Baby Steps

Chapter 5

In the next couple of weeks, Gajeel found that if there was one thing that Gaia was learning to love more and more, it was coloring.

On everything.

She really just seemed to like scribbling on paper for some reason, which bored him to tears. It was almost as bad as when he had to watch her stack blocks atop one another and pretend like that was some sort of accomplishment. The only good thing about her coloring though was that it kept her entertained with minimal surveillance.

The downside of it?

"Don't complain. You're not allowed to. After all, it's your fault. You're supposed to watch her."

"I can't watch her twenty-four seven," the slayer would growl at his wife as they scrubbed at the walls, attempting in vain to get the new scribbles it then sported off. "I have other things to do, you know."

"Oh? Other than keep our baby safe?"

"She was safe! The walls just weren't."

"Gajeel."

So that wasn't great. One thing he did like more about the baby was that she was getting to the point where, when it was time to fix her something to eat, he could just make him and Lily whatever they wanted and rip her off a piece of whatever it was. She was fine with practically whatever. And he was more than fine with just feeding it to her.

Her vocabulary was expanding too. She was able, finally, to kinda make sentences. Which he didn't hold against her. After all, he didn't have the best grasp on the language either.

"Lily," she said a lot. It was one of her favorite words. Mainly because the Exceed was her favorite person. "Love Lily."

She liked to hug and pet him a lot too, which the cat attempted to pretend to take on with disdain, but it was rather obvious that he enjoyed it. Levy and Gajeel never seemed to spare him much attention anymore and, well, it was nice to finally have someone to appreciate just how great he was.

Gajeel wanted that too. From the baby. Not that he'd ever say it, of course, but he really did. Everyone else got that treatment. She liked to hug Levy or give her little things, like her toys or some of her animal crackers. Then, ugh, the way she was with the other guild members was annoying. Trying to say their names or just walking up to them, like they were just okay people and she should be allowed to associate with them. They weren't and she wasn't.

So there.

Not to mention, the kid still didn't have a name for him. Not that he blamed her. He'd started taking jobs again, giving Levy some time with the baby once more, but the second they switched off the next time, he figured he'd get to work on teaching the baby exactly who he was.

He started with explain who she was.

"See," he said one day as he laid on his back on her bedroom floor, staring up at the ceiling. Gaia was sitting by his head, coloring away, babbling occasionally when the time called for it. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I ain't much of an intellectual. That's how come I don't read to you much. And, well, 'cause I just don't want to! So when you learn to ask, don't.

"I did, though, one time look some stuff up for you. In case you ask or whatever. About your name. Or, well, I was just curious. Your mom picked it and, I figured at first that it was just some form of my name or something cool like that, but apparently not. It's, like, some sort of goddess thing, right? One that represents earth or something stupid like that. I mean, I'm just not into those kinda things, I'm sure you've guessed."

"Lily."

"He's not here! Now be quiet and listen. I'm telling you something, baby."

"Awawa."

"No! If you drool on me, this is so over and you're going to be forced to take a nap early. Your choice, baby."

After they got that all sorted out again, Gajeel went back to his story.

"So anyhow," the man said as he laid with his arms crossed over his chest, still looking up at the ceiling. "Gaia is a goddess that embodies the earth or something. She's, like, the mother of all the important ones. And she don't have a mother or nothing like that. She was born from Chaos. Or, I guess, outta Chaos, as that one disappeared. Which is kinda my whole point here."

Closing his eyes then, he let out a slow breath before saying slowly, "If you think that I'm mean now, Gaia, that I'm bad the way I am these days, you shouldda seen me before. Or, no. Actually, I'm glad that you haven't. Really glad. I don't even want you to know about that stuff. I don't wnat you to even know anyone like that. You shouldn't. I was…horrible.

"But that's the point, baby. I used to be so bad, yeah? I used to be horrible. I was living off anger and resentment and hate and…and chaos. So now I don't have that. I have you. And that's what it means, right? What Levy meant? Because she's smart like that. And you're- What are you doing?"

