Well, this one went a bit long. lol Don't ask why. I have no idea other than that I adore this man. *shrugs* I'm wholly unrepentant about the extra love for my main squeeze, but I hope you love it! Also, I apologize for it taking me forever to update. School's been insane lately. But rest assured that I intend to update all of my stories soon. Just be patient with me while I get everything sorted out.

Also, Hiro Mashima said I couldn't have Fairy Tail because according to him, I'd make it all about sex.

Like I'd do that...


THE TWELVE MONTHS OF FAIRY TAIL

CHAPTER 4

Lucy strolled from her temporary studio with a grin, her hand lifted in a wave to Gray as she called out to the next guy on her list.

"Gajeel, you ready?"

A grunt sounded from the other side of the room as the dark-haired man rose to his feet and walked silently toward her. She hadn't been sure what kind of reaction to expect from Gajeel about his being roped into this. He certainly wasn't the type to enjoy this sort of thing. Then again, Mira wasn't the easiest person to refuse, so she resigned herself to have another slightly uncooperative customer.

Though if she was honest, Laxus hadn't stayed uncooperative the whole time. No, he'd seemed to find a great deal of pleasure in using the entire experience to taunt her with his rather enticing...assets. She wondered if Gajeel would be the same way.

She blushed, imagining this normally stern man turning playful and seductive like Laxus and even Gray had. Immediately, she spun around, determined to cleanse such a wild idea from her mind before he could catch sight of her pink cheeks. She was being ridiculous anyway. Gajeel wasn't like that with her. And she of course wasn't like that with him.

They were friends...of a sort. They weren't what most people would call exceptionally close. Then Gajeel wasn't exactly the kind of guy to get close to many people. Still, they were friends. They talked.

All at once, she found herself pausing, her head tipping to the side. Now that she was thinking of it, she couldn't remember the last time they'd even done that. How long had it been since they'd even greeted each other in passing? It was normal for them as mages to stay busy, but for her to not even recall the last conversation they'd had, it was telling.

Lips pursing, she turned to address him, not even thinking to warn the man following so closely that she was stopping.

Her abrupt halt left him no time to put on the brakes, and with a curse, he plowed right into her, his shoulder coming into startling contact with her head. The collision sent her head reeling for a moment and would have knocked her on her ass if it weren't for Gajeel's quick reaction. Almost instantly, his hands closed around her upper arms, keeping her steady until she could get her bearings again.

"What the hell was that, Bunny Girl?" he grumbled, his face folding into a disapproving expression. "You trying to knock yourself out?"

Lucy rubbed at her forehead, then glanced up with a pout. "You could at least ask if I'm okay."

He considered her for a split second, then huffed, "If you've got the energy to bitch, you're fine."

Ignoring his cold response, the blonde folded her arms across her chest and waited, tapping her foot expectantly. She knew he would cave eventually. He always did. He played a good game, pretending to be nothing but a moody bastard, but Lucy had seen enough to know he was anything but. Underneath that hard exterior lived a man with a quick fire wit and a heart of gold. It was a dingy thing, sometimes requiring a little dusting off, but it was there just the same.

As she'd known he would, several long seconds later, Gajeel rolled his eyes and relented. "Fine...are you alright?"

A bright smile split her face at his inquiry. Regardless of how begrudging it sounded, she didn't take offense. She'd learned to not only expect his gruffness, but to find a great deal of amusement in it. Because he tried so hard to pretend he didn't care about anyone, and she knew better. He was just stubborn. He refused to show that he cared, so she'd made a game out of forcing him to do so.

And so far, he let her. She didn't fool herself into thinking that he'd let it continue forever, so she made it a point to enjoy it as much as possible while she still could.

"Well, you were supposed to ask if I was okay, but I suppose that'll work!" She giggled when he huffed at her inanity, then added, rather unnecessarily. "And yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"I didn't exactly ask," he reminded her, one pierced brow arching in playful derision. "You made me ask, so it doesn't count."

It was nothing short of what Lucy had anticipated him saying, and it had Lucy lightly shaking her head. "Of course it counts," she assured, tapping a knowing finger to his chest. "You said it, and besides, you and I both know I couldn't make you do anything you didn't want to do."

