upload date - 9th June 2018 (original date 15th March 2018)

word count - 847

Love, Levy decides, is complicated.

Love is thinking of someone's smile for hours upon hours, remembering every little detail - the color of their lips, the way their mouth curls at the corner, the way their teeth shine

Love is worrying for someone close to you, someone who might get hurt or is hurting, and hope no harm comes their way when they're away.

Love is scouting the whole town for hours and searching for that special treat you know they just love to cheer them up and make them smile.

Love is waking up at break of sun just to be able to make breakfast for them, too, and show how precious they are for you.

Levy almost jumps out of her skin when calloused fingers brush against her bare shoulder and ghost down her arm, causing her to drop the knife she's holding. Husky laugh fills her ears as the intruder leans down to pick the blade, then hands it over to her, handle first.

"Mornin', princess" Gajeel greets her, amusement crinkling in the brown-red of his eyes. Levy never figures out how he can be so calm so early when she's barely holding herself from falling asleep again. "Slept well?"

She only hums in answer, accepting the knife with a smile and setting in the sink to wash it later. She pulls the large platter with pancakes over and opens the small bucket with chocolate, then begins spreading it over.

The soft buzz of the coffee machine fills the silence between them. Soon three mugs - one green, one black and one blue - are waiting on the counter, a small plate with toasts and bacon on their side. As soon as the pancakes are decorated Levy sets them down. Gajeel hands her a tray from the high shelves without her even asking him.

"Thank you" she says with a soft smile, then carefully arranges the breakfast onto the tray. He picks it from the counter before she could, which is probably a smart idea. "Is Juvia awake yet?"

"I don't think so." He maneuvers his way out of the spacious kitchen and towards the master bedroom down the hall. For first time this morning Levy turns all her attention towards him, noticing the small details - the patches of silvery gray scales over his dark skin, the way his boxers rest low on his hips, the small scratches over his shoulders, all telling for last night's events. "She was still sleeping when I left."

His smirk when he catches her staring is infuriating, so Levy sticks her tongue out at him. She opens the door carefully and peers inside. A smile pulls at the corners of her lips at the endearing sight and she makes her way inside silently, holding the door so he could walk in.

Juvia is spread all over the bed, the crumbled up covers wrapped around her naked form. One long slender leg sticks out from the mess, her fingers clutching one of the many pillows to her chest. The sunrays coming from the open windows shower her pale skin with light, almost making her shine.

They're all shining with afterglow of last night.

Levy climbs into bed quietly while Gajeel sets the tray with breakfast on the nightstand, watching her. He probably finds it funny, him and his weird humor sense.

"Juvia~" she whispers softly, holding back a giggle when the water mage makes a face. "Wake up, it's breakfast time~!"

It takes them few more minutes before Juvia finally gets up, blinking sleepily at them. Her hair is a mess and there's a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth and her neck has small purple marks all over it, but Levy can hardly remember a moment she has seen her so beautiful.

Her confused expression disappears once they hand her over her coffee mug, filled with the brim just the way she likes it, with sugar and cream.

"Ah, thank you so much" Juvia says with a gentle smile, then gives each of them a coffee-flavored kiss. Levy's cheeks burn and Gajeel snickers. "That's the best wakeup-call possible."

"Perhaps you would be able to get it more often if you stop getting up before sunrise and actually sleep in, like normal people do" Gajeel teases, then pretends to be hurt when Juvia jabs at his side.

Levy laughs at their childishness, then pulls the breakfast tray over. Gajeel joins her in her mirth at the face Juvia makes at the sight of the warm food, then they both get whipped cream over their faces.

They eat their breakfast together in bed, not caring for the mess they make. (Admittedly, there's some chocolate and coffee spots over their sheets, but none of them cares.) Levy's fingers get sticky and she complains, but when Gajeel offers to clean her off with that irritating smirk, she scoots away from him until she falls off the bed. Juvia laughs as she helps her up.

A long, long bath follows breakfast. Sometimes Levy truly worries for their water bills.

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