She'd left her crayons behind to come sit next to him, leaning over the man to stare down at him. He just stared back, not sure what to do.

Reaching down with a giggle, she patted his head before leaning down to press a kiss to her head. He'd never gotten that before. It was mostly poor Lily that got the brunt of her new phase in which she in. For some reason, getting his fur all covered in her spit (she had yet to learn that kissing didn't just mean slobbering all over someone), seemed to be the best way she could convey her love.

Which was odd, considering she could literally say the word love, but hey. She couldn't figure everything out by herself, could she?

"Knock it off," Gajeel complained as the baby just kept giving him kisses. "This isn't what I wanted. Gaia-"

She just complained right back at him, having to use his head to push herself back up before going back over to her crayons. There. Maybe that would get him to shut up.

Did he not know she was trying to color?

Growling, Gajeel jumped up before wiping at his face with the bottom of his shirt. "Thanks a lot, baby."

She made some noises back to him, but he was storming off to wash his face. Blood? Fine. Guts? Alright. But baby spit? No freaking way.

"Let's see," Levy sighed one day as she looked over the bookcase in the living room. Running her finger over the spines of the books, it only took her a moment to find the right one and pull it out. "Here you we are. We'll read a little bit from this, okay?"

That was fine with the other three people in the room, who included, of course, Lily, Gajeel, and Gaia. The Exceed was already curled up on the couch, mostly dozing off already, while Gajeel sat next to him, Gaia in his lap as the toddler focused touching all of his different piercings. They were intriguing to her, in that moment, it seemed.

"Shrimp, I don't care what you read," Gajeel grumbled as she came to sit on his other side, smiling slightly. "Just make sure that it gets her asleep and soon. She's starting to get on my nerves."

"She just loves you, Gajeel."

No. At the moment she just wanted to figure out what those weird things were stuck on the side of his nose.

"This isn't love. This is torture," he complained as she poked at his face.

"Awe."

Lily peeked an eye open. "I was promised a story."

"You're getting one," Levy said as Gaia took instead to trying to poke at Gajeel's eyes, which he put an immediate stop to. "And sit, Gaia. Listen to the story, huh?"

She didn't want to, but apparently she didn't have much of a choice. Gajeel was forcing her to do so.

But the story was so boring. Not even the sleepy kind of boring that Lily was feeling. More like the blow your head off kind of boring Gajeel was suffering from. Eventually, Levy let him take her off to finish getting her ready for bed, which mostly just meant changing her diaper one more time and, after laying her down in her crib, playing her a few songs.

She didn't seem to want to go down that night though. Even though he kept making her lay down, she'd just get right back up and stand there in her crib, staring at him. And, since he knew that she'd learned to climb out, he knew if he left her like that, she'd just escape and come find him.

"What do you want, baby?" he complained, taking her out of the crib after awhile and just sitting her on the floor. Taking a seat next to her, he just watched for a moment as she patted at his guitar. "Huh?"

"Song." She patted at the guitar with a giggle. "Yes?"

"I've played you a song," he told her with a frown. "A lotta songs. Levy read you a story. A really crummy one. You silly baby. Just go to sleep!"

She made a yelling noise right back at him, thinking it was a game. Then, tapping at the acoustic again, she said, "Song."

"One more," he grumbled. "Then you're gonna go to sleep. I mean it, Gaia."

But she didn't just want one more. She wanted a thousand more. Sleep was stupid. It was horrible. It kept her from having fun. And listening to great music.

When he finished that next song, Gajeel was serious about only singing one. But…she kept asking him and what was he supposed to do? Tell her no? How could he ever tell her no? Huh?

"Do you still honestly not even have her in the crib? Seriously, Gajeel?"

He just frowned up at Levy as she came into the room to pick the baby up. "I was trying, alright? But she's not tired and-"

"Is that what I asked you to do, Gajeel? To see if she was tired? No. I said to put her to bed."

