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...

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Yay, this got a good reception! To be honest, I prefer the kind of stories where the two are together and are forced through hardships together, not when it takes so long with them faffing about like complete idiots. So this won't be like that.

(・ω・)

Ok, about the smuttyness: for is winning by like 3 and a half to 1. It's still a little before *insert smut here*, but I would like to know, so please tell me!

So, please do me a favour and review! I will always love you forever!

~Nom Nom :3

Iron Child by Nom Tasty

II - Iron: Letter

Lucy ran around her house, packing just the things she needed. Gajeel was waiting by her door, smirking to himself. They had less than 20 minutes before the train left to god knows where, and so she needed to pack. Gajeel said 'pack light', but she guessed that his light would be two pairs of clothes and the extreme basics. So she wanted to piss him off and bring a big bulky suitcase, which was a vibrant pink couloir with golden flowers on it.

First, she put in all the necessities: toothbrush, spare clothes, toiletries and a clean towel. After that, she decided to pack some sexy lingerie that was black and lacy. She knew that over the five years she'd become a couple with Gajeel (not that there was anything wrong with a body like that), and was fine about it, even exited. In all her years, she'd never felt like that for anyone before, and she liked it. Of course she wanted to go further, but she wanted him to make the first move. Hey, she didn't way to come off too slutty, but she also enjoyed the idea of teasing him. The thought of him begging her on his knees was very, very appealing, especially with a body like his...

After that, she packed her mother's wedding rings, a pair of beautiful plain bands that was made out of something that was pale white, the precise thing unknown to her. It was her greatest treasure, and the one thing that stayed constant in her life after her mother. In the back of her mind, there was a voice saying 'will one belong to Gajeel?', but she wasn't ready for that yet. Hell, even if they were detained for one another, it didn't make it any less terrifying.

Finally, after the rings were tucked away safely, she packed her novel, planning to have it finished by her return. That made her think of all the people she was leaving behind. Cana and Elfman. Levy. Mirajane. Erza. Gray. Happy. Natsu. They won't be happy (well, Mirajane would faint from matchmaking overdose) and my even try to follow her. They might resent her without her leaving anything behind so she decided, slightly against her better judgement, to leave a letter. Pulling out some paper, she wrote as fast as she possibly could while leaving it legible.

Once that was done, she wrote 'Fairy Tail' across the width of it and put it the first place she knew it would be found: her fridge. That made her smile a little. Taking one last look around her small home, she let a small tear escape her eye before leaving.

Gajeel sat at the train station on a wooden bench, deep in thought. The way it made his face twist was intimidating, so he earned some scared looks and people rushing past him, all of which he ignored. He was thinking about what had plagued his thoughts for all his years: his mate, except now it had a form, in the shape of a blonde girl called Lucy.

He wasn't going to lie: she was stunning. Her figure was perfect, with every part appealing to him, from her thin waist to her large breasts and great butt. Her hair was long, and would suit being longer, and the way she wore clothes made him smirk. She wore short miniskirts that probably covered less than underwear could, and a very tight shirt that highlighted her slim body and large breasts. And the black whip on her hip... Now that was a supplier of many kinky thoughts...

He knew that over the five years they'd come together, mutual attraction and stuff like that. She was a smart girl, well he thought so, so he assumed that she should know what was happening. Her partner was that flaming idiot, so she should've done research. He knew that he would've...

Yet, at the mention of the Fire Dragon Slayer in his thoughts, he began to unconsciously tense. Why was she so close to an idiot like him? She smelt like him strongly, stronger than her other teammates, even that stupid blue cat, and that was always clinging to her. He just needed to replace the ash scent with his own, even if she didn't like it.

Gajeel was smarter than he looked. To smart, some would say. He would use the first impression people got of him as an idiot to beat them. He would admit that he was definitely not sensitive, nor was he gentle. He was blunt, he was rough, but it was who he was, so he didn't care.

A minute before the train was scheduled to depart, he smelled her. The fresh vanilla was like a welcome into reality, something to anchor him there. She ran to him, pulling a girly pink suitcase behind her. Less luggage than he expected, definitely his kind of woman. Before she could even catch her breath, however, there was an announcement.

"The 1 o'clock train to Olive Town is now leaving. I repeat, the 1 o'clock train to Olive Town is now leaving."

Looking at the girl, Gajeel sighed and grabbed the back of her shirt and quickly walked to the train, in a pace faster than her running. It would've looked like a strange kidnapping if she didn't speak up.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed at him, struggling, and failing, to break free from his grip.

"Shut up, we'll miss our train." He snarled back, stepping onto the train.

"Well I'm not the idiot who only gave someone twenty minutes to pack!"

"What the fuck was so hard to pack? Just pick some clothes."

"It's not as simple as that! What if they didn't coordinate with each other?"

