Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, but if I did... Oh, the things that I would do... But I don't... Yet... Hiro Mashima owns it... Currently...

(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

It was unanimous! 'Iron Child' won over 'When Earth Meets Stars', so ergo, here it is! I do believe this pairing suffers majorly in popular opinion, even though everyone loves it. It's like, no one wants to write it! Why? It would be epic! To be honest, people only like Gajeel with Levy. Why is that? The pairing is... Alright, but not the best. Gajeel suits someone like Lucy, hot, big chest (not dissing Levy, just saying...) because he's got the whole 'bad boy' thing going on. Levy would be like glass, easy to smash so he would always be cautious, while Lucy is... Lucy, simply said. So there, I've said it. Well, I ranted it, but still...

(o^^o)

Summery: To prove that he is truly a member of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov chooses Gajeel to accompany Lucy while she trains. Years later, they return, with another person. A small boy, with blonde hair and red eyes...

Ok, so this is set after the Phantom Lord Arc (Lucy has Loke's key, so technically after the Loke Arc...), so everything will be different-ish.

（^人^）

Thanks to everyone who helped me decide! Personally, as more people said this, the more I wanted to write it, so here it is! For those who wanted 'When Earth Meets Stars', it will still be written, but after this (or when I get bored...). I promise a decent story (well, I hope so, anyway...), so please enjoy yourself! I don't know the age rating yet, because I haven't really started, but it's there at the top, which I decided at the end, so try not to miss it!

（＾∇＾）

~Nom Nom :3

Iron Child by Nom Tasty

I - Iron: Start

The Fairy Tail guild hall was a wreck. Gajeel Redfox had really done a number on it. Down to its very foundations there were cracks, making the whole building that was above the ground unusable. What actually remained of the building was the left half of the lower floor, with a single clear path to the cellar underneath, the only thing could that withstand the onslaught. Other than that, stone bricks and wooden shafts littered the whole of the land, scaring the very field around Fairy Tail.

Lucy Heartfilia felt - no, she knew that it was her fault. Obviously the blame rested upon Gajeel for the actual act, but it was her father who hired Phantom Lord and ultimately it was her fault that there was a guild war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, leading to said guild being dissolved. It wasn't like it was a great loss to Fiore, but still, it was something that would always be remembered as a war for the Heartfilia heiress.

Damn her for being so weak! She couldn't do anything when they attacked. He'll, she had forewarning of a possible attack, but she hid her last name from the guild in hopes that her past never found her. But it did, and it did so in the form of a war. Not only that, it was one thing that Erza said that kept ringing in her mind. "We'd rather die than give up our nakama!" Not only that, but everyone agreed. They risked their lives, even the lives of the civilians in Mangolia had been threatened. She knew that no one was bothered, but she couldn't help it. She lost her first family when her mother died, and she wasn't going to sit back and let history repeat itself.

But what could she do? Celestial Magic was infamous for being both one of the strongest and weakest magics at the same time. The strongest because, hey, she could summon possibly some of the most powerful beings into existence! Yet, the cap on her magic always stopped the spirits from fully releasing their power, something she had never told anyone. Also, what could she do? If her spirits had to both protect her and fight for her, they'd be useless with her teammates. He point had just been proven the other day when she had been on the mission with Team Natsu and she couldn't stop two lowly Mages from trying to rape her. Seriously, she was meant to be part of Fairy Tail's strongest team, not just eye candy (and Erza even did that better than her)!

She needed to train, that much was a given. But how? She'd need to learn a new magic type to become even remotely useful, or strengthen her own beyond belief, but how would she do that? Is she asked, everyone would just say that she was strong enough as she was and refuse, so she'd be forced to do it in secret. But Natsu always stuck to her like glue, so she'd need to find somewhere to be alone. But that would mean quitting the guild. Was she ready for that? No. Would she rather do that than stay the damsel in distress and watch Fairy Tail, her new family, get destroyed in front of her? No.

She decided. She was going to quit Fairy Tail. Well, not quit per say, she convinced herself. More like... Have an extended holiday... Of training... And not relaxing... No matter how she phrased it, she would be quitting.

