A Dragon's Bride
The exchange of 'I do's.
Ivory white shimmering in the light.
And the pure kiss that bound one to another until the death of time.
Neither of them fully believed that their union was real- it was just too good to be true! Those two simple words, so simple and yet it was the most powerful thing in the world. When his rough, calloused hands lifted the veil, something so dainty and delicate right there between his fingers, Gajeel could see the tears in those honey-like eyes. Without touching her he could feel her heartbeat, how it was fluttering with their nerves shaking.
It took Levy a moment to say the words, not from hesitation but from the swelling in her throat that caused her to choke on her own air. Managing a feeble response, her voice did not go unwavered.
And then there was the kiss.
Time had stopped and the world was spinning. His lips pressing hard against hers, strong hands cupping her face. There were cheers and bells and music all meshed into one that melded into a blissful chaos that had yet been the most beautiful thing either of them had heard yet.
Her shrimp-like stature was nothing for him to carry. Without a moment's notice Gajeel scooped Levy up into his arms and walked back down the same aisle they both had walked down alone- together this time. Amongst all the noise, it was her joyous laughter that mattered to him. Seeing that precious smile, seeing that he brought her happiness. He didn't understand how or why, but it in turn filled him with the most fulfilling warmth and contentment.
That's why while on the train to their sweet honeymoon Gajeel couldn't resist her pleas to have her wedding gift early.
"Okay, okay, fine." He gave in.
"Yay." Levy replied happily.
"- if you're gonna be such a squirt about it." He added despite himself, if not just to see that adorable pout he couldn't get enough of.
"Who're you callin' a squirt?" She asked. All Gajeel could do was chuckle with a snickering grin. Her pout was replaced by her everloving smile when he pulled out the pretty rectangle covered in glittering white paper. Like watching a child on Christmas, Gajeel had just as much joy as Levy watching her open her new book (as if that couldn't have been predicted).
"Oh Gajeel I love it!" The smol exclaimed.
"Gihee." He mused. Examining its cover and pages, Levy was able to tell that this was no ordinary book. Afterall, it looked to be the same age as Metalicana. Her small fingers brushed over the cover again. A dragon in a perfect circle, while on the back seemed to be a rose. It was hard to tell due to the ages of weathering the poor thing had suffered. But now in her care it would never see a bleak day again, that she could make sure of.
"What's this one about Gajeel?" She asked. He simply pointed to the dragon.
"What?" He asked after seeing her expression. "It's in a different language okay I just thought you'd want to read something in Draconian since you don't have a book in that yet. Tch." Levy's eyes grew wide and almost had tears.
"You remember!" She exclaimed again, burying her face into his chest. "Gihee." He mused again, embracing her as well with a soft pat. After a moment Gajeel came down to her ear and whispered,
"I thought you should have one, being that you're married to one now. Gihee." The dragonslayer's grin grew even wider as the heat rose into her cheeks. Not wanting to entertain him further, the smol turned to what was more important.
The books.
Flipping the covering with experienced care, Levy started with its title. Gajeel was right, she hadn't a book before in this language and so her reading was slow. However with it this would be quickly remedied.
A Dragon's… Bride? Huh. She wondered. It must be a romance novel of some sort.
"Gimme your leg."
"What?" But before she was able to finish speaking or even her thoughts a head with thick, wild locks black as pitch layed down to rest in her lap. She played with a stray piece, he had tied it back for the ceremony. She couldn't say it, but Levy was delighted to see him in a color other than black. His suit was a calm grey, complementary to her ivory wedding gown.
"It's so soft. Shame you only wear it once." Gajeel said eventually.
"Hmm that's what makes it so special. Looking back and remembering it that way." Piercing red eyes looked up at her. He hated trains and how sick they made him feel. He wanted so badly to have Levy be the one pinned to the bench. His reverie was interrupted by the smol putting her newfound book on top on his head as a prop. He grunted in protest, although it wasn't a very strong one.
Delving into fresh literature, Gajeel's eyes eventually became heavy and closed. The sway of the train and the comfort of Levy putting him at ease.
But the book wasn't anything at all what she had anticipated.
It was, rather, about the ferocious beasts.
And their mating rites.
Fifty shades of scarlet had fired up in her complexion. She quickly glanced down only to see that her new husband had dozed off. Is he trying to tell me something? He always was somewhat shy. But Gajeel can't read this… can he? In a way Levy was grateful that the man wasn't awake -she wouldn't hear the end of her racing heartbeat and flustered look. She looked down at him once more, confirming that he wasn't secretly watching. And then began to read.
