man, and I wanna train them to be the toughest bastard the guild has ever seen.” Levy calmed as he leaned against his chest, feeling his words rumble in his chest. With his last comment, she giggled, shifting herself in his lap so she could look into his eyes.
“I think you’re going to be the best father the guild has ever seen. The women are going to be envious of me because they know their men will never be as attentive as you, and their babies couldn’t possibly be as cute as ours.” Gajeel chuckled, pulling her into a hug. “Damn straight, Shrimp.” They got quiet for a moment, content in each other and the plans they were dreaming up for their family. “I jus’ wish ya’d told me sooner so ya never had to feel this pain, Lev.” She nodded, pressing her nose into his neck. Gajeel suppressed a shiver as her breath tickled him, trying to keep his mind on track. “Gajeel… what if we can’t?” He grew very still underneath her, tightening his arms a little around her. “We ain’t gonna know until we try, will we? If it makes ya feel better, we can go see the old hag tomorrow. And if all else fails, Lev, we could always adopt. Mavis knows there’s ‘nough kids out there growin’ up like we had to, only they ain’t got a guild.”
She shot straight up to look at him, excitement dancing in her eyes at his words. He wasn’t going to be disappointed in her as a wife if she couldn’t have his children? As soon as she knew he wanted kids, that had started tearing at her mind. “Did you know that you’re perfect, Husband?” He laughed out loud at that as she laid her head back on his shoulder, nose against his neck. “I’ll remind ya of that next time yer mad at me.” He lost his train of thought as she moved, placing gentle kisses along his collarbone. “S-Shrimp. What’re ya…” He stopped as he felt her lips moving against his skin, a quiet groan escaping his mouth.
“You said we wouldn’t know until we try, right?” Levy murmured, letting her teeth and lips tease him. “Ya wanna try NOW?!” He yelped, caught off guard by how abrupt her mood swing was, shocked about how forward she was being after sobbing just minutes before. “Is there a problem?” Levy almost growled the question, her voice sending a jolt down Gajeel’s spine. Responding with a growl of his own, he flipped them yet again, pinning her arms to the mattress and laughing at the squeak his sudden movement elicited from the beautiful script mage he’d been lucky enough to claim as his mate. “No better time than the present, so they say.” He rumbled, leaning his head down to steal a kiss, cutting off any witty comments she was going to add to the conversation. Gajeel shifted his weight to his left arm, using his right to being exploring the body he knew and loved so much as his mouth trailed kisses down her neck.
Gajevy week is here!! Yay!!! This story is like a soulmate au where you have a mark on any part of your body and your soulmate has the exact same mark on the exact same part.
Prompt: Matching
Levy honestly didn’t want to believe this whole soulmate thing but with her best friend finding hers and the metal heart on the inside of her wrist, it’s getting a little hard. Everyone around her were finding their soulmates and constantly asked where her other half was.
Levy had found a way to deal with those questions by holding a stack of books to their faces. I mean, if this whole soulmate thing didn’t exist books would be her soulmate. They were always something Levy loved and that’s kind of how she and Lucy became best friends.
Lucy found her soulmate a few months ago and they became inseparable. But whenever Levy is around, Natsu makes sure to include her in going out. Natsu has tried to persuade her out of her books as he says “The more, the merrier” yet there has been times when Levy didn’t decline.
Today was one of those days where she declined. She had an entire period of no class so she decided to go up to the roof to read her books. It was bright and sunny but she knew a particular spot that would shade her from the glaring sun. She didn’t even bother to check if there was anyone else on the roof until she tripped on a bag and fell down, dropping her books in the process.
Surprisingly, she didn’t fall on the concrete floor, because she fell on someone and her books happened to end up on that someone.
“Oi! What gives?” a husky voice yelled. Levy got up as fast as she could and saw the person she fell on.
Gajeel Redfox. The boy no one really knows about because they’re too scared to even approach him. He’s got that look where he’ll just punch you for the hell of it. Even the teachers don’t dare to mess with him.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” Levy said quickly. Gajeel sat up looking pissed off. Either that or that’s just his face. Levy couldn’t tell. She grabbed her books and apologised again.
“What are you doing up here anyway? Don’t you have class?” he asked. She was a little hesitant to answer him but she wasn’t scared of him. “I actually don’t and I wanted to read. It’s quiet up here.”
“Yeah it is. Plus this spot is real nice. I can sleep here.” he says. “Um… can I check something?”
“Check something? What does he mean check something?” she thinks. “Check what?” she asks. He says nothing and reaches for her wrist. He turns it over and pulls the fabric to reveal the metal heart.
“Is this your soulmate mark?” he asks. She nods. He doesn’t say anything as he goes up to his and reveals the exact same metal heart just like hers on the inside of his wrist.
“I was sleeping in class one day and you were sitting next to me. I opened my eyes and saw that on your wrist.” he says. Levy’s eyes widened. Holy shit she found her soulmate. Well, there goes trying to ignore it.
“I wanted to talk to you about it but I couldn’t bring myself to” he continued, he scratched his head. “Sorry”
Levy was still stunned at the fact that she actually found her soulmate. However, this silence wouldn’t do any of them any good.
“It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself over it.” she says with a smile. Gajeel blushes and looks away.
“Can you do me a favour?” he asks. “What is it?” she replies with interest.
“Can you read to me? Whatever you’re reading?” he’s still blushing and slowly turns his head to Levy. She smiles at him. “Sure”
Levy sits down against the wall and squeaks when Gajeel places his head on her lap. “This is way better than the floor” he says. Levy couldn’t move so she opens her book and begins reading. Gajeel smiles at the sound of her voice.
Gajevy of the Shinsengumi: Oath of the Exiles, Part III
Words: ~4500 | Now on FFN and AO3 (Impracticaldemon)
Author's Note:
Still not the final chapter!
When important announcements are made by the Shinsengumi's Commander, Isami Kondo, there are repercussions for Gajeel and Levy.
Also, Levy and Wendy finally get to have a proper heart-to-heart.
The Oath of the Exiles, Part III
Prompt: Marriage/Living Together
The pages were asked to serve lunch that day, which was a tacit invitation to be present for whatever the big announcement was. Fortunately, Wendy and Levy worked very well together: Wendy knew who liked what and where everything was (although Levy almost had all that sorted out now); Levy was a skilled server from her long years at the inn. They were kept busy throughout the first part of the meal, since several of the vice-captains were there as well as the captains, and even Yamazaki-san and Shimada-san—Levy's roommates—were there.
Once everyone had been served, the two pages were allowed to sit down with their own meals in a corner by the door. Normally they would have eaten in the hallway outside, so Levy enjoyed the chance to watch the various officers interact, as well as a rare opportunity to see the Commander, Kondō Isami, together with Deputy Commander Sannan Kesiuke and Vice Commander Hijikata. Naturally, she speculated on whether either Kondō-san or Sannan-san were members of the People, but she knew better now than to try to "see" through any disguises. Both the Commander and the Deputy Commander had unusually light hazel-brown eyes, but such colouring was not unheard of and they both seemed quite normal otherwise.
"With our success at the Ikedaya Inn, and our loyal service during the recent rebellion," Commander Kondō began, "we are finally getting the recognition from the Aizu higher-ups that we've been hoping for. Our prompt and life-saving services during the Great Fire have also been commended. There are two things in particular to mention in this regard: first, I have reward money to distribute among you"—he had to pause as there was a pleased stir from the officers—"and second, our jurisdiction has been expanded so that we can pursue fugitives outside the borders of Kyoto and keep a closer watch on the road to Osaka to the south."
Kondō-san smiled at the quick rise of murmurs—these veterans knew that the second point granted them a significant concession, but also presented them with an obvious problem. After a few moments, Sannan-san cleared his throat and glared around the room through his rather ominous-looking glasses. Levy couldn't have explained what was so ominous about a regular pair of round-rimmed, wire-framed spectacles, but there it was. The men (and women) quieted immediately.
"Naturally, we are aware that we need more men in order to fulfil our expanded role," Kondō said, answering the question on everyone's minds. "That was understood and we have even been given funds with which to recruit and pay new warriors. Hijikata and I will be primarily responsible for the recruiting; on that note, Tōdō-kun will be travelling to Edo in the near future to start scouting out possibilities, and I will be joining him there about a month later to review the candidates."
Levy's eyes were immediately drawn to the scowl on Natsu-san's—that is, Okita-san's—face. He made no secret of his anger, but he had apparently been briefed earlier, because he said nothing, although his sentiments were clear from the way that he abused both his chopsticks and his meal. In fact, Okita-san was usually a heavy eater, but Levy had noticed that he'd been eating less and less recently. It was odd, now that she thought about it.
