Beauty of Fairy Tail (Gale/Gajevy AU)

Chapter 36

8 months later

          "Hey there, Shrimp. How are ya doing?" Gajeel asks, leaning into the sunroom. I look up from my book and smile at him.

          "I'm fine, Gajeel. If something happens, I'll call, ok?" My husband's face falls and he starts to walk away. I sigh. This is the eighth time he's done this, today. I want to tell him that he's acting like a child. Instead I say, "You can let me read to you, if it will make you stop sulking." Gajeel smirks as he walks back in. I realize that I have fallen for his trick. Gajeel snuggles up and slides me onto his lap.

          "Geez, Shrimp. You three are really heavy," Gajeel hyperbolizes. I slap his chest and huff. Gajeel laughs and holds me tightly to his chest. "I'm just kidding, Levy. You three are my favorite things in the world and could never be too heavy for me." Well, I'm not as angry, but I'm done with Gajeel. I push myself off of his lap, with much effort I might add. I set my book down and walk into the kitchen, make a sandwich, and sit at the table, grumbling to myself. At least there is Nutella, banana, and pretzels on white bread.

          I feel one of the twins kick and then the other. I place a hand on my stomach. I rub little circles and get them to calm down. After my sandwich, I grab some pickles and the jar of peanut butter. I plop some of the peanut butter into a dish and put the jar back. I sit on the living room couch and watch some animated movie on TV.

          After five minutes, Gajeel walks out of the library. He leans on the door frame and grins at me. I thought him being so attentive was bad, but bugging me like this is driving me nuts.

          "Why don't you go down to the guild, for once? Go get a beer or talk to Juniper or, Hell, go fight Natsu. I'm sick of your hanging around like beer smell on Cana," I snap. Ok. This is definitely a wrong time to blow up. My hormones are spazzing out and I'm pissed 24/7. Gajeel jokes that I have three moods; angry, hangry, and asleep. He isn't wrong.

          I massage my temples to relieve some of the headache that has started. "I'm sorry. I'm really stressed, right now. I'm a week away from the due date and, even though you are doing everything to make this better, I am sick of all these side effects of the pregnancy. And of all the coddling. You can coddle these two all you want, after they've been born."

          Gajeel smiles and says, "The fact that you're a week away from giving birth is exactly why I'm sticking close to you. And I was just about to go over to the guild. You are, too. I want you as close to Wendy and medical care as possible. I ain't running a pissed off, pregnant Hobbit through the street when you go into labor. No way in Hell. I have bags packed and ready to go." With a huff, I turn off the tv and stand up, steadying myself with the couch.

          "You have clothes? Bathroom supplies? Baby supplies?" I start ranting off things and listen to Gajeel say yes to each one. He has evidently thought of everything that I need. After the lengthy inventory of everything except the kitchen sink, I agree to go. I waddle my way through the streets. Gajeel holds my hand and carries all my things. 

          When we get to the guildhall, I sit at a table with the Lucy and Juvia. I almost wish Erza were here, but she's following a lead on tracking down Jellal. He's been traveling on his own and Erza wants to bring him back to the guild. She misses him. If I didn't know her so well, I would think she just misses him and wants him to feel like he has a home. No. She loves him. If she wasn't so committed to the guild, I would expect that she would run away with him. She's been gone for nearly a month, but she won't give up until she finds him.

          Looking at the girls at the table, Lucy is a couple months pregnant. She and Natsu got married on the anniversary of the day they met. That was about five months ago. I wasn't able to go. I wasn't feeling well. I was glad that they understood. Pretty soon, Lucy will understand a whole lot more. Juvia and Gray are getting married in a few months. She's been planning since the day after they met. It almost seems like that day was just a couple years ago, even though it was over twelve, if you count in the seven years we were frozen in time. 

           The girls tell me that they're excited to help me deliver the twins. They offered to assist Wendy and Porlyusica in the delivery. Mira offered, too. Her offer was more to take pictures of the twins, than help with the delivery. Gajeel will be there to hold my hand and ease my nerves. I'm glad that they're all going to be there for me; All my friends and my husband helping me bring two new lives into the world.

          I head up to the infirmary after many of my friends have gone home. I stayed in the main hall just a little longer to play with Juniper. I haven't seen her for a while. She's been going with the other Exceeds to visit Exceed villages that have popped up. Ever since we visited Edolas, the Exceeds have been flourishing here. That was pre-Gajeel Fairy Tail. Before Tenrou. Before a bunch of our adventures, actually. It's almost weird to think about, actually.

          Gajeel pulls a couple of the infirmary beds together and lays down. I lay down next to him. He wraps and arm around my waist and rests his hand on my stomach. this makes one of the twins kick him. I giggle as he pouts. Then we fall into a comfortable sleep on a rather uncomfortable bed.