Walking into the cellar, Lucy aimed for the storeroom - which had became a makeshift office for the master - still thinking. Yes, she would need it quit. No matter how much it pained her heart, she needed to do this. Fairy Tail was her family, her life, and it was almost crushed by Phantom Lord. Never again will that happen, with her behind the fighting, being protected like the heiress she thought she lost.

"...anything, just please let me join!"

The words froze her in her spot. She had just slightly opened the makeshift office's door when she heard it. That was Gajeel, and he was on his knees, begging to Master Makarov, with Juvia beside him.

"Juvia knows Gajeel-kun is powerful! He didn't mean to hurt Lucy-san, and Juvia thinks that he would be a perfect addition to Fairy Tail!" Juvia pleaded, standing beside Gajeel with one hand on his shoulder, a supportive and friendly gesture.

"But how can we trust you? You enjoyed attacking Fairy Tail, hurting our nakama, which would be your nakama if you joined. Do you think anyone, never mind Lucy, who you tortured, would forgive you straightaway?" Master Makarov said, standing on a barrel of alcohol, looking sadly at the two former Phantom Lord Mages.

Gajeel wanted in? Well, she wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't that bad with her, and he didn't really hurt her. It was only when Natsu showed up that he became more heartless and violent, but otherwise he just was quiet with her, not actually violent. He didn't even look at her, never mind rase his hand against her. The wounds she actually got were from Jose, the guild Master, when Gajeel wasn't there. She thought, deep down, that he was actually an alright person. Her heart skipped a beat.

"I'll prove it! I'll do something to prove it!" He shouted. He was sounding desperate now, even though he'd hate to admit it. He was scared of being alone again, but he would hate to beg. Yet, fear overpowered pride, much to his displeasure, and his voice cracked. Juvia was crying for him, to see her best friend from Phantom Lord loosing his entire cocky personality. Makarov looked torn between him and his guild members, but his face settled.

He wouldn't...

"I'm sorry." He began. "But I can't. I'll give you three days, but you will need to leave Mangolia in that time."

Gajeel's slumped onto the ground while Juvia spilled fresh tears. That was it. He shattered his pride, he begged in front of his enemy to receive only pity, not acceptance. Now he would be sent away, be completely alone again...

"No!"

The voice came from behind the slightly ajar door, making Gajeel's blood freeze. Someone had saw him, saw him beg, saw him shred his pride to receive nothing but pity. He didn't want that. The impression he left with Fairy Tail was all he had left, and he didn't want that. Discretely, he sniffed the air. Later he would corner the person - the woman, by the voice - and scare them into submission to not spill his secrets. Yet, he didn't need to. He knew the scent, a mixture of fresh vanilla and cinnamon, with traces of ash, ice and steel. His eyes widened. No, not her... Please not her...

But his luck was against him. The door opened, and Lucy ran in, looking slightly bewildered.

To say she was confused would be an understatement. To say she was mortified wouldn't cover it. To say she regretted it would be a lie. The word just escaped her mouth before she could stop it, and she didn't know why. She just felt a need, from somewhere deep within, to object, to protect him. She noticed it when she first met him, but he was hardly with her, so she was able to suppress it. Now... She couldn't. Her eyes caught his, and she blushed.

It was her. Gajeel inwardly cursed, but took deep breaths of the delicious scent. How the smell of her overloaded his senses, filling his mind with only one word, repeating and repeating. Claim. Claim. Claim. It was more intense than it was the last time he saw her, more alluring and richer. It made his mouth water, his eyes mentally undressed her perfect body. Wait, no, he needed to stop that. He violently shook his head.

Makarov saw the small interaction and grinned. That it was 'that' was a surprise to him. "Ok, but on one condition then." He smiled evilly. He knew that if it was 'that', no one would be able to resist it. "You must accompany Lucy on her next mission."

That was when Lucy hesitated. "Master... The thing is, I want to... Take a leave of absence? Take a holiday? Whatever one works." The words were like razors to his heart. Lucy wanted to leave, she just put it nicely. Obviously she felt like it was her fault, even though it wasn't. She was going to leave his family, her family- "it won't be forever, just until I can get stronger." He looked at her, shocked. She'd come back? Now that was unexpected, he thought it would be her final goodbye, but it wasn't. She wanted to be stronger.

Wait, then 'that' would turn out perfectly.