"Should be a fun trip!" Tōdō Heisuke said cheerfully, either ignoring or unaware of Okita's deep frown. He was still recovering from the battle at the Ikedaya Inn two months ago, but the savage wound to his forehead had almost healed.
Levy assumed that Yamazaki-san had spoken to the Commander about Tōdō-san's medical condition. What interested Levy, however, was the suspicion, based on a number of recent clues, that Tōdō-san was another of the Shinsengumi's female warriors. She was already certain that the Eighth Division Captain was one of the People, presumably of the Yōsei Clan given his (or her) slight stature. Tōdō-san was only a few scant inches taller than Levy and not especially burly either. Gajeel had once told her that Tōdō-san's greatest assets were his surprising toughness and flexibility—his jujutsu skills were extremely good, apparently—in addition to complete fearlessness in battle.
"We call him Master Forerunner," Gajeel had commented, with a laugh. "He has a knack for getting into scrapes by charging in to help whenever an' whoever he can—he an' Flamebrain give Jellal fits by leapin' before they look. Things sure have changed…" Gajeel had refused to say any more about Tōdō-san after that, however.
Levy stole a look at Gajeel, who was eating calmly in the row behind the captains, his strange red eyes fixed on his food. Looking at him hurt, a little. He had refused to talk to Levy at all as they had hustled back to the soldiers' compound, and Levy didn't know what to make of things. When they had been talking in the inner courtyard—before Okita-san had interrupted—it had seemed like maybe they were reaching some kind of… understanding? But she still wasn't sure. Either way, Levy's hope that being more fully inducted into the Exiles would cause Gajeel to be more open with her was still unfulfilled. For reasons that she still didn't want to examine too closely, she was tiring rapidly of Gajeel treating her—mostly—as some kind of young relative who wasn't quite ready for adult conversation. She sighed quietly and looked up to find Wendy's gentle eyes on her.
"Um, Yukimura? Are you alright?" Wendy whispered.
"Perfectly fine, Yamato," Levy assured her. "Just struggling to follow what's going on. I don't know all the officers and other stuff like you do." Wendy regarded her thoughtfully, but let her statements go unchallenged.
Both pages were summoned by Kondō-san at that moment, and were sent in search of decent sake. When they returned, they were busy for a few minutes distributing and filling cups, while the captains and immediate subordinates discussed the upcoming recruitment with mingled excitement and concern. The general consensus seemed to be that more soldiers was good, but having a bunch of unknown people around wasn't so good.
"Now," Kondō said, once everyone had drinks. I have a few promotions to announce, which is why we are having this excellent sake in the middle of the day." There were a few chuckles, since the alcohol was as cheap as they could find it, due to tight budgets. Kondō's words had gotten everyone's attention, though. "First, I would like to congratulate Yukimura Aki-kun for being accepted as a full member of the Shinsengumi." The Commander smiled kindly at Levy—he was a much warmer man than either of his immediate subordinates. "You will be pleased to know, Yukimura-kun, that you are now entitled to a stipend in addition to your room and board."
Levy was surprised as well as pleased by Kondō-san's words, since she had never been paid for her work before. Even though the stipend might be a measure of rice rather than hard currency, it was something of which to be proud. At the same time, she found being the center of attention extremely unnerving. She bowed deeply and stammered out her thanks. There were chuckles all around, and Levy heard Okita-san quietly ask Saitō-san if the promotion meant that she could now draw her sword without injury. Levy tensed, since that was a dangerous topic around men who didn't know her secret. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gajeel straighten and glare at Okita-san. Fortunately, nobody else overheard, and Saitō-san seemed to ignore the comment altogether.
"Ah, now, as for the captains' positions," Kondō said, when the brief noise died down. "The three of us"—he indicated himself, Sannan and Hijikata—"have decided that it would be best to have most of our officers' positions filled before beginning recruiting, as long as we have people for the jobs. Therefore, we have selected Matsubara Chūji, our jujutsu instructor, to be Fourth Division Captain; Takeda Kanryūsai will be Fifth Division Captain and adviser in military strategies; and Tani Sanjūrō will become Seventh Division Captain."
There was a short moment of silence, while everyone present considered the appointments, and then a flurry of comments and congratulations. Levy had automatically turned to look at Gajeel when she had heard his Shinsengumi name, and she couldn't help an abbreviated wave, which made the big man roll his eyes before turning to exchange compliments with his neighbours. Levy felt Wendy tug at her sleeve.
"Um, Aki-kun?"
"Yes, Daisuke-kun?" Levy looked in surprise at her colleague, who sounded worried. "What's wrong?"
"Um, well, you are grinning rather broadly—well, not broadly exactly but, ah, fondly? I don't mean to offend, and of course everyone knows that you would be proud of your cousin's promotion, but, ah…" Wendy trailed, off, obviously embarrassed.
Levy realized that she was smiling at Gajeel with perhaps too much admiration. In fact, she suspected that the slight motion she saw from Yamazaki-san was a gesture to tone it down. She felt herself turn red and immediately turned away from Gajeel to address a few innocuous comments to Wendy. The fact that they were both flustered made her first statement less than politic:
"So Takeda-san will be a captain then? I don't think he's very well-liked."
Wendy shushed her and looked around quickly, eyes wide. Levy felt as though her flush might become permanent.
"Ah, b-but I don't really know much, after all," she stammered quickly, on the off chance that the very prickly and overly-inquisitive new Fifth Division Captain had heard her. He seemed to be deep in conversation with Kondō-san, fortunately.
"Matsubara-san is a good man," Levy put in just as hurriedly. "We won't train with him, of course—since we have Harada-san and, um, Tani-san—but he is always very kind when I do chores with him or need to run messages to him."
Levy shot a furtive glance at the jujutsu instructor and new Fourth Division Captain. Well, everyone else was covertly watching the new captains too, so that had to be okay. He was another big man, built along the same lines as Gajeel and Shimada-san, and Levy realized that like Harada-san he only carried one sword—a heavy katana—instead of a daisho made up of paired longer and shorter swords. Of course, if he was an expert in hand-to-hand fighting, he probably had resources apart from weapons. Still, Levy felt the same prickling thought as always: is he one of the people?
Eventually, lunch was over, and the pages started the heavy chore of cleaning up. Today they were being aided and supervised by Inoue Genzabōro, Captain of the Sixth Division. Inoue-san was a quiet, friendly man, a little older than the other captains and a close friend of the Commander. Levy always felt more comfortable working with him than with anyone else, including Gajeel. She liked working with Gajeel, but she wasn't precisely comfortable, especially in the last little while. Inoue-san rarely got impatient, and was more cheerful than Saitō-san, while at the same time less manic than Okita-san (who had pink hair—pink!).
"I expect they'll offer Tani-kun the empty room on the inner compound," Inoue mused, as the pages heated buckets of water in which to scald the dirty dishes. "Matsubara is happy where he is, and already has only one roommate, and Takeda-san will prefer to keep the little closet that he has near the Commander's quarters."
"Closet, Inoue-san?" asked Levy, curious.
"Mm, well it's not much bigger than one, but it got him his own space as well as closer to Kondō-san. It may even have been a closet once, I don't know. Either way, if Tani-kun moves then you'll come with him of course, Yukimura-kun."
"Oh…" Levy stopped mid-way through sloshing hot water on to a stack of dishes as the implications sank in. They'd have a room together? She suddenly wished she knew what Gajeel thought of the situation. After all, it was bad enough to be sharing a room with three men, but although it might seem odd, there was—in Levy's mind—far more impropriety attached to living with just one.
"Aki-kun?" prodded Wendy, gently. "Come on… I'm sure the idea of more space is tempting, but I've got other chores to do and so do you."
"Ah! Yes, o-of course, Yamato-kun! Sumimasen!"
Gajeel and the others were in meetings for the rest of the day, including dinner. Levy and Wendy were asked to help cook and serve the meal, but they were not allowed to stay and eat with the officers. In fact, they were firmly dismissed with orders to go find work out-of-doors, ostensibly because it would be cooler, especially as the sun was setting.
"They know and we know that they're just getting us out of the way," Levy muttered rebelliously. "Why couldn't they just say so?"
Wendy looked at her curiously. "It's more polite not to, I suppose. Does it matter?"
"No, I guess it doesn't." Levy sighed and then forced herself to relax her shoulders.
The two young women looked around the inner courtyard to see if there was any tidying to do, but other than some general weeding—and Levy wasn't sure that she would know the weeds from the non-weeds—everything was in order. The well even had clean cloths and basins beside it, so there was nothing to do there. Levy drew up some water and they both took the opportunity to drink.
"Levy-chan?" Wendy murmured in her soft voice, as they sat under the sakura tree sipping cold water and watching the sun set behind the garden wall.
"Hmm?"