"What? We'll be in the middle of nowhere! Who the fuck would be there with us, and who would actually care?"

"Hey, I care! It takes time to look this good!"

"Really? I couldn't tell."

"You complete hunk of metal!"

"What the fuck, was that meant to be an insult?"

"And you don't even have a comeback."

"Shut it, bitch."

"Oh, how original."

"At least you can tell it was an insult, compared to your shitty one!"

"Can you even say a sentence without swearing?"

"Have you ever done so? You sound like a bloody princess."

"Well I was!"

"Great way to sound modest."

"Hey, with a body like this, I don't need to be modest. You're not too bad yourself..."

"Did I just hear a compliment from the bimbo?"

"HOW THE FUCK AM I A BIMBO?"

"Oh my god, you swore! My little baby's growing up!"

"JUST SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Begrudgingly, Gajeel followed Lucy's orders, but on the inside he was smiling. Their argument had cleared the whole train section, and they sat alone in the middle on opposite benches, facing each other. Lucy was glaring a hole in the glass, while Gajeel smirked to himself. She had a little fight in her. He liked that. She was interesting, and unfazed by his appearance, never mind not being the least bit intimidated by him. She was pure, and Gajeel was dying to just... Taint her. And when they touched... It was electrifying on his skin.

The reason he wanted to do something, was because he could smell it. Her tears. It was hot and fresh on her cheeks, the salt sending a clear message. She wasn't completely happy doing this, so he needed to prove that he would be good company, and it appeared to have gone well. This actually felt like a trial, to see of she would accept him. The small actions she did, like with her hand touching his briefly, made him suspect that she knew that he was her mate. Then when she moved her leg to touch his, he knew that was the case. Communication without words.

Lucy glared at the glass to the platform, looking pissed on the outside, but getting excited on the inside. That touch, when he grabbed the neck of her shirt and dragged her, his fingers grazed her neck, and it made her feel not and bothered. She covered it up by hissing, but otherwise she would've moaned and then there would've been no way that he would've resisted the noise, not to mention how embarrassing it would be to moan out loud in the middle of a train station!

Yet, arguing with him was fun. She could never do that with her team. Natsu had a go-lucky personality that would be revolting if he wasn't so dense to everything, making him more unique and alright to be around. Gray spent all his time looking for his clothes or fighting Natsu, so she never really talked to him. And Erza... Well, she was Erza, the Titania, monster of Fairy Tail. Arguing with her would be asking for death. But Gajeel... She was his mate, so he wouldn't dare hurt her. Not only that, his nature was purely aggressive, making him perfect to argue with.

Relaxing a little, they shifted themselves as the train started moving. Lucy made it so her bare leg touched his bare leg, sending shivers down both their backs. For the whole train ride to Olive Town, they didn't speak once, but kept their legs in that same position...

Natsu entered the remains of Fairy Tail with Happy. As usual, it was rowdy with things flying everywhere, from drinks to people, with Mirajane trying, and failing, to clean up. Even though everyone was wounded, and they were in the basement with less room and more clutter, the famous Fairy Tail spirit never dampened.

Natsu weaved his way through the crowds and fights, for once not wanting to join the fighting, and sat at the new makeshift bar that was in front of the Master's makeshift office. It was just crates that got piled to a suitable hight, with a cloth over it, and barrels for stools. Looking around, he noticed that all the chairs and tables were like this, probably Mirajane's idea. Sitting down on a stool, he turned to Mirajane, who had gave up on keeping the place tidy and decided to just serve drinks.

"Hey, Mira, is Lucy, Gray or Erza in yet?" He asked her, as she made him some fire whiskey. He could smell that Lucy, Erza and Gray had been in recently, but he hated to jump to conclusions and find out that they've left.

"Erza's in Master's office, Lucy was in earlier but isn't here now, and Gray is running from the new girl." She replied, pointing to the nude running raven haired Mage who was being chased by a woman with blue hair and clothes that looked like it was the middle of winter. "She's Juvia Lockser, formerly one of Phantom Lord's Element Four."

Natsu grinned, liking the fact that the guild had obtained another strong Mage. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a loud crashing coming from behind the makeshift bar. Erza stormed out of the makeshift office, face twisted in an anger few had rarely seen. This made the whole guild freeze, even Mirajane who was one of the few who could normally face her.

"Erza, I've given you an order. You cannot follow them!" Master Makarov said, walking out the office behind her. She stopped and turned to him, eyes blazing with her wrath.

"I don't care." She growled, shocking everyone. She was someone who never disobeyed the Master, never mind get angry at him. She practically worshiped the ground he walked on. "I will not leave Lucy in his hands, even if her letter says she's fine!"

The mention of Lucy struck Natsu out of his trance, immediately becoming uneasy. Gray was able to walk to the bar next to Natsu, miraculously finding some pants on his person. "What about Lucy?" They asked together.