'A dragon is only capable of having one mate. Once he has chosen -even if it is not reciprocated- cannot be undone. The imprint will stand the death of time.'
"Gajeel…" She whispered his name softly, brushing his hair lightly.
'It is the first night of union, of which the pact is made.'
The pact? Levy thought. She then recalled their first time together. "You don't know how long I have wanted to do this… to make you mine."
Scarlet returned to her cheeks at the recount of the memory. Gajeel had already made his choice. Long before they had even started dating. A bump in the route caused Levy to bounce, ruffling her dress upwards. Looking down, she saw that the dragonslayer was still asleep. It was with newfound determination to discover more did she continue.
'Matrimony a sacrament bond, and an acceding claim to seal it closed. Iron from blood, the venom now immune.'
What does that mean? The smol thought. Her entire work revolved around decoding texts and ciphers, and yet she hated riddles. It was the next line that brought her alarm,
'Regardless of circumstance, if stopped, both shall perish. One of poison and one of sorrow.'
Kyaaa! Well that changed tones rather quickly! Levy didn't know what to make of it, but her surprise was very quickly replaced with shock that had her bolted upright. With the ancient book nearly flying out of her hands, she braced herself as the head on her lap was missing.
Under her dress.
"Giheehee." She heard his laughter, causing her to pout.
"Gajeel what are you doing? The train will be stopping soon!" Levy tried to protest.
"You're so caught up in that new book of yours you didn't even notice me gone. Gihee." He laughed again. The smol then smacked the top of the dragonslayer's head.
"Get out from under there! The train will be stopping soon!" She tried to protest again, flustered cheeks deepening whilst fingers misbehaved. Piercing red eyes shown up at her, a devilish grin in them. That smile with its cocky smirk came up and cornered her small frame between the window and the wall. A strong hand came to her jawline and tilted her face upwards, their faces meeting.
Their kiss was shortly lived as the train jerked to a stop. Gajeel smiled once more.
Without much effort, the door was kicked open. The folds of white being carried in his arms let out a small gasp. Into the room both of them went, the abused door swinging shut behind them. Despite it being dark, Levy was able to Gajeel's mischievous smile as bright as day, the scheming look in his eyes always accompanying it.
She was thrown onto something soft. A bed. Before she was able to get her wits about her she already was pinned to the sheets; unable to move from the giant mass looming over her.
"Gaje-" Was all that could escaped Levy's lips before another pair came down onto hers. Hard. With just one hand the dragonslayer was able to hold both her hands in place above her head, with his other lingering alongside her hips and grasping the biggest handful he could. The taste of iron filled her mouth as his tongue explored hers. She couldn't help but let out a soft whine when he bit her bottom lip.
The same misbehaving hand went down the length of the smol's dress, only to go on the inside of it. Rough fingers tracing ever so lightly up along her calf and thigh, regrasping the flesh underneath. Meanwhile Levy's own hands fumbled with the buttons on his vest upon being released from his grasp. The free hand then went to the laced up ribbon along her back, daringly pulling it away loosening its contents and slipping away as it fell. The other underneath gripped the fabric and pulled, tugging at the hips due to their width.
Levy tried to push the vest off his shoulders, but being in such close proximity she wasn't able to get it over the dragonslayer's broad shoulders.
"Gajeel." She whispered breathlessly as his lips never left hers. She was bare and yet his warmth so close to her body made her begin to sweat. Gajeels hands went to the buttons on his shirt and ripped it open, discarding it to the floor. The care for the fine work of each other's garments clearly long gone. His strong hands then went to grab her shoulders repinning her down, even harder this time. A leg went to break the divide between her own. Gajeel's body was directly on top of hers with scarcely a space between. Feeling the familiar weight Levy instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, fabric being the one thing keeping them apart. As Gajeel's went down towards his belt, his new wife said,
"I accede."
The dragonslayer froze. What did she just say?! No, no she couldn't have said that. His thoughts raced. But Levy saw his reaction, and she knew he knew what she meant. And that what she thought it meant was indeed true.
"Gajeel I accede." She said again. She looked into his deep red eyes, eyes that she could see no matter how dark it was. In that worldless gaze she told him that she knew what it was and what it meant. That was when he looked away.