"Erza-san told me that it will be up to you and Gajeel-san to decide how you want to arrange things. Um. It might look a little odd, but you could stay with the Inspectors. After all, you do quite a lot of work and training with Lahar-san now, don't you?"
Levy stared at her. As uncomfortable as she had found the idea of sharing a room with Gajeel, she realized that the idea of not sharing a room with Gajeel made her feel worse. How inconsistent was that? Fortunately, Wendy was a very undemanding companion, and generally seemed to know when to let Levy think before expecting an answer.
"I… yes, I do work with Lahar-san quite a lot. But—what do you think?"
It was Wendy's turn to stare. People rarely asked her opinion, since she was so much younger than everyone. At the same time, she was intelligent enough to recognize a dodge when she heard one.
"I think it will depend on what you want and how much you trust Gajeel-san."
"It's not a matter of trust," Levy said immediately, the words coming out more forcefully than she'd intended. She frowned at her hands. She'd never had a friend before, and the idea of discussing something personal with anybody was new to her—other than necessary conversations with Keiko-san about women's matters, of course, but Keiko-san had not been a peer in any sense. That reminded her of something she'd been wanting to ask. "Wendy-chan? You probably don't know… but did anybody ever say anything to you about the older lady who was taken prisoner at the Ikedaya on the night of the raid?"
To her surprise, Wendy gave her an odd look and sighed.
"I wasn't supposed to talk to you about that… But I suppose it's okay now since you've joined, right?"
"I'd really like to know, unless you think you'll get into a lot of trouble."
"No, it's probably fine. Well, things were a little crazy that night, you know? And there were a lot of our people hurt, too. So I was really busy. But the next evening—the day you arrived—Gajeel-san asked Erza-san if there was any chance that I could maybe help with one of the prisoners, since she was an older lady and Lahar-san said that her condition was not very good."
"That's what happens when a big man hits a small woman, especially an older one with no way to defend herself," Levy cried indignantly, all of her concern and anger returning in a rush.
"Ah, yes—I do understand how you feel, Levy-chan." Wendy looked very sad and worried. "The lady was like a foster-mother to you, right? Or grandmother?"
"Was?"
"Oh! Gomenasai! As far as I know, the lady is still alive. I should have said. I wasn't allowed to see to her right away, Levy-chan, I'm sorry. But Erza-san restricts the use of my healing powers quite a lot you see, both because it drains me a bit and because it's such a secret, you know?" Wendy peered anxiously as Levy, who just nodded and tried to keep her expression neutral. "B-but I did go to see her later!"
"You did?" Suddenly Levy felt more hopeful.
"Yes. I wasn't supposed to tell you, but Gajeel-san asked again a few days later." Wendy gave Levy a side-long look that made the older girl blush slightly. "And Erza-san said that since he was making a nuisance of himself, she'd approve it and be the one to tell Jellal-san about it. I'm afraid that she laughed at Gajeel-san a little, but I know that she was actually quite happy, because she's been worried that so many of the"—Wendy lowered her voice even further—"People—the men especially—seem to have lost sight of the fact that we are usually a peaceful race."
Levy leaned in closer and lowered her voice as well. "Dragons and Oni don't seem like very peaceful sorts of beings to me, Wendy-chan."
Wendy looked down, biting her lip, and there was a short silence. Levy was puzzled—her comment might have been a little disbelieving, but that was all.
"Um… I guess Gajeel-san kept my secret then."
"More secrets? You're not going to tell me that you're actually a boy after all, are you?"
Wendy laughed slightly, as Levy had hoped. Her days had gotten a little easier now that she could bathe with Erza-san, Wendy and Kana-san; however, it also meant that she was reasonably sure that they were women. Then again…
"Nothing like that! But…" Wendy looked a little hesitant, then continued. "You assumed that I was a Yōsei, so Erza-san confirmed it. She tried not to lie by saying that I was a Yōsei 'as you already know'—do you remember?—but I don't know, myself. It wasn't a very good not-lie. I think she's just gotten very good at lying about me when she needs to, so it's become much easier for her."
Levy couldn't follow a lot of what Wendy had just said, but a couple of things stood out. She needed to get the conversation back on track. "Wendy-chan? What is the secret you were going to tell me? And did you see Keiko-san? Don't worry about the rest right now, it's okay."
"I'm a D-dragon," Wendy breathed softly, her head practically touching Levy's because they were so close.
"Really?!" Levy was so startled that she almost whacked her head into Wendy's. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth and looked around furtively. The officers' courtyard remained devoid of life, however. "I mean, wow," she whispered, once she'd regained her balance and her poise.
Wendy nodded. "Right. And, um, there aren't exactly a lot of female Dragon-folk so people get kind of overprotective." She looked embarrassed, and then added: "Y-you see, L-laxus-sama—the Prince, you know?—wanted to keep me in Magnolia so that when I grew a little older we could be m-married."
Instinctively, Levy put an arm around the younger woman and squeezed. It was unusual for her, since she'd learned to keep her distance from people over the last ten years, but it seemed quite natural to want to hug Wendy. "He doesn't sound like a very nice man. I can see why you wouldn't want to be forced into marriage with him. I have a feeling that the people here won't let him get his way, though."
Her friend waved her hand quickly in front of her face in a firm "no". (1) Levy gave the slim shoulders another squeeze, and then folded her hands in her lap again.
"About your Keiko-san," Wendy said after a moment, when both of them had regained their composure. "Erza-san took me to see her and I'm afraid she was quite badly hurt. Lahar-san had given her what care he could when he examined her—he is a good man, even though he seems a little cold at times—but he couldn't do much. The most important thing he did was to have her moved out of the common cell into a small room. After all, it wasn't as though she could run away, right? I aided her when I saw her—and I've been allowed back once, since—and I can tell you that although she is very frail, she was alive when I saw her a week ago. She is very sad, though. I know it is the law but, um, her son has been condemned to death as a traitor, along with every other man they took prisoner."
Levy wasn't sure how she felt about that. It was awful of course, for Keiko-san, but the son had never been anything other than mean—in every sense—where Levy was concerned, and but for his mother, it wasn't clear how he might have treated Levy. With her unusual looks, he might have considered selling her to one of the brothels—or worse, forced her to start entertaining his guests as an unlicensed prostitute. Levy was aware of situations of that sort, and knew that she would have run away to avoid it, although the risk of starving to death was not insignificant. Better to run away and starve, though; the alternative was often to become pregnant and then be thrown out to starve anyway.
Some of these grim thoughts must have shown on Levy's face, because Wendy took one of her hands, exclaiming: "I am so, so sorry! This must be terrible for you!"
Levy gently withdrew her hand and gave the other girl a reassuring smile. "Īe." (2) Then she looked over at the building, thinking about everything she had known—and had learned since joining the Shinsengumi—about men. They weren't all the monsters that Keiko-san had made them out to be, but Levy had to agree with the older woman that it was best to be on one's guard most of the time, which was no doubt the purpose of her warnings. The truth was that men held all of the power in Japan; it was an accepted part of everyday life.
"It isn't terrible for me, Wendy-chan," Levy continued after a few moments. "To be honest, I care more about the men here after two months than I ever cared about Ikeda-san and his relatives and cronies. My life here as a page is much better than what I ever had at the inn."
Wendy looked at her wide-eyed. She obviously hadn't imagined such a reaction. Erza-san and her own innocent nature had obviously protected her from being fully aware of some of the realities of life, even as a page of the Shinsengumi. "But you care about Keiko-san?" she asked Levy, in hesitant tones.
"Oh yes! She was extremely kind to me, you see. In fact, in many ways I owe her my life just as much as I would owe any man who protected me with a sword or spear."
"I see." Wendy seemed to be thinking this over, and Levy waited patiently, trying to keep her gaze from shifting back to the meeting hall. At last, Wendy said softly: "Erza-san told me that you had probably had to deal with quite a lot, before coming here. Pretty much all of us—you know—have had to get by without any blood kin, which is a challenge. But you didn't even know who you were, or what you could do, or anything. I think you must be much tougher than I am."
"Huh?" Levy was taken aback. "Oh, I suppose we all deal with what we're given, right? And honestly, Keiko-san did look after me, right from the beginning. So I am immensely grateful to you, and to Erza-san, for deciding to help her as much as you could."
"And to Gajeel-san," prompted Wendy, this time with a tiny smile that was almost a smirk.
"No," said Levy firmly. "Job or no job, he's the one who hurt her."
Wendy's smile grew more pronounced, if anything, despite Levy's serious tone. "Ah, but that's not why he called in favours to make sure she was looked after, ne Levy-chan?"
Levy reddened. "I don't know… why he would do that," she replied defensively, feeling the uncomfortable prickle along her skin that she always felt when she wasn't really telling the truth.
"I know what Happy would say," crowed Wendy, now almost giggling. Then she froze, clapping her hand over her mouth in horror.