"Master apparently saw fit to send her away on a five year mission to become an S-Class Mage. He even got Lucy convinced it was a good idea." She spat, waving the letter Lucy left for them, which Erza found in said girl's home while looking around. Why it was in the fridge, however, she would never know.

"Why does Lucy get to become an S-Class Mage before me!?" Natsu roared. "Why not send me with her, rather than her being alone?"

"Oh, she's not alone. Here, read this." She thrusted the letter to Gray. "Read it to everyone so they can hear who our brilliant Master sent her with!" She said sarcastically. Gray noticed how harsh Erza was being and decided he did not want to be on the receiving end of that, so he read the letter out loud:

"Everyone,

Yeah, as you can probably tell, I'm not here anymore. Yeah, so sorry about that. I'm going away on a mission for five years to become S-Class. Master said this, so just ask him, okay? Don't worry, I'm not kidnapped or anything, I'm away to get stronger. I just won't be able to loose my family for a second time.

Cana, lay off the alcohol for a little bit... Actually, don't. Keep it up, and once I come back, we'll drink ourselves under the table."

"I'll drink to that!" Cana cheered.

"Elfman, you always drone on about being a man, but you never do so yourself. I've seen the way you look at her, even though I've been a member of Fairy Tail for what, a matter of months? Seriously though, be a man and act, or I swear to god you won't be one when I come back!"

Elfman was blushing ferociously at this, earning him hollers from the guild like "Who is she?" and "Is she hot?", which made him mutter something and look to the floor, embarrassed.

"Mirajane, mother if Fairy Tail. What can I say? Just keep up your sexiness, because when I return, I will beat you for the crown of the 'most beautiful of Fairy Tail'!

Levy, my dear, fellow bookworm, don't you worry! My book will be with me, and I promise that I will finish it by the time I'm back. And when that does happen, I do hope that you've chosen between your two loyal followers!"

Levy blushed at that comment, with tears trickling from her eyes. Mirajane was the same. Gray was about to move onto the next part until it made him blush a deep red colour before he stuttered something along the lines of "How did she know?", with Erza looking away, a hint of pink to her cheeks. Natsu, curious, snatched the paper away and read it before Gray had a change to react. He just stared at the words, than at the two Mages it was about before he burst out laughing.

"I can't believe this!" He laughed, making the guild look at him funny. "I mean, how did she notice but no one else did? Mira will kick herself!"

"Why is that?" She asked, now with dry eyes.

"Natsu. Don't." Erza hissed in a low voice that made even Makarov shiver. Natsu, however, wasn't afraid for once. He began to read out the part of the letter, while avoiding any attempt made by the Requip and Ice Mages to seize it from him.

"Gray and Erza, when will you tell everyone? I mean,I understand that they are incredibly dense, even though I noticed it the moment Erza returned for the first time. And Gray, I saw you buy it. I saw you buy the..." Natsu trailed off and looked at Gray with a shocked expression. "You didn't..."

"Natsu. Don't. You. Dare." Gray hissed in a voice that put even Erza's to shame. Erza looked at him confused, and Gray begged inwardly that he wouldn't be so stupid and ruin the surprise. However, this was Natsu... And he continued.

"I saw you buy the engagement ring for Erza." He read, earning a loud frustrated groan from Gray, a wondrous look from Erza and unbelieving looks from the rest of the guild. They had not expected Natsu to make a bad joke like that. Yet, before anyone could react and scold him for his bad timing, they were beaten to the punch.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Screamed Juvia, who came running to Gray. "Gray-sama, say it isn't true!" Gray blushed but remained silent, earning him shocked looks from everyone. That meant it was true. Juvia, however, quickly composed herself. "I can never beat Erza-san, so maybe I can become the mistress?"

Erza sent her a glare that could've moved mountains, making Juvia flinch and back away. Erza turned to Gray and whispered "Later." in his ear before turning to Natsu. "Continue." She smiled forcefully, grating her teeth. "Please." Natsu quickly did as instructed, the whole guild sensing that they shouldn't question her. Yet.

"Natsu... What can I say to you? You're my best friend, more than Levy is, sorry Levy. You introduced me to Fairy Tail. You saved me from Bora, and the tower in Phantom Lord's base. You're special to me, so please don't change.

And to the rest of Fairy Tail, thank you. You are my true family, and I love you all.

Lucy Heartfilia.

PS: I'm not alone. I waited until the end, and I so wanted to se your faces when you found out, but I can't. Oh well. So, my partner is Gajeel Redfox. Ciao!"

There! That was my interpretation of what would happen if a letter was read out. Fairy Tail, in my opinion, wouldn't sit idle and wait for the person to finish, they would piss about and laugh at the things said. So, sue me.

Please review for me, and vote on smutty or not! Thanks!

~Nom Nom :3