His frown turned into a scary smile. Juvia had long slipped away, leaving only the three of them in the storeroom, the closed door the only protection for ease dropping. Silently, he whispered a small sealing enchantment so that what he would say wouldn't leave the three of them.

"You can, but on three conditions Lucy, otherwise I will send Erza out to hunt you down." Lucy gulped and nodded, not wanting Erza to hunt her down. Now that was a story you should tell children to make them behave! "Condition one: You must come back." She nodded. That was a given, she'd never abandon Fairy Tail.

"Condition two: During your time away, you will complete this job. Doing so will earn you both automatic S-Class Rank." Lucy nodded, slightly wary, and took the mission flier from him. It read:

S-Class Mission: Five Year Job - Fairy Tail Exclusive

Maximum 2 Mages

Mission: To Master Titan Slaying Magic

Reward: Titan Slaying Magic + 1,000,000 Jewels

"Titan Slaying Magic?" Lucy whispered. "I thought there was only Dragon Slayer Magic, and rumours of those with God Slaying Magic."

Master Makarov nodded. "Yusuki is an old friend of mine, and one of the last surviving users of it. She is old now, and she needs to pass on the magic before it is completely lost. Unlike other Slaying Magic, Titan Slaying Magic was taught, and the Titans eradicated. Now, only one of the original teachers remain." He sighed. "I don't know if anyone is strong enough to do this mission, not even Erza. But you two... Lucy, I know you'll be fine, Gajeel... You should be..." Because of 'that' he should be. And Lucy... Well she proved herself already.

"Wait, what?" Lucy questioned, hoping that condition three wasn't what she thought, that she heard wrong. She really didn't want him to some, but at the same time, it felt oddly exiting to her.

Gajeel stared wordlessly at them. He was being offered to go with her. Alone. Together. To train. To be accepted. Not a single bit of it sounded bad to his ears, and it made him almost shiver. Yet he suppressed it because, hey, he was Gajeel Redox, he didn't shiver. Yet he didn't feel, so this girl was completely messing him up.

"You two. Together. Alone. Five years." Makarov said in pieces, each sentence making Lucy blush and turn redder, while making Gajeel lick his lips. "And you both know why."

Gajeel froze. He knew. By just looking at him, the old man knew that it was 'that'. And he was encouraging it! Why? Did that mean... He would allow it? He could finally, after years of searching... He could finally be with his mate, who just so happened to be Lucy. But the thing was, did Lucy know?

Lucy wasn't dumb. She read books about Dragon Slayers, and knew instantly what the attraction between them. She was his mate. She remembered the small section from the book, something she committed into her memory subconsciously, probably just for this moment.

Dragon Slayer Mates - Males

For Dragon Slayers, they follow firmly in the path of their Dragons when it comes to mating. Only one person is suitable for them, out of all the people in the world. Only they will be able to carry their child. They will be drawn together, their meeting predestined. Before the claim is made, lust for each other floods the pair until they consummate it... Or go mad. Once they meet, they cannot deny one another, unless they wish to suffer death.

Once the initial claim is made, the Dragon Slayer will guard his mate with his life. No threat will befall her, no other man or woman will be able to be intimate with her, receiving death from the Dragon Slayer. They will follow their mate blindly, do anything for them.

However, recent cases suggest that some Dragon Slayers can force themselves to love another, effectively destroying any possible mate they had...

The pair smiled, not noticing the other mirroring it, with only Makarov there to witness. He simply stamped the request and gave Gajeel his guild stamp, which was needed for the mission.

"Go now, before the others find you." Makarov ordered, earning a nod. They left the room, shattering his enchantment, and he sighed, a single lone tear trickling down his cheek...

The two walked silently side by side, walking so that their fingers brushed each other, sending an electric shock with each brush. Neither acted on it. Nor did they talk. They just walked away, aiming to prepare for the mission, with only one thought on their mind:

"I can't wait to see them beg me to do it..."

Ok, small chapter, yet it's a taster! Also, should I do lemon? Yes or no? It'll be rated T for now, unless I get more people wanting it to go smutty.

So, thanks. My brain is melting, so it's kinda hard to think... Sorry if the ending is slightly rushed...

Please review!

~Nom Nom :3