"Happy?" asked Levy, confused.
"N-nothing. Well, not nothing but I'm not allowed to talk about that. Please, please don't ask me anything else about that."
The girl looked honestly upset, so Levy nodded immediately. "Okay. I'm sure I'll find out eventually, right?"
"Y-yes—thank you!"
"It's fine, I've got lots of other things to think about anyway."
"Right. I'm sorry if I shouldn't have teased you, Levy-chan. I just assumed too much, that's all."
Levy eyed her warily. "About?" Not that she couldn't guess.
"Well… you know…"
"Enlighten me."
Wendy blinked at her and then gave a short gurgle of laughter. "That's what Lahar-san says when he is annoyed! You sounded just like him!"
Levy rolled her eyes and stood up. "Let's go see if Captain Tani's new room is fit to live in, shall we? Which one is it?" She ignored Wendy's surprised look at first, but then relented: "Even if I'm not sure that sharing a room with Gajeel is the right thing to do, it is the most sensible arrangement for many reasons."
Wendy rose slowly to join Levy, frowning. "But Levy-chan… It isn't just about what is sensible, is it? I-I thought maybe it was more than that."
Levy felt her face go neutral, as it usually did when she was pressed too closely on a subject she hadn't yet fully thought out. Wendy didn't realize just how much more Levy had already shown of herself than she ever had before. Before she could speak, though, Wendy picked up on her mood and bowed slightly.
"The room is this way, Aki-kun," said Yamato Daisuke, Shinsengumi page. "They've been using it for guests from time to time, but unless Inoue-san has bothered to have it cleaned I'll bet it hasn't been looked after properly."
"Wonderful," groaned Yukimura Aki, with more or less unfeigned disgust. "Then we may as well get started, because if it hasn't been aired then it's going to be really awful in there."
It wasn't quite as bad as it could have been: the tatami mats weren't rotting in the heat and humidity, for example. On the other hand, both pages sighed deeply when they saw how many bugs they would have to deal with.
[END OF PART III]
Notes:
(1) Although nodding is an affirmative in Japanese, a head-shake isn't a traditional "no". "No" is signaled by fanning a hand in front of the face.
(2) Spelled "i-i-e" and pronounce "ee-yeh", this is a fairly common way to say "no" or "no, not at all".
Author's Note: When Part III reached 8500 words (not quite finished), I decided to break it in two and post the first half. On the bright side, it means that the next chapter will be ready by tomorrow.
PS Once again, thank you to all those who left comments and notes on the last chapter here and on FFN. Your support and enthusiasm is really amazing. Maybe that’s why this chapter wouldn’t end...
Gajevy of the Shinsengumi: The Oath of the Exiles, Part IV
FINAL CHAPTER! This concludes my official contribution to Gajevy Week 2017.
(Really, really, really late.) (Sumimasen.)
Author's Note:
This is the fourth and last part of the chapter-arc "The Oath of the Exiles" for the story Gajeel (or Gajevy) of the Shinsengumi.
Just as the first part of the chapter-arc marked a turning point for Levy, and her place in the Shinsengumi and the Fairy Tail Guild, the final part marks a turning point for Levy and Gajeel as a couple.
I do plan to write an Epilogue at some point, and I think that I will likely do a series of side-stories or arcs featuring the other characters. I know that many of you are curious about several things including:
- Where is Lucy and what happened to her? (And related matters, such as (1) why the change in Natsu's day-to-day personality? (2) where is Happy, if he exists in this AU?)
- What happened to Juvia and is she still alive? (Related matters: why the friction between Natsu/Gray/Gajeel, since it seems to relate?)
- Who/where is Pantherlily (if he exists in this AU)?
- What is going on with Laxus, Freed and (presumably) Bickslow and Evergreen?
- What about Mirajane and Elfman?
And so on. Even when it was only tangential to my immediate plot (Gajevy), I have built up a framework around many of the Fairy Tail characters, in order to keep reactions consistent across a semi-complete tapestry.
In any event, this is the final chapter (apart from a probable epilogue) for Gajevy Week 2017.
The Oath of the Exiles: Part IV
Prompt: Marriage / Living Together
Gajeel arrived about two hours later, just a few moments after Wendy had left. Knowing that the other page was a Dragon, with outstanding hearing, Levy wasn't surprised by the coincidental timing. In fact, Wendy's sudden departure had made her nervous, and Gajeel had found her tending to a lamp that was already glowing perfectly.
"Thanks for this," the new captain said in a soft growl, looking around appreciatively. "I've a pretty good guess what it was like before you and your friend got to work on it."
It wasn't an especially large room, but it was significantly more space for one person than Gajeel had had in a slightly bigger room occupied by three men—two of them massive—plus Levy.
There was a short silence, while Gajeel continued to take in his new quarters and Levy tried to come up with something to say. Eventually, she gave up fussing with the lamp and knelt to one side of the open door, facing Gajeel. She had a strange lump in her throat, and her nerves felt as though they were buzzing slightly. When had she become so aware of the man's presence? She felt as though she couldn't quite breathe properly.
Gajeel glanced out at the courtyard beyond the door. Some distance away, Gray and Natsu were discussing something—without acrimony, apparently—and although they both raised a hand in acknowledgment, they seemed to be deeply involved in whatever it was they had to talk about. There was nobody else in evidence.
"Levy-chan," Gajeel said quietly. "I know it's a little awkward and all, but it'll be fine. Come on shorty, cheer up. You've put up with me for two months, I'm sure you'll cope. Besides, there's more privacy for you here, and that's a good thing, right?"
"Are you sure?" Levy instantly turned red. Not only was the question inane, but her voice had squeaked.
"Am I sure about what?" Gajeel sat down and leaned his broad shoulders back against the doorframe opposite Levy, so that he could keep an eye (and ear, and nose) out for any potential eavesdroppers. Closing the door wouldn't do much other than close in the heat and any residual moisture from the cleaning activities.
Levy eyed her mentor's crossed arms and impassive expression, noting that his posture was actually more alert than it looked at first glance. Maybe she wasn't the only one who was a bit nervous? Or maybe he was just tired but trying to be kind to her. The two lamps provided a warm, steady glow, but the soft light just accentuated Gajeel's rather craggy features and made his red eyes stand out vividly within dark pools of shadow. Was it really possible to fall in love—there, she had finally allowed herself to think the words—with such a man?
"Levy?"
Not shorty, or shrimp, or even Levy-chan. Just her first name, short and familiar. Inside her head she was yelling at herself to move, to talk… to do something. She managed to clear her throat.
"I mean—do you want me to stay here instead of with the others? I wasn't sure."
Gajeel gave her a slightly cynical look. "Your skin must be crawling, shorty, 'cause that's not true. You knew I wanted you here with me."
He was right. Her skin was prickling badly—or at least, that was the nearest she could describe the uncomfortable-almost-painful sensation that she always got when she lied. Except that she hadn't realized she was lying until the words came out. She hadn't known the way he implied. Irritation overcame her strange shyness.
"Well I didn't know that I knew," she muttered, rubbing her arms to make the twitching go away.
There was a deep sigh from Gajeel. "Fair enough. I keep forgetting that you still don't always know how to understand what your senses—your gut instincts—are telling you. You've only had two months to make up for twelve years." Levy saw him look up at the dark sky for several seconds, and then out into the courtyard. "You don't have anything to fear from me. You know that, right?"
"Yes." The answer came automatically. "Well, mostly."
"Only mostly?"
Levy shifted uncomfortably, but answered honestly. "There are different ways of being hurt."
"I guess we both know about that, don't we? You know what it's like to lose everything when you're just a kid. Makes it hard to trust anyone." His eyes were back on Levy now. "Problem is, words aren't really my strong suit."
"Fine," snapped Levy, surprising them both with the note of anger in her voice. "You just sit there and dance around the point and tell me to be patient, and I'll just sit over here trying to put the puzzle together with no idea what the picture looks like!"
She saw Gajeel's expression darken perceptibly, and he seemed to grip his lips and arms together with an effort, as if to prevent himself from saying or doing something he'd regret. For her part, she was suddenly deeply afraid—not of physical violence, but of being responsible for forcing something out into the open that was, just maybe, better left unsaid for a while longer. She started to open her mouth to say something—to apologize, probably—when Gajeel finally responded.
"We're not human, Levy. Not even the Yōsei are all that close to being human, even though they blend in the best and get married and have kids with humans sometimes. And the problem is that close relationships—friendships, love affairs, whatever—between the Fae are kind of… intense. I've seen it go right, an' I've seen it go wrong, an' it's usually messy, for good or for bad."
"That's a lot of words for a man who doesn't do well with words." Levy tried to force herself to think what was best to do now, but she was suddenly exhausted. "Gajeel? I'm confused. Do you think you could just tell me what's going on?"