His prickly exterior shifted at her declaration, his thin lips lifting ever so slightly at the corners. He said nothing in defense of his position, didn't try to argue the point, and Lucy couldn't help but feel a bit smug at her clear win. Giving a cheerful clap of her hands, she spun and chirped, "Alright, now let's get you out of that shirt!"

She came to a stumbling halt as she realized what she'd just said to him. It had to be the most casual she'd ever spoken to him, and it had her blanching. This wasn't Gray or even Natsu. They were accustomed to her chattering on without a thought to what came out. They knew her well enough to know it often meant nothing, but this was Gajeel. And he didn't know her that well. What if he thought she was implying something else?

A snort of amusement sounded from behind her, and Lucy fought against the wave of humiliation that longed to make itself known across her already warm cheeks. She could positively feel her temperature rising.

Could she not get through one of these sessions without embarrassing herself? These were men she knew, admittedly some of them not as well as others, but they were familiar. She shouldn't be having so much trouble speaking to them.

More importantly, she shouldn't have been ogling them the way she'd been all morning. Even her best friend hadn't been immune to her mind's sudden preoccupation with the gutter. It was like her previously dormant libido had suddenly decided to come out of its shell and make up for lost time.

Shaking her head, she vowed this time would be different. She wouldn't lose control of her body. Her mind might take the path down to Pervy Town, but she would restrain herself. She didn't kid herself that it would be easy. These were strange, new feelings that had been awakening inside of her, ones she would have preferred to experience for the first time in the privacy of her own home where she could, if need be, satisfy her urges. But things hadn't turned out that way, and now that she found herself in such a position, somehow she would have to find a way to be professional.

And that's exactly what she'd do...even if she had to cross her legs so tight it cut off the circulation to her nether regions.

Slightly mollified and more than a little embarrassed by her pep talk, she forced herself to face her subject. Instantly, a frown sprang to her face when she found him much like he'd been before, standing just inside the door and lounging against the frame as if he hadn't a care in the world.

He looked incredibly comfortable...and unbelievably sexy if she was being completely honest. He could have been a model, one who in her mind would be wearing next to nothing, and it sent a jolt to her already frail control. Her fingers itched for a camera...and a pair of scissors. He really needed to be out of those clothes. It was a crime to hide all those muscles he surely possessed.

Rolling her eyes at the path her thoughts had taken, Lucy resolved to focus on the task at hand. They had a limited amount of time to get this done, and she had two more men to photograph today. And that meant Gajeel needed to get out of that shirt so they could get started. "Gajeel, what are you doing? You're supposed to be getting undressed."

Somehow between the time the innocent sounding words left her brain and the time it took for them to exit her mouth, something had changed. In her head, it had come out completely different, a simple question with a simple statement of fact. Now though, it sounded as if she was trying to get him naked!

Okay granted, the eventual intention was to get him down to his skivvies, but that was it. She wasn't trying to fully strip the man down.

These men were getting to her. Every single one seemed to be working against her, using their bodies to demolish the scant few brain cells she had left. She'd most likely be a bumbling idiot by the time the day was done.

And maybe that was their plan! Maybe they had this whole thing worked out as a punishment for her part in making them participate in this crazy endeavor. She really should give Mira hell for it. She was the one that deserved it. She'd forced them all in to this particular servitude.

Gajeel, for his part, did exactly what she had come to expect. He laughed. Because what could be more amusing than a woman tripping all over herself to talk to a hot guy?

His head tipped in a way she'd never seen before, and when he spoke, it was with a tone as smooth as silk. "I was waiting."

She paused, her confounded mind trying to figure out what he was up to. It was obvious something had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what. So, she waited, but when it was clear he wasn't going to elaborate, she prodded, "For?"

Apparently waiting for just that question, he grinned, pulling himself upright and taking a swaggering step in her direction. "I was waiting for you to help me."

"W-What?" Lucy gulped at his words, her heart plummeting straight down to her stomach, but really, she should have seen it coming. That grin had been nothing short of devious, but having never seen Gajeel behave in such a way, she'd been at a disadvantage. And that had never been as clear as it was now.

