[DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING…]

11.5: The Last Confession…

Gajeel couldn't remember the last time he slept so well…at least, once he managed to get some sleep. That came much, much later on in the evening. With Levy curled in his arms, head resting on his arm with her hair tangled about.

Warm.

Soft.

His once more.

Smelling amazing despite the sweat that was drying on her skin and the myriad of other scents he knew to be wafting about them.

Lips curling into a satisfied grin, smug in the knowledge that he had thoroughly wore her out, he nuzzled the base of her neck and allowed his eyes to droop…only to snap open what seemed like seconds later on discovering that he was stretched out on the cold floor alone.

Arms empty no matter how far he blindly searched.

No slight form perfectly nestled against his form.

The sound of the door opening caused his heart to stop with a painful thud on the realization that she was running, again…

Launching to his feet, Gajeel was running without thinking.

Levy had woken swore and giddy, face buried under Gajeel's chin. Nose tucked into the space between his collarbones and enjoying the warmth radiating from his skin, making her warm despite the fact that she was laying naked on her living space's bare wooden floor.

Cold chills sliding down her spine as a sobering revelation entered her mind.

This, what she allowed to happen, was insane.

Stupid.

What was she doing?

There was no way that this was going to end well. Maybe, if they were back to their old lives of being no bodies, they would have a chance—despite the statistics of break-ups after the loss of a child, but not with the media and Jenny and Hades included in the equation.

Would be it better to end things now, after gaining one more perfect memory, then allow them to reach their inevitable heart-break?

Then Gajeel muttered in his sleep, unconsciously pulling her closer to him, and she realized there was no force on earth strong enough to give her the needed fortitude to leave him once more.

Well, other than an ill-timed knock on the door.

Scrambling to her feet, not wanting to disturb Gajeel, she hastily pulled on his discarded T-shirt and sprinted to the door. A trying task considering that her legs currently felt like they were made of Jell-O and struggling to get her hair into a semblance of order before swinging the door open without pausing to look or inquire who it was.

It is was possible, Lucy's eyes grew even larger on seeing Levy, making the small woman self-consciously tug at the shirt's hem to try to make it go past where it fell at mid-thigh. Not wanting to know how she looked to her friend.

"Um…hi…" Lucy lifted her hand in an awkward wave. "I thought you might want to grab some breakfast together, figured you might need some girl-time and a chance to vent and watch Cana sneak illegal drinks while on duty."

"It's too early for drinking." A grating voice grumbled behind Levy as a heavy arm draped about Levy's shoulders to secure her against him steely muscles. "She'll meet you for lunch, a late lunch. Like one-ish."

During this simple statement, Lucy's face managed to flash through an impressive array of red before darting off down the hall with a muttered squeal of affirmation to this plan.

Closing her eyes, Levy tried to quell building mortification. "Um…Gajeel…are you naked?"

Calloused fingers twined through her hair; voice turned sulking. "Thought you were leaving."

"So you thought to go running after me sans clothing?"

The door swung shut. Oddly gentle hands, despite their roughened skin, slide under the shirt she had swiped from the floor to cradle her hips. "New rule, no leaving the bed without waking me up." Shivering for a different reason than before, his fanged teeth grazed over the exposed slope of her neck down to where her shoulder was visible from the fact that her thin frame was not meant for the shirt's broad-shouldered cut.

"Really?"

"If not, I will keep running about naked."

"Hmm…" Levy made a show of weighing this option before breaking into a startled giggle as he lifted her of her feet and carrying her towards the bed room. "I don't think we can fit in my bed."

"Floor has worked for us so far." One arm tucked under her ass, keeping her airborne and painfully pressed to him—so close that he was nearly entering her…almost enough to cause her to sob out her need for him once more, he pulled blankets and pillows off her cot-bed before lowering her onto the make-shift nest. "I'll get us a room later."

"Why not go to your room at the barn?" Pushed up on her elbows, Levy stopped him from ridding her of the shirt. "Gajeel, what are you planning?" When she said nothing, she went onto her knees and shoved at his chest. "You promised!"

"I promised not to take revenge on Hades, not to stay on the team."

"Gajeel—"

Gathering her wrists in one hand, he kissed the back of her palm. "I can't play for a man who did that to you."

"But—"

He stopped her from talking in the most effective means possible. "Fuck, Levy, I love you. I can get a position or any team but don't you, and all your genius powers, understand that I can't replace you?"

It was the first time he outright proclaimed that he loved her.

The discussion momentarily put aside, she cast-off her cover and pulled him down to meet her.

Before had been rough desperation, a need that had to be sated after years of neglect. Now, as they moved together, it was slower. The need was there, smoldering under the surface, but now coupled with a deeper understanding. The sweetness, the tenderness of his treatment, caused tears to spring to Levy's eyes as he coaxed her into bliss.

"Fuck…" Gajeel wiped at her face as he came inside her. "Don't cry, Pet." Lifting off her, weight falling onto the heels of his feet, Gajeel's eyes slowly roamed down her. Gaze lingering on the bruises spreading along the inside of her thighs. "I didn't mean to hurt you…should have said something." Bending his head. His mouth traveled along the darkened skin.

Breath quickening, Levy's fingers racked through her hair in search of some form of an outlet for the tension once more building inside her. "No…it's not that…" Lifting his head before he reached a point where she would completely lose the ability to think, let alone think, she licked her lips and forced the words to come. "Before…before we take this any further, I need to tell you something."

Befuddled and seductively mussed, Gajeel stretched out beside her and began to idly draw invisible designs along the skin of her torso. Lingering on a scar running between her hipbones. "Because of this?"

Closing her eyes, Levy nodded and cleared her throat. "After…after it was over…the doctors came into my room and told me that, chances are…given my size and the damage done…I can't have kids. Apparently, it was amazing that, even without my fall, chances were unlikely that I would carry him to term. If we go through with this—"

"There is no 'if' to this." Cupping her chin, he turned her face so she had to look directly at him. "I've been doing some reading—"

"That is rather shocking."

"Shut-up and listen." Kissing her brow, his thumb stroked her cheek. "According to some culture, don't ask me which, it is believed that if a woman couldn't have children…that a child was taken from her before it was born…it meant that the souls she created were too perfect for the gods to part with. Of course any kind between us would be too awesome to be unleashed onto the world. Before he was three, he would have been able to conquer half the known lands."

Watery laughter bubbled between her lips. "Since when did you become a poet?"

"Hey, sexual frustration can do amazing things when blood isn't constantly rushing to my dick."

"Gajeel?"

"Yeah?"

"Make love to me again?"

He slowly hooked her leg about his hip, holding her eyes for the slightest degree of pain before entering her once more. After all, they did have a lot of time to make up for and all their lives to do so…

That didn't mean that they had to restrain themselves.

A/N: This is a SUPER short chapter, I know (which is why I do not count it as an independent chapter…but as a continuation of the previous). But life is busy and I, once more, wanted to get something to you guys—so you know I didn't abandon you all. Next chapter—drama will once more reign

*Preview Hint: Jenny will make an appearance once more and Gajeel will have a talk with Hades.*

Know there are errors hidden throughout this...please forgive me for not catching them.

As always, thanks for the comments/favorite/alerts so far…Please, let me know what you think.