"What's going on…" Gajeel looked down. "Alright, I won't pretend not to understand. The problem is that I've never fallen for anyone like I have for you. Never so hard or so fast. But I'm also responsible for you, and it's not like you've grown up around the People and know what you're getting into."
"Oh." Levy was mortified to find tears prickling her eyes—she never used to cry so easily! "I… didn't know that you felt that way."
"Better for you to know your own mind first. Also, I can wait, and you wouldn't have felt safe around me before if you'd known."
The last part was unanswerable, because it was true.
"So, um, do you think I know my own mind now?" Levy's voice sounded timid, even to her own ears, which bothered her.
There was a soft huff of air—a quiet, amused sound—from the big man in the doorway.
"I told you what you wanted to know because you asked—not very clearly, mind you, but that's okay for when it's just between us. An' it's fair for me to put my cards on the table first anyway, under the circumstances. But you're the only one who can say for sure what's on your mind, even if I can make a good guess."
Levy was at a loss. They obviously couldn't just go back to the way things were, but she wasn't sure how to move forward. Her understanding of relationships between men and women was fairly basic: men took and women gave (usually whether they wanted to or not). Nothing that she'd seen in twelve years at the Ikedaya had taught her any differently. Only the last two months here had suggested that a relationship with a man could mean something other than complete subservience and a kind of unspoken struggle to maintain one's dignity.
"The idea of being… of caring… that way, makes me nervous," Levy admitted at last. She knew that she was blushing furiously, but she couldn't help it.
"Seems reasonable to me, kid. Sounds like you think you know how you feel, but you aren't sure what to do about it."
Levy nodded, deeply relieved to have her thoughts put into words for her. "Yes, thank you, Gajeel." She risked looking up at him, and found that his eyes were intent on her face.
"How about we go get our stuff then, shorty? It's getting' late."
It was anti-climactic, Levy thought, as she trotted along beside Gajeel. A man had confessed his feelings to her for the first time in her life, and instead of doing something romantic she had more or less sat there like a scared little girl.
She was so deep in thought that when Gajeel stopped in front of the door to their former room, she crashed into his back. He smirked at her.
"Thought you were lighter on your feet than that, Shrimp." The door slid open, and Shimada filled the doorway.
"Here for your stuff then? Hello, Yukimura."
"Good evening, Shimada-san."
Neither sleepy-eyed Shimada nor sharp-eyed Lahar made any comments as Levy collected their belongings and Gajeel picked up their futons. Levy thought Gajeel might want to chat with his friends for a bit, but they must have already spoken earlier, because it seemed like everyone just wanted to get ready to sleep.
"I'll see you here tomorrow morning, Yukimura," Lahar told Levy when she turned to close the door behind her. There's a lot to do and you still have a great deal to learn."
"Yes, Yamazaki-sensei," Levy replied automatically.
When they got back to their new room, Levy couldn't help but look around with satisfaction.
"Looks pretty good compared to what we had, huh," said Gajeel, sounding pleased.
"So much better," agreed Levy. "I can put more of your things out now, and maybe bring in a bowl of flowers—what? Y-you don't like flowers?"
"That's not it, Shrimp. Although—go easy on the flowers, okay? I have a very good sense of smell, plus, most pages don't do flower arrangements, you know? Just try to keep it simple."
"O-oh, r-right." Levy was blushing furiously again. It had finally occurred to her that Gajeel looked amused because she had sounded so domestic. She squeaked when she discovered that he had come to stand beside her as she looked around trying to decide what to do next.
To Levy's surprise, Gajeel put a heavy arm around her shoulders. It felt good there, despite the persistent muggy heat, and after a moment's panic she relaxed.
"We're going to be okay—okay?"
"Yes?" Levy's heart rate seemed to be increasing. She turned slightly and peered upward. What on earth was so attractive about ruby-coloured eyes and masses of black hair? Nothing, right? But she couldn't deny how good it felt to stand so close.
Almost as though he could tell that her thoughts were wandering, Gajeel gave her a quick pat on the head and went back to laying out the futons. Levy just stood there, trying to decide if she was most disappointed, irritated, or confused. She decided that it was a toss-up. Focussing her mind, she picked up a bowl and conjured water. Then, as a test, she tried a new word she had learned recently from Lahar: ice. It still gave her a quiet thrill that the magic responded so quickly and effortlessly to her now that both her writing and her control had improved.
"You've been practisin'."
Levy was pleased that she started but didn't squeak this time—damn the man for walking so quietly! She composed her face and handed him the water, trying not to drop it when she realized that he'd stripped out of everything but the short, lightweight under-kimono that he slept in. She glared at him, but resisted the urge—the strong urge—to conjure ice water right over his head. If nothing else, he'd probably enjoy it, and that would spoil the effect.
"Lahar-san says that I'm doing much better. According to him, my calligraphy is now better than yours, which is to say that with a bit more work it would acceptable for a ten-year-old boy."
Gajeel put his hands on his hips and grinned down at her. "Ouch! I'd be offended, but I don't think Lahar has a clue what my writin' looks like. He's just guessin'."
"He's probably guessing correctly then," snarked Levy, quickly making herself a fresh bowl of cold water. She told herself that she needed to calm down, get the lights out, get changed—best not to think too hard about that—and go to sleep.
By the time she'd finished her water and collected her thoughts—again—Gajeel had put out both lanterns and had stretched out on his futon, still awake, but quiet. The darkness was soothing. Levy made sure that the window was open enough to admit the night breeze, made her way carefully around Gajeel to her bed, and forced herself to take off her hakama and hakamashita. (1) She reminded herself that she'd done this many times before—often when it had just been the two of them there—and besides, her under-kimono was practically like wearing a yukata anyway. (2)
Unlike Gajeel, she still preferred the feel of at least a thin blanket over her, despite the heat, so she tucked herself into the futon, and tried to quell the nagging doubts that told her that she should have stayed elsewhere. She closed her eyes for a few moments, but her thoughts made her restless, so she switched to watching the dim moonlight make patterns on the ceiling instead.
"How about a little history to pass the time?" Gajeel suggested, in a low voice. "I know you're curious about a lot of things still."
"Alright!" Levy's response might have been a trifle over-enthusiastic, out of nerves, but the interest was unfeigned. She turned so that she could look at Gajeel, smiling to herself at how comfortable it was to see his now-familiar shape in the dark, even with the gleam of red eyes under half-closed lids. She relaxed, mentally shaking her head at her earlier fears, listening as Gajeel began to talk about the Guilds. Then she remembered how she'd felt when he'd said that he'd fallen for her, and she tensed up again. Was it wrong to feel so ridiculously pleased about something that she'd never made any effort to achieve?
Gajeel sighed. "Yer mind's wanderin', short stuff. I thought maybe I could distract you... but I didn't mean quite like that."
With a start, Levy realized that she had moved closer to Gajeel and had one hand wrapped around—or partially around—his sinewy, muscled forearm. She vaguely remembered doing something like this when she'd been drunk, and she snatched her hand back in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry! I was probably half-asleep, that's all!"
"It's okay. It's not like I mind. It's more that I know you'll mind, once you notice. Thing is, Levy-chan, I want to stay close to you to keep you safe, but I'm not really the safest person for you to care about. Like I said, I haven't always been the nicest guy, an' on top of that the Shinsengumi aren't exactly paid to play nice with the enemies of the Shogunate."
"What on earth is that supposed to mean?" Levy sat up, frowning, her blue hair falling around her face and over her shoulders. "You can't just tell me that you—well, about how you feel—and then tell me you're a dangerous guy who I shouldn't get involved with! That's just wrong! It's completely inconsistent!"
Gajeel stayed where he was, although he had turned to look at Levy. His eyes were fully open now, and seemed almost angry somehow.
"I'm not the only one. Sometimes yer still scared of me—or scared of somethin' anyway—and sometimes ya keep touchin' me. I thought we could just, kind of, see how things went, but I guess that was a mistake. An' I really couldn't keep imposin' on the others, could I?"
"Imposing?!"
"Well… I kinda dumped ya on them an' then had ta go an' fall for ya—"
"And that inconvenienced them?!"
"They're both very, very good at knowin' how people are feelin'. Means it's not all that easy to be around people who are kind of feelin' strongly about things."
Levy buried her head in her hands.
"So they've always known how you were feeling?"
"Yep."
"Even when I didn't notice?"
"You knew too, you just didn't know that you knew."
"Ugh."
"Levy?" Gajeel seemed to pull himself together, and he sat up. "You don't have to answer this, but… how do you feel about me?" His diction was firmly back in place and his eyes were steady on her face.
"I don't know—ah!" It felt like scalding water across raw skin, and Levy had to blink back tears of pain.