She felt completely out of balance. This was Gajeel Redfox, sourpuss extraordinaire, and yet somehow, right before her very eyes, he'd transformed into a world class flirt. Had he always had this side to him?

Her mouth suddenly dry, she stuttered, "W-Why would I help you with that?"

"Well, you did say 'Let's get you out of that shirt'," he said, his tone more playful than she'd ever heard. "I just figured that meant you were gonna help me out of it."

Abruptly, Lucy shook her head - quickly, violently. There wasn't a chance in hell she was touching that. Not that she would mind touching him. It was just that...

Holy shit, what was she thinking? This was getting crazy. She was getting crazy. "Um...no. No, I think you should just...do it."

"You sure? Wouldn't want you telling the Demon I was being difficult." He waited for her to wave him on, then reached for the hem of his faded black t-shirt, tossing her another grin before pulling it up and over his head.

Lucy tried not to watch. Hell, she tried damn hard not to even look in his direction once she saw him stripping the worn fabric off, but she was beginning to think it was hopeless. The guys before had started something, and apparently, her brain was bound and damn determined to stay parked right there on Perv Street. As it was, she struggling not to outright stare as a delightful set of abs came into view followed by a fine set of pecs.

She'd known Gajeel was built. Hell, most of the men in Fairy Tail were. She had eyes, 20/20 vision in fact. So yes, she'd most definitely noticed, but it was one thing to absently notice a man's attractiveness and actively trying to sneak a great deal more than a peek the moment he lost his shirt.

She was losing it. That was all there was to it. Otherwise, she wouldn't be feeling so...shaken by all these men she'd had no problem being around before. She blamed Laxus. Honestly, it all started with him. That man had gone and screwed everything up for her today.

But that wasn't right either. It started before him...with Natsu. And her partner hadn't done a damn thing out of the ordinary. He'd simply been himself. It was she that had changed. She'd been the one to see something she hadn't seen before.

Damn, and she really wanted it to be Laxus' fault. Stupid sexy ass man. Stupid sexy ass men, the lot of them. They were ruining her.

A chuckle drew her from her thoughts, and she blinked slowly, trying to comprehend why he was laughing at her again. Then she realized she hadn't stopped ogling him.

Instantly, heat bloomed in her cheeks, and she stammered as she flung herself around in a bid to hide her mortification. She needed to get it together. She was only just halfway through with this project, and she needed her wits about her if she was going to get through it with even a semblance of her pride left.

Swallowing down the urge to groan, she made her way over to her camera and studiously checked over her equipment. Anything to avoid looking in his direction again really. But she couldn't do that forever. At some point, she had to get this over with.

A deep breath in, and she was ready or at least marginally so. Either way, she was going in. She only wished she hadn't already revealed her naughty hand. Seeing his smile, she adopted a professional aire. "Okay, let's get started. Over here, please."

She pointed, directing him to a corner she'd already prepared for his first shot. A deep red sheet hung in the background, its layers draping in a way that simulated the wavy spears of a lazy fire. The back drop was important for Gajeel's photo, especially considering the general darkness of his clothing and his inky black hair. The red would bring out his eyes, and also accentuate his skin color.

He scanned the setup, then turned to her with an approving nod. "Now what?"

"Now," she said, moving toward him, her mind already positioning him the way she wanted. "I want you to make a sword, but not the really large one. You'll need something narrower this time, one you can hold in your hand."

His brow wrinkled as he thought over what she'd said, and then he activated his magic, uttering a quick, "Iron Dragon's Sword."

An instant later, he looked up, hefting a light rapier into her line of sight. "Like this?"

His lip curled at the smaller sword, and Lucy could just imagine him calling it all sorts of sissy names in his head. She smiled when he turned to her and frowned. "Are you seriously taking a picture of me with this girly shit?"

A laugh bubbled up at his predictable reaction. "Yes, I am. Trust me, you're going to want it thin. Well, unless you've got some hidden talents I know nothing about." She had no idea where the veiled tease had come from, but she knew the moment she told him what she expected him to do, he'd figure out just what she was suggesting. How he'd react to that, however, was anyone's guess.

Yes, she probably should have left that alone.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? What the hell are you making me do?"