"Lev… Levy I can't.. I can't ask that of you." He looked at her again finally. The smol saw all the emotions raging inside of him.
The biggest was fear.
"You're not asking me anything. It's me who is asking you." She replied, brushing a piece of strewn hair from his face and cupping his cheek. "Gajeel I want to be your claim."
To be a dragon's most prized treasure. It was something that could never be erased or changed, it was passed the point of no return.
"No, you don't want this. I know what you're trying to say but you don't want this Lev." Gajeel replied, sitting on the edge of the bed now. She followed him.
"I-"
"You could die, Lev!" He yelled, then with in a quieter, wavering voice, "I couldn't live if I was the one who killed you Levy…" With a gentle hand, with the very softness that he fell in love with, she took his jawline and brought it to face her. It was only her who would ever see such desperation and fear inside those ruthless eyes.
"Matrimony a sacrament bond, and an acceding claim to seal it closed." Levy recited the words. His eyes grew wide. Suddenly both hands went to her face pulling her close. Gajeel kissed her again. Hard and sincere. It took their need for air for them to pause.
"Where did you learn all this?" Gajeel asked quietly, not wanting to truly know the answer.
"W-well, today on the train a-actually…" Levy answered sheepishly. It was Gajeel's turn for his face to turn fifty shades of scarlet.
"What the fuck was the book about?!" He asked paranoid. Her downward glance confirmed what he feared. "Le-Levy listen to me I-I promise I had no damn clue what it was about the dragon just looked cool and and I-I was just trying to find someth-" His rambling apology what cut off short by a kiss from a small pair of lips. Somehow, they always held the power to calm him. Levy giggled lightly.
"Hmm, it's okay. I know that." She whispered calmingly. Gajeel looked down at his hands for a long while. Slowly, Levy inched her hand over to his, and held it lightly. "We just got married my way," her other hand when to her husband's face, "it's only right to do it your way too."
Tears wanted to swell in the dragonslayer's eyes. She was so small and fragile, and yet she had as much strength as she did courage and confidence. She had said the words. But did she fully understand what was to come? And all that was at stake? Of course she did. Levy had to be the smartest person he knew; she wouldn't consent to something without memorizing every detail to the punctuation mark. Finally his eyes met hers again, with so much raw emotion she had to swim.
"Are you sure you want this?"
"As soon as I said 'I do' I passed the point of no return." Levy replied without hesitating.
"Levy…" Gajeel trailed. He couldn't finish his sentence for his arms went to hold and embrace his wife, circling around her small frame. Her lips were always soft and tender. Strong fingers began to entwine into blue tendrils as smaller ones pulled at the feeble hair tie the held back his pitch black mane.
Their kiss hardened and yet it never lost its care. It was one of the ways Levy knew she would always be safe around Gajeel, no matter how angry or intense things would become, he treated her with such a care that a passerby wouldn't think he was capable of.
"Levy…" He whispered again. The smol's hands gripped the thick of his wild hair as his tongue began to explore her mouth again. He was able to taste to iron in her system, and very time he did it was a struggle not to consume it.
It wasn't hard for the dragonslayer to move them to the bed's center, Levy knowing well how to hang onto him as he moved, as he often did in various positions. The sun had set now and the only illumination left was from the moonlight spilling from the kitchen space's window. Laying there she looked up towards her husband, as she had so many times before.
Only this time it was different.
Gajeel towered over her, like a dragon over its territory. Crimson eyes burning with fire.
"Levy McGarden, you said you accede to being my claim." Gajeel said, voice formal. Her hands never his hair.
"That's Levy Redfox to you. And yes. I accede." She replied. The words hardly escaped her lips before his joined hers once again. His hands held her to him, so strong and yet they were so caring. Levy didn't know which was more solid, her back against the sheets or Gajeel looming over her without the slightest space.
His tongue began to do it as it pleased, not once backing away. Tasting the iron from her it only fueled the ravenous desire, to consume his wife a step further.
By her blood.
It was by comsuning her blood, taking her iron and infusing it with his, that her his mate. It was only hers that he would ever want- ever need. Even before then nothing tasted quite the same as when the smol had prepared it for him.
Levy may have been bare, but she was sweating. His body against hers like a thermos. Whilst bringing her leg up towards his hips, Gajeel's fingers gripped tighter around er. It was then that their kiss broke. He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Levy.."