"It really hits the purebloods hard, doesn't it? Not so many pureblood Yōsei families around these days, but everything about you says you are one—pureblood and from some old, remote Yōsei clan that never interacted a lot with humans. Telling a straight-up lie is hard on your system."
Levy glared at him as the pain subsided and her nerves stopped twitching. She hated this feeling of not knowing—not knowing who she was, or what was going on, or even how she was feeling. She was a person who liked to know and right now she wanted to pitch a screaming fit and demand to be told everything. Since that wasn't an acceptable alternative, she settled for scowling at Gajeel, confident that he could make out her expression in the darkness. He exhaled slowly.
"I didn't want to tell you this, because you get embarrassed easily, but since you're already mad we may as well get it over with. Dragons have keen senses—yes, I know I already told you, but you didn't think it through very well. It's really hard to lie to us, because even if we can't see how you're feeling, or hear what you're thinking, we can smell the scent of it. Sweat, adrenaline, whatever. With a bit of experience, feelings get fairly obvious—I can hear it when your heart rate goes up, I can tell the difference between fear and anger and—other things."
"So I've just been some kind of open book to you all?" Tears of rage stung Levy's eyes. "I've been trying to work things out and thinking I'm doing okay, but it turns out you've all been laughing at me behind my back wondering how I can be ignorant enough not to notice!"
"No, that's not it. Most people had no idea. And those of us who knew what you were dealing with—and you were living with the Shinsengumi's best spies, for crying out loud!—well, we saw how well you were handling things and we stayed as quiet as possible. No laughing involved, I promise. What went wrong wasn't your fault. We just both ended up caring a lot about each other. Which isn't wrong, it just complicates things. To be honest, I have no idea what you see in me."
Levy bit back a harsh retort. She had a temper, but she'd learned to control it a long, long time ago, since getting angry usually meant going to bed bruised and hungry. Right now, she was thinking that she'd rather take a chance and be happy—whatever that meant—instead of staying angry and defensive. She'd been taught some harsh lessons in her short life, but something had always kept her looking for a good side despite it all.
Mutely, she held out a hand to Gajeel. He gave her a look of intense surprise, but closed his fingers around it gently.
"I really like you a lot, Gajeel," said Levy. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment, but her voice was more or less steady. "You're important to me. I think you already know how I feel, but you wanted me to say it, so there it is. I'm not exactly sure how you feel about me. I mean, you call me rude nicknames, pat me on the head, and make fun of my swordsmanship."
When Gajeel immediately tried to protest, Levy leaned forward and put her free hand over his mouth. "Not done yet, Captain." She managed a grin, although Gajeel could tell that a lot of her attitude was for show. She was almost shaking with nerves. "It's possible that you're just as bad as you paint yourself—that doesn't matter, since I was raised to believe that all men are complete bastards who can't be trusted. So from that perspective, I may as well have you as any other, right? I'm mentioning all this, by the way, so that we can skip to the end and get some sleep."
Levy dropped her free hand and bit her lip. Gajeel watched her for a moment in silence.
"You're pretty amazing," he said at last.
"Thanks."
"Actually, no matter what you think, you're a lot better than I deserve but… since you're willing to try to put up with me I guess that's okay?"
"Seems like it."
"Levy… you're still so scared—no, don't jump down my throat, I just don't understand what's wrong and I'm old enough to know better than to make assumptions."
Levy reclaimed her other hand and shoved both hands into her hair, as if that would somehow help her explain. Then she wrapped her arms around her knees, leaving tendrils of hair across her face. Gajeel found it almost painful to watch without picking her up and holding her.
"Being a woman… it's like being a little bit scared all of the time. You have no control over anything. Even girls in rich families—they have to obey their parents and then their husband and their mother-in-law and eventually their own sons. There aren't any options. I guess the luckiest women are the ones who know a trade or somehow inherit a shop; they might be allowed to get away with living their own lives, maybe. I'm guessing they still get a lot of unpleasant attention though. Working at the inn, I kept wondering how long I had before I'd have to run away. I had to get really good at smiling while trying not to get pinched or groped or just touched all the time… You can't imagine how important Keiko-san was to me because you can't imagine what my life would have been like without her. Or maybe you can sort of imagine it, but being a man you just can't really know what it's like, day in and day out."
Mercifully, Gajeel heard her out without interrupting; Levy didn't think she could have managed otherwise. She didn't want to sound like she was whining, but for some reason she wanted him to understand—maybe just so he'd know that it wasn't a case of jumping at shadows.
"Alright," Gajeel said at last. "Let's see if I've got some of this: you grew up—as far as you can remember—always worried about when you were going to be jumped by some guy or just sold to him outright. Most days involved a kind of ongoing preview of how bad it could be. And there weren't a lot of options, since you had to eat. Once you were here, you found out that you had some skills you could use, and maybe some people you actually belonged with. You don't want to mess that up. Getting involved with any man has always been at the bottom of your list of good choices."
Levy nodded slowly. "That's a pretty good summary. But—"
"Levy, I know you think the People are a bloodthirsty, overly-secretive lot—and you aren't completely wrong—but we're a lot less hung up on the whole male and female thing, for the most part. Quite a few of the strongest Fae are women and pretty damn independent. We're not perfect by a long shot, but... Look—Erza would literally kill me if I touched you against your will—not that I would. You could just ask her, you know."
Levy's arms and body loosened a little. Everything he said matched what she'd seen, at least so far.
"Can I ask you something… and you won't tell anyone I asked?"
"Yes. Unless you're planning to kill somebody I have to protect."
Levy ignored the feeble attempt at humour. "Wendy-chan told me that she might have been forced to marry somebody. How can that be true, if you're telling the truth about women being better off with the People?"
Gajeel stared at her.
"Levy? You're a smart woman right? Erza fought a war for her. Think about it."
"A war? But I thought that was about who would get to rule?"
"Sure, on the biggest scale. But there's a hell of lot more to it than that. I mean, you're right: Erza would have fought for the Master, and her friends, no matter what. But we were all part of Fairy Tail Guild—it was a coup more than an invasion, y'know? Reality is that it was the tactics the other side used, and their plans for the future, that pretty much set the battle lines. Erza offered Wendy a home with the Guild when Wendy lost her own, and Erza takes that stuff really, really seriously. Laxus wanted the Guild, but he also wanted Wendy as his mate, once she was older. There really aren't a lot of female Dragons around, and Laxus has some funny ideas about power and dynasties; I don't think it was personal. Thing is, none of us had thought about that—there'd been no sign of it before—so we weren't expecting Wendy to be a special target. When she got captured is when things got really messy, because Erza went ballistic."
Levy waited to see if Gajeel was going to add anything, but he didn't. There was obviously an awful lot about the Split that Levy still didn't know. Erza-san and Natsu-san and Gajeel's "rain girl" were all involved somehow, and Gray-san. Reluctantly, Levy left that conundrum to return to more pressing—and personal—issues.
"The women here are very united, aren't they?" she finally said.
"You could say that." Gajeel had seemed withdrawn, as he always did when mentioning the Split, but now he smiled a little. "Erza and Kana remind me of sisters, I guess—they love each other, annoy the hell out of each other, and they've got each other's backs. They really miss some of those we lost track of in the Split, but in a lot of ways that's just made them closer."
"I think… there's at least one more woman, though? I won't ask about her, since I know that's a forbidden subject… Besides, we need to get some sleep, right?"
"We can get some sleep once you tell me that you're going to work hard at getting your head around the idea that you are protected and respected here—by me and by quite a few others, including Titania, and Lahar and even Jellal the high'n'mighty Vice Commander." Gajeel waited to see a nod from Levy before he continued: "Jellal pretty much always knows what's going on; it's irritating, but true. I know everyone spent a lot of time telling you that our code is pretty much "don't betray us or die", but now that you've taken the Oath and have your mark, you should also understand that any attack on you—by anyone—is also punishable by death."
"What?" Levy was genuinely startled.
"Actually, that's part of the Shinsengumi Code: no personal fights between members of the Shinsengumi. And although it's true that general scrapping isn't enough to warrant a death sentence, a personal attack of any kind will be reviewed by the Vice Commander—and the Commander and Deputy Commander if necessary—and it's always, always dealt with harshly."
Levy leaned forward, face serious in the gloom.
"I trust you, Gajeel. I can't always help the, um, anxiety I feel sometimes, but it's not directed at you personally—I really hope you'll believe me. I don't need Erza-san to protect me from you, or the Code, or whatever. But knowing about those things does make me feel better, a little. Overall, I mean."
"It's okay, Levy, I think I get it."
There was a contemplative, surprisingly comfortable silence between them then for several minutes, at that point. Levy wasn't sure what Gajeel was thinking, but she tried very hard not to worry about it. She was feeling a bit raw—in an exposed kind of way—and more than a little self-conscious, but she also felt surprisingly light-hearted.