Another giggle made itself known, and she had to cough to prevent even more from slipping out. "We already established that I can't make you do anything, so what I want you to do is swallow it."

A single pierced eyebrow lifted at her explanation. "You want me to swallow it."

Lucy nodded, biting her lip at the hilarity of his expression. "Yes, can you do it?"

Gajeel stood there for a time, his face shifting ever few seconds. It was as if he was debating the wisdom of doing what she'd asked. It was obvious he'd figured out what she'd been teasing him about before, and she felt fairy certain he was now considering what an ability like that could be construed as to some of the other guys. Lucy could almost see the thoughts skittering across his face, the back and forth of his decision.

Finally, his face hardened, and he pointed a fine-tipped sword in her direction. "You better make this look good, cause if I come out looking like I'm...like I'm...skilled at that, I'm gonna whip your ass."

Lucy pressed her lips together, knowing just what he meant. Nodding emphatically, she moved toward him, holding her hands out in placation. "I promise, you'll look amazing. Just do what I tell you to do."

His lips twitched, and then he smirked. "You did all this just so you could boss us around, didn't you?"

The blonde grinned widely and pointed at the corner. "Of course! Now, get your butt over there and eat some sword!"

The smirk fell away at that, and he shot her a stern look. "Watch it, Bunny Girl."

"Oh I'm going to watch it," Lucy laughed, tossing him an unapologetic grin as she turned to collect her camera.

"That's not fucking funny..."

Lucy wholeheartedly disagreed, but she could tell she was toeing the line here, so she left it alone and shifted into photographer mode. "Okay, let's do this."

Taking his cues from her, Gajeel turned and lifted the sword above his head, then paused just an inch or so from his mouth to look over at her. "You better not tell anyone this was easy for me."

Cracking up at his concern, Lucy nodded, forcing her face into an expression of grave importance. "I swear I'll tell them all it was so hard I almost had to make you quit."

Snorting, Gajeel dropped his arm. "You tell them that, and they won't be thinking about swallowing swords."

The blonde went pink in the face, but laughed nonetheless. "Good point." She waited for him to raise the sword a second time before she added, "I'll tell them you kept choking."

A bark of laughter burst from his mouth, and he fought to level a glare in her direction. "Stop that shit."

"Okay, okay..." She held her hands out to show she was done, then motioned for him to continue. "We've got to get busy. We're behind schedule."

"You know, you're making it worse."

Shaking her head, Lucy smiled. "That one was an accident."

His gaze suspicious, he lifted the sword. "Sure it was."

A smile hovering on her lips, she lifted her camera. "Whenever you're ready."

She watched as he took a deep breath, relaxing his throat, and then slowly, steady, the sword disappeared into his mouth. It was incredible to say the least, so much so that she nearly forgot to snap the picture. There was just something astounding about the level of skill he was displaying. Had he done this before?

Before she could become distracted again, she snapped off several picture, each showing a progression deeper into his throat. She wondered just how far he could push it in. Could he go all the way?

"Amazing..."

She couldn't help expressing her surprise at such an impressive ability. And beneath her admiration was another layer or interest, one that had very little to do with swords and cool circus-like talents. No, he was inspiring far more carnal thoughts in her head, ones she was ashamed to admit were getting progressively dirtier. She honestly couldn't help herself. She wasn't even sure what it was about the whole thing that appealed to her. Maybe it was his exposed elongated neck. Maybe it was the control he had to exert to keep himself from getting hurt.

She had no idea. All she knew is that this picture was going to be hot as hell.

Of course, this one was going to have nothing on the next one. She couldn't quite believe she'd even come up with such a racy idea for his sexy shot. And sexy it would be, probably beyond anything she'd done thus far today. It was going to take every woman's head straight to the gutter where she apparently now ruled supreme.

"How was it?" Gajeel asked, taking a moment to swipe beneath his lower lip. "Did it turn out okay?"

Blinking away her concerns about his second photo, she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "That was...so unbelievable," she said, flushing a bit when her voice came out a bit on the breathy side. "It's going to look so great!"

Gajeel appraised her for a moment, an amused grin on his face. "Good, now what's next...other than you getting me naked?"