"No," Gaia complained as he stood too, setting his guitar off to the side. "No!"

"Yes," her mother said, brushing a kiss against her head. "You've been up for far too long thanks to Daddy."

"No!" She stared over the woman's shoulder at Gajeel who was pretty annoyed that the shrimp was upsetting the baby. Reaching a hand out to him, she said again, "Song."

"I don't get why you gotta ruin this, Levy," Gajeel grumbled with a frown. "I mean-"

"You were the one that wanted to go down to the hall tonight anyhow, Gajeel. So now you can go. Why are you being difficult?"

He did want to go down to the hall. A lot. And it would close soon if he didn't hurry, but…

"I just don't get why she can't-"

"Because, Gajeel, it's time for bed. That means that she goes to bed." Levy kissed the toddler's head again before moving to drop the child gently in her crib. "Tell Daddy goodnight."

She just reached out for him, standing there. "Out!"

"Nope." Levy wasn't playing. She made the baby lay down and, with a kiss, told her goodnight before going to grab Gajeel's hand and drag him out of the room with her. "Come on."

He really didn't want to, but hey. The baby did need to sleep. And he did wanna go get a drink down at the bar, so…

Leaving the cat and the shrimp at home with the baby, he headed out to go spent some time up at the bar. Not that there was anyone there that he really wanted to see, but it gave him something to do, at least.

When he got back, he found that the cat was still napping on the couch and the house was dark. Levy must have been in bed. With a shake of his head, he headed down the hall to follow.

It was when he was passing Gaia's room though that he heard it. She wasn't crying, but she was making noise in there, clearly having woken back up at some point. Possibly from him opening and closing the front door.

"Hey," he grumbled, going to poke his head in there. "What are you doing in here, baby?"

She giggled too, at the sight of him, which wasn't a response he was used to getting. Not from anyone else, anyhow.

"Are you just restless today or somethin'?" He came to stand at the side of her crib, looking in at the child with a heavy frown. "Me too. Thought drinkin' and being around those idiots up at the guild would help, but it hasn't. Think I need to take a job or somethin'."

She was just sitting there then, apparently enjoying making noises. At the sight of him next to her though, she just tilted her head back to stare at the man, one hand coming up so she could suck on her fingers.

"That's nasty," he grumbled, though he still reached down to pat her on the head. "Baby."

Opening her mouth wide then, she showed him her teeth. When he followed suit with a yawn, she giggled before reaching for him.

"Out."

"Levy said you gotta stay in there, baby," he told her with a shake of her head. "Sorry."

"No. Out." Reaching up for him, she tried her best trick she had on Lily and Levy both, hoping it would work on her father too. "Love you."

That was a new one for him. Gajeel just blinked before slowly reaching in there to take her out.

"Yeah, kid," he said as she giggled, glad o find that she had gotten exactly what she wanted. "I, uh, I… You're… So there."

She just kissed his cheek in thanks. "Song?"

"Well, the shrimp is... You really should just go to bed."

Which he knew was right. And, with a sgih, he moved to drop her back in her crib. Not liking this, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, refusing to let go.

"Gaia-"

"Love you." Well, it worked once. She was actually getting pretty good at that sentence. "Song?"

"No. You-"

"Daddy?"

"Hey, now I ain't stupid. What kinda game is this?"

There wasn't one. Really. Levy had been practicing that one with her for months. And, secretly, a few times Gajeel found himself repeating the word softly to her, as not to be overheard. It was just getting a tad ridiculous, really, that he didn't have a name like the others.

Not to mention, the way she said it was rather slurred and, if he hadn't been listening to her talk for, oh, the past twenty months, he would have had no idea what she said and taken it for all her other drivel. He could tell though exactly what it was and, honestly, was suspicious.

"I mean, you don't even like me that much. Do you?"

Of course she did. Sorta. He let her do a lot of things that Levy didn't and, when he was around, so was Lily usually. Not to mention all his stellar songs. Yeah, he was pretty great.