Very slowly, Gajeel reached out and ran a hand over Levy's hair. It was something much less casual and more intimate than anything Levy had experienced before, and she froze. A calloused finger gently brushed her cheek, and then the hand was withdrawn. She closed her eyes, trying to process her reactions. The good far outweighed the bad, she realized—and then she had to try not to let that unnerve her further.
"Sorry…" Gajeel's voice was a quiet rumble, and clearly anxious. Any frustration was self-directed, though. Anxiety didn't really suit him, Levy thought.
"Īe. Please don't be sorry. I'm not."
"So… we're okay?"
"Yes, I—I really think so." Levy finally relaxed enough to look fully at her room-mate.
Curious brown eyes met slightly worried red ones, and then Gajeel smiled slightly, his pointed canines visible even in the dim light. He nodded, and then stretched out on his back once again.
"Okay then. And feel free to hang onto my arm whenever you want—though maybe not on duty."
Levy blushed a little—but only a little—as she settled back under her blanket. Fortunately, her wits seemed to be returning.
"I think I can manage to restrain myself," she said, in reassuring tones.
There was a brief silence from Gajeel, and Levy smiled to herself.
"We're not on duty now," muttered the Shinsengumi's fierce Seventh Division Captain.
A small hand curled around his arm just below the elbow.
"Yes, Gajeel, I noticed."
[END]
Notes:
(1) A hakamashita is a men's kimono designed to be worn with hakama pants. Note that the hakamashita is still belted like a regular kimono before the hakama are put on.
(2) A yukata is like a lighter, less ornate kimono. They were worn to go bathing (especially at a hot springs), or as early-morning / before-bed casual-wear, or even as night-wear. These days, yukata may be seen being worn as summer-wear. Like a kimono, a yukata can range in style from very casual to fairly formal, depending on the design and the complexity of the obi (belt).
Author's Notes: As always, your reviews and comments are much appreciated. Thank you for reading!
Don't forget to send me a note (in whatever form) about things you like and would like to see more of. (Or things you don't like, as long as it's constructive!)
I have had amazing support for this story, which is why I'll probably continue to write about these characters, and this Fairy Tail / Shinsengumi AU in the future (and yes, it will likely continue to have a slight Hakuouki tie-in, while being a Fairy Tail AU). If you'd like to see more, please send me your comments (through whatever forum/medium you prefer, even on Anon); if nothing else, I'd like to know what people are most interested in.
Thank you to everyone for your comments, reviews and general encouragement through favourites and follows and on Tumblr. I apologize for not responding to everyone who has reviewed. Please know that your words means a great deal to me and truly brighten my day!
~ImpracticalOni
P.S. And I still intend to get back to the people who have sent comments and reviews if possible!
Posting from my phone is almost enough to make me rage quit, I'm telling you now. UGH. However, I've got the chapter finished on time so I HAVE to post it! Still following along the thread of the other prompts! Hope you like, much loves!! Side note :things bracketed like this are "text messages" being sent.: They're supposed to be in italics, I'll fix formatting again tonight when I'm home. 💙
Update: I’ve fixed the things.
"Are you sure you don’t mind, Lu? I know they’re a handful.” Levy had worry etched across her face as she inched closer to the door of her house, tugged along by her husband. Lucy laughed quietly, waving her hands at her friends. “Levy-chan, they’re sleeping. I’ve been here at least once a week every week of the last five months. I know their routine, they know me, it’ll be fine!” Gajeel grunted in amusement, aware of just how much knowing the twins’ schedule meant. Which was to say, absolutely nothing.
But, it had been five months since the Redfox parents had been able to have a minute alone that wasn’t completely consumed by sleeping or inhaling food so fast they couldn’t taste it. Levy had finally told him she was ready to get out for an evening, and he’d leapt at the opportunity. He told his wife to plan anything at all, even if she just wanted to go to the bookstore, he didn’t fucking care. So she had planned. Set up a meal at a restaurant they loved, looked up events across town that they might like, and realistically declared that they would probably just eat and come home.
Then she had found a sitter. Juvia had her hands full with her own two children, and had been acting very tired lately. Gajeel was pretty sure she was knocked up again, but he could be wrong. Erza was away on a mission, and Mira was of course working at the guildhall with Lisanna. Lucy was a great option as she did, in fact, spend a great deal of time with the babies already. Plus, if all else failed, she could summon Aries or Virgo for a second set of hands in an emergency.
With a final groan Levy turned to her husband, dragging him out of their home before she could change her mind. “Come on, love. We’re going to be late if you let me keep stalling.” The tall man just chuckled, draping an arm over his tiny wife’s shoulders and forcing her to walk slower. “If we miss our reservation, we miss it, Shrimp. Ain’t no skin off my nose.” She sighed, losing some of the tension she had felt before they left, and leaned against her dragon. “Isn’t any…”
Gajeel snorted, looking down at her with a wide grin on his face. “Remember the first time ya corrected me?” Levy stifled a giggle, sliding her arm around his waist. “Honestly, I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast this morning. Wasn’t it something about ‘wouldn’t tell nobody’ something?” He squeezed her shoulder lightly, knowing well how the sleep deprivation they were both suffering from stole the ability to think sometimes. “Somethin’ like that, yeah.”
They walked in silence another block, enjoying each other’s company and the peacefulness of the city at night. Gajeel looked down, noticing the tiny Script Mage’s steps slowing. After being together for so long, he no longer had to think about slowing down his own pace to enable her to stay even with him, but she was dragging even more than usual. “Shrimp, ya alrigh’?” He stopped completely, turning to study her face. He was concerned the walking was straining her energy levels too much. For herself, Levy was staring at her feet, almost as if she was embarrassed. “Lev, what is it?”
“I… I know we haven’t been gone very long… fifteen minutes to be exact, but what if something’s wrong?” She looked up at her mate with pleading eyes, anxiety tearing at her. His ruby eyes met hers, a smile dancing in their depths. “All yer careful thought an’ plannin’ an’ ya forgot to grab the notebook, didn’t ya?” She nodded, looking down again. The Dragon Slayer chuckled and reached his free hand around to his back pocket, pulling out the enchanted notebook that Levy had created so long ago to be able to communicate with her friends. He tapped her lightly on top of her head with it, causing her to squeal and snatch it from his hand when she saw what it was.
Levy hurried over to sit on a bench nearby, flipping the book to the page she had that was connected to Lucy’s own copy. Hey Lu-chan, how’s everything going? Picking up her pen, Levy chewed on the end for a moment, waiting anxiously for Lucy’s reply. After only a moment, she started bouncing a leg, looking from the notebook to Gajeel. “Shrimp, give it a bloody minute, would ya?” As he finished speaking Levy saw words appearing on the page. Lol, Levy-chan you JUST left. The babies are still sleeping, I’m reading that book you left out for me. Enjoy your date!
She huffed out a sigh, blushing as she started to feel silly, and handed the pen and notebook back to her husband. “I’m sorry, Gajeel.” He just shook his head with a grin on his face and held out his arm for her to tuck herself against his side again. He would never tell Levy, but Juvia had actually warned him that this might happen.
“Don’t be surprised if your night out is cut short, Gajeel-kun. Levy-chan won’t be able to help herself. Juvia only lasted for an hour the first time she left Mizu at home with Levy-chan. And it took Gray-sama six months to convince Juvia to leave both Mizu and Kawa alone with someone.” Gajeel had nodded, remembering the popsicle complaining about the lack of time alone with his wife after their daughter had been born. And so, he’d kept that thought in the back of his mind as Levy planned everything out for their first date since… he didn’t even know how long it had been. Some few weeks before the twins had arrived, he mused.
Finally, they arrived at the cafe Levy had set their reservation at. She tugged the notebook out of his pocket, ignoring the murmured joke about wandering hands from her husband as she stepped aside and opened it to write to Lucy again. I’m sure you’re going to be checking in again sometime soon so I’ll let you know that Yaje woke up, but he wasn’t even fussy. He’s been changed and I fed him a little and now we’re playing with that rattle Gajeel made for him. I wish I could send you a picture, it’s adorable. He’s curled his feet up and is holding the rattle with them, just kind of smacking it with those chubby little hands. And there’s Shutora, she just woke up giggling. Enjoy your dinner! Levy quickly dashed the tears off her cheeks as she handed the book back to Gajeel so he could see what their children were up to as well.
Thanks, Blondie. He wrote before tucking the book away, grinning down at the bluenette standing next to him. “We have some damn amazin’ kids, Lev.” She smiled back up at him, laying her head on his arm as they followed the waiter to their table. Gajeel pulled her chair around to the same side as his own. “Jus’ like our very first date, yeah?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised that you remember!” Levy responded with a sheepish grin. Their waiter came around and Gajeel ordered for both of them, Levy giggling and leaning into his side. “I know ya don’t wanna be out too long, Shrimp. I figgered ya wouldn’t mind me orderin’ our usual stuff t’save time.” The tiny Script Mage tugged his shirt, the big man grinning as he leaned he head closer to her so she could kiss him. “Thank you, Gajeel. For being so understanding about all of this.”