Lucy gawked at him, words refusing to come to address such a statement. She didn't know what had come over him, but she was torn between loving it and absolutely despising his ability to shock her. "You...I'm not..." She quit, knowing no response would effectively answer him. "Over here."

The Iron Slayer chuckled at her obvious discomfort, but followed her nonetheless. He said nothing...all the way until she pointed at the narrow metal table set up in yet another section of the room. "And what the hell do you want me to do with that? You want me to eat that too?"

"No," she laughed, then got serious once more. "I want you to get on it."

His eyes widened as he glanced back toward the smooth, clean surface. "And do what?"

"Just...lie there."

He studied her again, his brow wrinkling. "And that's sexy?"

Lucy snorted. "Not exactly, but what I'm going to do with you will be." It took only an abrupt laugh from her male counterpart to realize what she'd just said. "You know what I mean!"

"Oh I do...I really do."

"Gajeel, stop it! I didn't mean it like that, and you know it." Her face probably looked like a cherry right now. How in the world she kept saying stuff that sounded so sexual was beyond her. She didn't normally have that issue. She was usually so precise with her words. Well, at least until she got flustered. Then it was every thought for itself, and there was no telling what would spit out next.

Okay, so maybe she always had that issue.

Tossing her a wink, Gajeel reached for his pants. "You ready for this?" he teased. "Wouldn't want you to overheat or something."

She could slap him. She really could...maybe right on the tight ass she was catching sight of as his pants hit the floor. Ugh! Why couldn't she stop? This was beyond embarrassing! And it was made even more so when he looked up and caught her staring again. Damn man and his smirk.

"How's that temperature?"

"Oh shut up..." she mumbled, waving him toward the table.

A soft rumble sounded as he passed her, a buried laugh Lucy was sure, and then he hefted himself up on the shiny tabletop. Immediately, he laid back, raising a knee to get comfortable before glancing in her direction. "Okay, do what you want with me."

A light smile played at his lips, and Lucy felt heat burrow deep in her belly. He was enjoying this far too much. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't as well. She was about to put her hands on him, like she'd done with all the guys so far, and while it was thrilling, it was also immensely nerve-wracking.

She moved closer, setting her camera down on the chair to the side before approaching the table. Scanning his position, she waved her hand. "Move up a little, until just the top of your head touches the end of the table." She waited for him to comply, then nodded, taking a deep breath as she took the final step toward him. "Now, I want you to put your hands in your hair."

Gajeel shot her a look of confusion, but shoved his hands roughly into his black locks. "Like this?"

Lucy shook her head, moving her hands over his to thread his fingers gently through the inky strands close to his head. "Alright, now tighten your fists a bit. Lightly. Don't pull on them. It's just supposed to simulate the action."

The Dragon Slayer looked up, his face tinged with uncertainty. "Why am I doing it though?"

"Because it's hot." Lucy's eyes went wide at the words she'd allowed to come tripping out of her mouth. "I...I mean it's hot to see a-a guy doing it." She wanted to facepalm, and she probably would have if Gajeel hadn't been staring up at her with that shit-eating grin. "Don't say it."

"You think I'm hot like this?" he asked, thrusting his hands in even deeper and adopting a heated expression. "How about now?"

Lucy felt the air in her lungs seize. What the hell was he doing? Why was he acting this way? And why the hell was she reacting to it the way she was?

Figuring it was safer to ignore the question than try to answer it, Lucy avoided his eyes and continued where she'd left off. "Now arch your back. Not a lot, but enough to bring it off the table. You want it to look like-"

"Like I'm getting fucked and liking it a whole lot," he finished, his smirk growing wider.

The blonde opened and closed her mouth several times before she managed to squeak out a small, "Yeah."

Gajeel eyed her knowingly, then tipped his head in the direction of her camera. "I'm ready when you are, Bunny. Just try not to drool too much; wouldn't want your camera to get wet."

Lucy forced a roll of her eyes and backed away. She couldn't quite manage a carefree attitude because even without Gajeel completing the positioning she'd designed for this shot, he looked sexy as hell. Already the space between her thighs was tingling, and he hadn't really even done anything.

Then again, maybe she was just turning into a major pervert.