"Oh. It's you. I thought I heard talking."

Glancing over at the doorway, he saw Levy standing there and said simply, "The baby can't sleep."

With a yawn, she came further. "She can't sleep or you woke her up?"

"The first one."

"Poor Gaia." Coming closer, Levy went to take her from her father. She yawned again before saying, "I don't know how you're not tired."

"You can go back to bed," Gajeel grumbled slightly, more annoyed that she was ruining the moment than actually concerned for her. "Shrimp. I got her."

"No, I-"

"I hope you both know what time it is."

Levy blinked then as Gajeel only rolled his eyes.

"You know, cat, it's actually our house," he grumbled, glancing over at the disapproving Pantherlily, "so I think that it doesn't really matter."

"I must get my sleep, Gajeel, else what use am I to anyone?"

"I ask myself that every day."

"Play nice," Levy said through another yawn as she glanced down at Gaia. "And here, Gajeel, if you can get her back down, that's fine, I guess. But I really just wanna go back to bed."

She kissed him too, the shrimp did, before walking out of the room, patting Lily on the head as she went. Then it was just them and the still overly alert Gaia.

They sat her down on the ground and Gajeel went to go get his guitar, figuring she'd have to give out eventually.

"You know," he told the cat as he sat there, strumming softly as Gaia leaned against Pantherlily, listening, "the child can say my name now."

"She can say Gajeel?"

"No," he grumbled, frowning then. "Of course not."

"Then what does she call you?"

"Cat-"

"I am just curious," Lily defended. With a frown, Gajeel looked off before mumbling something.

"What was that?" the cat asked. "Speak up. I-"

"I said that she called me…Daddy."

"Aw."

"Shut up, Lily."

"What?" He snickered. "It's cute."

"I hate you."

"You are the one that brought it up."

Watching as the baby let out a slight yawn and snuggled closer to the Exceed, Gajeel paused before saying, "She said that she loved me too."

"Very cute."

"Shut up."

"Why are you telling me then? Huh? If you're not-"

"I dunno," he mumbled, shrugging slightly. "I just thought that someone should know. Not the shrimp though. She'd be all-"

"Yeah," the Exceed sighed. "I know."

"Gihi." The man grinned. "The woman just has something about her. She never knows when to knock it off."

"Oh? And you do?"

"I'm different. You have to put up with me," he said, stopping his playing then so that he could flex. "Less you got the courage to come after me."

"Courage? Or stupidity?"

"Ask the damn Salamander."

"Well, that's not fair. Everything he does is stupid."

"Not everything," Gajeel admitted, which was actually more shocking that his apparent joy over the baby's own admission or at least verbalization. "Just mostly."

It took a couple of songs and, before they were over, Lily left, but Gajeel did get Gaia to sleep finally. And, when he got up to drop her off in her crib, he paused for a moment, watching her settle, before gently brushing some of her hair back out of her face.

"I love you too, kid." Then, grinning, he said, "But I gotta go now. You've kept me up long enough, huh? So don't be whining in the morning for me to wake up and play with you. After all this, you owe me at least until noon. At least. And maybe we can work some more on what you should call me. Gotta be something better than what you did."

Though it sure didn't feel like it.

And when he went to join Levy in bed, he had an odd feeling in his chest. About the same one he got when the shrimp got home from a real tough job, victorious or when Lily was able to beat a real gnarly looking foe. When he was proud of them.

Was he proud of Gaia then? For something as simple as just speaking? And not even clearly?

Yeah. He was. He really was. He'd spent so long just coming around to the idea of her and, finally, he was so glad that she just saw how much she liked him too. How much she loved him. How important he was to her. It had taken baby steps for both of them to reach that point, but they were there. And still going.

He wasn't in a rush, either, to get wherever it was all leading him. After all, he was having a pretty great time just on the journey.

Bleh. It's done. Story's over. And late, but it took me awhile to figure out how to end it. I think I might get the next chapter of Mohawks and Manliness out tomorrow, but we'll see.