“Ya may not believe it, woman, but I miss ‘em too. My princess likes to hide her face in m’hair. An’ m’little man is so strong. Ya know he pulled Lil’s tail so hard the other day Lil actually slid backwards?” The couple devolved into laughter, sharing stories of their children’s antics as they ate. Neither of them seemed to mind that their time away from the babies was spent talking about them. “In the short time they been here, those mini Shrimps have made themselves our whole world, haven’t they, Lev?” She nodded, glancing furtively at the notebook on the table. Gajeel huffed, pretending to be upset, and slid the book to her, opening the cover to the right page.
Hope dinner was great! Babies are asleep again, so if you want to stay out longer it’s no problem! “Lu-chan really IS a spectacular friend.” Levy laughed as she closed the book. “Do you want to get a drink at the pub or something on the way home?” She looked up at her husband, smiling gently. Her babies were fine. They were safe. There was no need to rush home. Gajeel smiled back, leaning to kiss her on her forehead. “Nah, Shrimp. How about we hit the bookstore before it closes and get that book you were talkin’ to Bunny girl about ‘fore we left.”
There was a squeal that erupted from the tiny woman as she hugged him before jumping up from the table. “I promise I won’t stay there all night!” Gajeel paid for their food, laughing as he tucked the notebook and pen into his pocket and stood to follow the bouncing woman. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it, Shrimp.” He offered her his arm again, and they headed for the bookstore. It may not have been Gajeel’s favorite place to go, but it made his wife happy, and that in itself made him happy. “Take as long as ya need, Lev.”
WOOHOO! I DID IT! All seven(8 if you count the AU) chapters written and published on time! Thank you to everyone who stuck with the story until the end! I(mostly) had a lot of fun writing this!
“Daddy! Catch me!” Shutora squealed as she leapt from a tree to her father’s waiting arms. Gajeel laughed as he caught her, spinning in a circle before setting her on the ground. The little girl giggled, running right back to climb the tree she’d just jumped out of. Her twin was sitting higher than she, but he wasn’t jumping. Instead, he’d wedged himself in a split in the branches, fully entrenched in a book. “Oii, Pipsqueak, that book any good?” His son didn’t even flinch, simply turned the page and kept reading. Gajeel watched him for a moment, wracking his brain as deja vú struck him like a bolt of Laxus’ lightning.
He whipped his crimson eyes around, shifting them to find his wife. She was stretched out on a blanket under another tree, the gentle breeze ruffling her hair as she sang quietly to their baby. Tetsu was only a month old, but the day had been too perfect for the whole family to miss the chance to spend it at the park. Gajeel screwed his eyes shut, murmuring a silent plea to anyone listening that nothing would change when he opened his eyes.
“Gajeel?” Crimson eyes snapped open, staring straight at the tiny bluenette lying ten feet away from him. She had barely called to him, knowing his enhanced hearing would easily pick up her voice. “Yeah, Shrimp?” Levy reached behind her, patting the blanket at her back in invitation. The Dragon Slayer glanced up his son and daughter, smirking as Shutora wrote a small word and flung it at her brother. “Ya be careful, brats.”
“Yes, Daddy!” The twins chorused, Yaje flicking the tiny water word away without even looking up. Satisfied that they were fine, Gajeel walked softly over to his wife, groaning softly as he stretched out next to her, wrapping his arm around her. Levy giggled as he placed his lips against the side of her neck just below her ear, rumbling a growl into her skin.
“What's wrong, Husband?” The Script mage traced her fingers up and down his arm, pressing herself back against his body. He responded by tightening his grip around her, nuzzling her hair. “Jus’ remembered a dream I had once.” Levy shifted carefully, rolling herself to face him. “A nightmare? You looked afraid, Gajeel. And I've only seen that look on your face a handful of times in the entirety of our almost fifteen years of marriage.”
“Not exactly, Shrimp. It was actually a great dream. I dreamt of a perfect day, like this. I did exactly what I've done today, catchin’ Shu when she jumped out of that tree, and tauntin’ Yaje. Then, I looked at ya and our child, layin’ here on this blanket… only it wasn't this little man, it was our little Tori.” He lapsed into silence, his eyes closed and his face still buried in her hair. Levy laid very still for a moment, before taking his hand and resting it on her stomach.
“I see. Then you blinked, and when you opened your eyes…” she stopped talking as he nodded, reaching up to stroke hair off his face so she could kiss his cheek. “We've been so blessed, Gajeel. I know… I know we were both so scared when Tetsu was coming along. I could barely sleep for his entire fifth and six months. But look at him.” They both moved their heads to look, Gajeel opening his slit-pupiled eyes to gaze warmly at their baby.
“Gihi. He looks just like ya, Shrimp. ‘Cept he ain't so tiny.” Levy snorted out a laugh, moving her hand to pinch his arm. “Oii, woman!” Gajeel grunted, wrapping his arm tight and rolling her over his body so he was between her and the sleeping infant. She squealed, looking up at him, studying his face.
“N-no. Gajeel, no! Please!” Levy placed both hands on his arm, struggling to pull her legs out of his grip as he chuckled darkly, throwing one of his legs over hers to pin them. “Daddy?” Gajeel glanced up to see his daughter standing by their heads, confusion crossing the ten year old’s face. “Shu, quick, I've got her hands, tickle Mommy!”
“NO!” Levy yelled out in mock terror as Shutora dove at her mother, nimble fingers tickling up Levy’s ribs as she writhed under her husband’s arms. “P-please! Stop!” Within moments, Yaje had jumped down from the tree he was perched, bending his knees and rolling forward as he landed. He snuck forward, his right hand moving swiftly to draw words in the air. He leaned forward, scooping up his baby brother in his left arm before jumping back, his right arm flinging forward to launch his counter attack.
Without waiting to see if it struck true, Yaje turned and ran back towards his tree carefully, baby Tetsu nestled against his chest. “Solid Script: Cradle!” The older boy set the word carefully against his tree, laying his still sleeping brother in and draping a blanket over the top to keep bugs out. The mesh sides of the word allowed air to flow, and Yaje nodded in satisfaction before turning. Somehow, he'd been so focused on his task that he'd not heard the growl of his father, or the heavy footsteps of the Dragon Slayer, and so a yelp was startled out of him when he realized Gajeel was towering over him, hair plastered to his head.
“Uh… hey Dad… so, uh, my Water hit you instead of Shu?” He cast a furtive glance around the threat in front of him to see the state his twin was in, wondering if he'd get a rescue from either of the women in his family. “Yer sister was behind me. Ain't no way that weren't aimed at me.” Gajeel rumbled, reaching up to push his hair away angrily.
“Dad… we wouldn't want to wake up Tetsu…” Gajeel hesitated a moment, stepping past his oldest son to peek at his youngest, snapping his hand out to catch Yaje’s shirt as the brat tried to scamper away. Lifting him into the air and throwing the boy over his shoulder, Gajeel walked several paces away, glancing over his shoulder as Shutora squeaked. He almost lost his grip on the angry facade when he saw his girls. Levy had reversed them once Gajeel was no longer helping his daughter, and had the girl squealing with laughter.
“Daddy… I was just protecting mom… like you always tell us to!” The boy’s voice was starting to get a little frantic now as his father stalked further away from the rest of their family. Gajeel grinned, his destination in sight, and pulled the child off his shoulder to hold him at eye level. Crimson eyes glaring at his son a moment, the Dragon Slayer finally relaxed his face, letting out a huge laugh.
“Nice, hot day we’re havin’, no?” Yaje nodded slowly, mind racing to figure out where his father was going with his comment. “Ya left yer book over there, right?” Again, Yaje nodded, confusion now crossing his face. “Good.” With an almost evil smirk, Gajeel tossed his son into the river at his feet, laughing again at the yelp as Yaje hit the water.
Bare seconds passed and Gajeel heard thuds on the ground behind him. Whirling around he had just a moment before two tiny blue blues collided with his body, forcing him over the edge and into the water with a yell. Gajeel stood up in the river with a roar, scooping his twins in his arms and throwing them back into the water. Levy jumped up on his back, laughing hysterically. She gasped for breath a moment before muttering in his ear. “Don't worry, love. I've got wards up around Tetsu, he’s fine. I love you so much.”
Gajeel opened his mouth to respond and was promptly cut off by three huge “Water” Scripts as they slammed into him from different directions.
Fan fiction - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12365324/7/Gajevy-Week-2017