Swallowing to prevent just what he'd teased her about, she snatched up her camera and put it to her face. She just needed one good shot, and then she could send him on his way. Because honestly, she was needing a bathroom break pretty desperately just now...and it had nothing to do with her bladder.

"You ready for me?"

His words shot liquid heat through her veins, and it took all she had not to respond with a blathering affirmative. "Show me what you've got," she said, saying the words softly as if the sheer lack of volume could save her from him taking it the wrong way.

"You got it," he uttered in that deep sensual voice he'd adopted some time ago, and then his expression went dark.

Before she could even prepare herself, which might not have even been possible, Gajeel angled his upper body off the table, tilting his head back as his fingers splayed erotically through his hair. Lucy's heart tripped wildly in her chest as those silky strands fell over the side of the table, making the already steamy picture that much sexier. She'd never seen him like that, his eyes clenched tight, the lines and angles of his face all melding to form a look of absolute pleasure. It was, she imagined, just what he'd look like if he was moments away from reaching his climax.

Suddenly, she wasn't sure she could breathe. The air felt too thin, too warm, and she was certain her face was showing the change in temperature.

Raising shaky fingers to her camera, she made the adjustments required, then began shooting. She could only go about her work and hope the normalcy of what she was doing settled the nerves churning in her gut. Snap after snap filled the room, and still, she continued until her camera clicked with the end of the roll of film.

She drew back, sucking in a mouthful of air when her lungs screamed. She'd gotten it. It had just about killed her, but she'd gotten it.

"So, what's the verdict?"

She wanted to ignore his question, especially with the mirth spilling so obviously into his voice, but she was a professional. Well, she was trying to be, dammit! And she would finish this photo shoot before she fell apart from intense sexual stimulation.

"It'll be good."

A smirk donned his face. "Good, huh? You sure that's all it'll be?"

Lucy refused to tell him what he already knew. He was a Dragon Slayer, so there was no hiding what she thought of his picture. There was no reason for him to ask the question when he already knew she was lit up like a Christmas tree.

"It was...excellent work," she muttered, spinning around to head to her desk to get the film ready for the next person. It was simply an excuse to put some distance between them and neither of them were falling for it. Still she was thankful he let it slide, even if it was only for now. She had no doubt he'd be bringing this up again some time in the future. The man would never be able to ignore the temptation of teasing her about her reaction to him.

"Okay Bunny Girl." He laughed, and she could hear him slipping from the table quietly and making his way over to where he'd left his clothes. "You wanna help me back into my pants?"

Her face went bright red, her fingers flexing with the urge to do just that...or was it the urge to help him out of what he still had on? "Nope...I'm good."

"Yes, you are," he called back, his voice alight with amusement as he zipped up his jeans.

She could hear him back there, could just imagine him reaching for his shirt and sliding the soft cloth down over his impressive muscles. It seemed such a shame to hide such bounty, and now that she'd gotten an up close and personal view of that wide expanse of perfection, she couldn't deny a sense of sadness that his abs would now be shielded from view again.

Shaking her head, she tried to focus back on the conversation and found herself perplexed by what he'd said. What the hell did that even mean? It was beginning to seem a foregone conclusion for these guys to leave her in a state of perpetual confusion.

In spite of her bewilderment over the meaning of his response, she kept her back turned. She couldn't afford to see him again just yet, not with her body going haywire like this. So it was only by sound that she realized he'd come up behind her.

"How about we do this again some time?"

Her eyes went wide, her mind scrambling for sort of witty rejoinder, but try as might she could find nothing but white noise as he leaned in right up next to her ear and hummed, "See you around, little Bunny."


A/N: Sooooo...was this worth the wait? lol I certainly hope so, because there's more to come. Next up is...oh wait, I wasn't planning on telling you. Maybe you should guess!

LOVES!


Edit: A reviewer asked if they could commission someone to draw out this calendar. Unfortunately, it was a guest review, so I have no way to responding, but my answer would have been a hearty yes! I've been saying to Nicole4211 and Little Princess Nana that I'd love to find someone to draw it out myself, but I don't have any idea who to ask. So if you know a talented someone that might be interested, please put them in contact with me. I'd love to see these in 'color'.