Dawn of Adventure {Book One of The Paths We've Traveled}

Chapter Fifty: Old Friends

"Is she finally asleep?"

"Ya. Only took about three songs and two bedtime stories, but she's asleep."

Gajeel threw himself onto the couch in his living room, resting his head on his wife's lap. Levy hummed, one hand running through his hair while the other lay on top of her swollen stomach.

"I can't tell if it's taking longer or shorter to put her to bed at night," the Solid Script mage wondered aloud, tangling her fingers around thick stranda of black hair. Gajeel snorted, and the vibration reverberated through her legs.

"It's gonna take forever when the next one comes."

Levy sighed, recognizing the truth in his words. "Two more months. Then we'll never get another minute of quiet again."

"We can always ask Mira to babysit. You've seen how she gets around kids," Gajeel said quietly, very obviously about to fall asleep within the next ten minutes. "It's a wonder she doesn't have a million kids herself."

"I think she and Laxus have been taking it slow. I mean, it's a lot of work to become a new guildmaster, especially at Fairy Tail."

Gajeel made a noise of agreement before shifting into a comfier position. Levy smiled, tucking her own loose hair behind her ear. "Ready for bed?"

Gajeel grunted. "I wanna wait until Lily gets back. Said he'd be home in a few."

"Remind me, why did he go to the store so late at night?"

"Something about kiwis."

"That's right, it's supposed to storm soon."

"The hell does kiwis have to do with a storm?"

"I think you're just too exhausted to remember, so I'm not going to answer that."

"Aw, come on Shrimp."

Levy continued to smile even as she moved her legs under his weight. "Nope. Now move yourself. I wanna get something from the kitchen."

Gajeel groaned even as he reluctantly pushed himself to his feet. "We just ate dinner an hour ago."

"And I'm very pregnant," Levy retorted. She started to stand, and Gajeel immediately offered his hand in support. He was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead before Levy started to waddle toward the kitchen, hands propped on her lower back. The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't bother to hide the soft smile that lifted his lips as he watched his wife go. Even after two years of marriage, he'd never get tired of looking at her.

While sitting on the couch and listening to the sounds of Levy rummaging around in the kitchen, Gajeel began to doze. His eyes drifted shut, the strength to open them again increasing with every blink.

He was pulled from his reverie by a knock at the door. He jerked and yawned hugely, standing up with the slowness of the exhausted. "I got it," he called to Levy, pitching his voice low to avoid anything that may wake the sleeping child upstairs. He heard her response, but his sleep-deprived brain didn't comprehend what was said.

Arriving at the door, he pulled it open, scratching the back of his neck as he did so. "The hell, Lily? Ya forget your key or sumthin'?"

"Good to see you too, Gajeel." His eyes shot open as the new voice and smells hit him straight on. He stared at the group of six standing on his doorstep, exhausted mind moving sluggishly and taking a lifetime to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Hallo? Earthland to metalhead?"

Gajeel blinked as the pink-haired man waved his hand in front of his face. "What?"