"Yes." She mused, knowing what he was going to say. With her final approval, the dragonslayer went down towards her neck. His teeth had always ached when upon her skin, so soft and delicate. It was a harsh struggle every time to contain that burning desire, to claim her as his mate; simply waiting for the right time.
Which was now.
Gajeel bit into her neck, reveling in the moan from her lips. And it was finally then, after such a long time of wanting and waiting.
That he sunk his fangs into her.
Levy let out a cry upon being pierced. Little did she know he had already practiced this motion time and time again. Every bite he ever gave, had just the miniscule amount of venom. So little that it was of no harm; however it was so that she did not succumb from the intensity of his fangs.
It was precise. Directly to her jugular vein. And it was her cry that drove him further. Hand still along her skin, it went down between her legs.
Everything was wet and dripping with heat rising. No matter how much she had anticipated, Levy couldn't help but let out a piercing moan upon becoming so full she was sure to burst from the mass of him. Harder his arms constricted around her, holding the smol directly still.
Levy was unable to move, the control over her overwhelming. And yet she only wanted more. The sheer weight of his body kept her in place; with the grip of the hand at the base of her neck being immobilizing. In a haze she managed to bring her other leg up to his hips, locking her ankles in place at the small of his sturdy back.
The dragonslayer constricted her even tighter, their bodies so close that water wouldn't be able to pass through. Deeper his fangs went into her, the pure taste of it bliss.
With every thrust Levy was able to feel his pulsing throb along the length of her walls. Tiny fingers fisted the thick of his hair, their pull only encouraging him further. Her gasps were rampant, as were his movements. The heat within her swelled and festered, gradually accumulating with every bit of him.
In the growing cloudiness of her mind the smol was able to faintly see the metallic scales emerging from his skin. Although hidden she was able to perfectly imagine the blackness enshrouding those piercing red eyes. A lizard like tongue swept her collarbone of any trailing blood. The stars she saw grew bigger, including the shadow after them.
Gajeel's mind was scarcely intact, running purely on overflowing desire that had just now finally been released. As he went faster his grip grew stronger. The restriction around his wife tighter. Before he used to be cautious, afraid of inflicting harm on her fragile stature. Now the point of no return had well been crossed.
And the only thing he could hear was her screaming his name.
The heat and the haze grew heavier and more intense. Both under the increasing pressure of their fury and daze. The stars in Levy's eyes grew darker and stayed longer. The constriction around her so intense it was a struggle just to gasp. What seemed to be a loss of blood making her want to grow faint. Until finally she succumbed.
And the world went black.
The light was gentle when Levy woke. When she tried to move her head, a pain came from the right side of her neck. Rising carefully, a hand went to the tender side. She then recalled last night, and it's unforgettable intense heat. Did I really come so hard I passed out? Fifty shades of scarlet began to fluster in her cheeks. She was waiting for the teasing that would come from her husband, but there was none. Looking around the best her wound allowed her to, only to see there was no one. Where's Gajeel?
The sound of a cup being placed down on the table to her left caught her attention. Oh, there he is. "Good morning Gajeel." Was all she could say. He grunted.
"Good mornin' Shrimp." He replied. After a pause, he then added, "You were starting to worry me. I'm glad that you're fine though."
"Why would I worry you?" Levy asked, concern beginning to show on her face. Both knew of what was at stake last night- and neither cared. Could it be that he thought he hurt her in the process? That she had fainted because of him? "Gajeel when I fainted that wasn't-" She started.
"It was suppose to happen." He cut her off, to answer whatever she was going to say. "And just as they said, you would wake up on the third morning… if it all went through." Gajeel added the last part hesitantly, not wanting to think of the other outcome.
"Wait, third morning?!" Levy exclaimed. She was unconscious for that long?!
"Yeah you were out for two days." He replied, not quite understanding her shock (although he never did). The dragonslayer sat down on his side of the bed, coming close to Levy. Instinctively her head went to rest upon his hard chest, his arm draping around her. He handed her the soothing cup of coffee, just as she liked it. "And that's a good thing Lev." He finally said again.
"It was?" She asked, looking up to him.
"Yes. It means it took its time. And hopefully you weren't in any pain." A worried look then came across his face.
"Hmm, no I wasn't. My husband took good care of me." She mused, feeling the cup's steam close to her face.
"Gihee. I'm not just your husband anymore Shrimp," Gajeel leaned into her ear. "Now you got your own personal dragon." He chuckled again, playfully biting her ear. Her face came close to his.
And the dragon kissed his bride.