Chapter 26
Gajeel woke up at the crack of dawn as he normally did and just laid there, feeling Levy's weight against his side.
He had told her stories of his Father and the years he was with him until she had fallen asleep beside him.
It had taken those stories to distract her from working on learning Dragon Script immediately.
But strangely, he didn't mind telling her about his past.
He knew once they got back, he'd have to go back to being as ornery as ever and stay a bit away from her or the rest of the guild might spread rumor and the last thing he needed was a rumor about them.
He really didn't need Ivan getting an ear in that he had affections for someone.
At least, someone who needed protection. He didn't need to protect Laxus or Mira. They could handle themselves.
He lay in bed, feeling Levy breathing against his shoulder.
It was so peaceful that he regretted having to get up.
Gajeel sighed as he slowly edged from under her.
Levy made the most adorable sound of irritation.
"Gajeel, it's too early."
"You want to stay in bed all day?"
"Is it possible?" She asked as she opened her eyes to look at him.
He looked down before turning to his side and leaning to kiss her.
He wanted to make this trip mean something, more than just finding a Dragon and learning about what happened.
xXx
Levy closed her eyes as he kissed her.
She'd never stop feeling lucky to have such a strong man be so gentle with her.
It was far different than with Elfman or any of the others in the Guild like Laxus.
They'd always been nice to her, but Gajeel didn't touch her as if she'd break. He was firm with his holds, but she knew he'd be gentle.
She didn't want to be treated gently all the time.
She had agreed to this trip for more than just the literature.
Learning about Gajeel was more than just a bonus.
She wanted to be as Rai said, the one who loved the Metal Dragon Prince.
Something about him had pulled her towards him from the beginning.
Since the first time he had held his hand back from hitting her partners just because she held him.
He didn't have to hold back, she was far from strong enough to make him budge. But he had and that alone told her that she mattered.
For the first time, someone saw her as an obstacle.
He pulled away and she opened her eyes to look at him.
Gajeel didn't look remotely scary as he had before.
After this, she could never fear him.
"You think too much." He growled.
"I was thinking about you." She said.
He leaned down and nipped at her shoulder.
"I suppose that's forgivable." He kissed the spot he had bit.
"What are you doing?" She frowned as it made her feel something no one else ever had.
Lust.
She actually wanted him to do it again.
"Seducing you in the manner of a Dragon." He nipped at her other shoulder.
She looked down at him, seeing the mane of black hair before he looked up at her with a fanged grin.
Such a feral look, but he was still tender with her.
"Is it working."
"Just...why me? You could have someone like Cana or Mira easy enough." She felt his large hands beside her hips as he lowered himself down her body.
He scoffed. "Why bother. Challenges suit a Dragon. Besides, it's you I'm hard for."
She blushed.
"You're made of metal." She mumbled.
xXx
Gajeel gave a low laugh as he brushed his thumbs over her hips above her shorts.
She would think of a million reasons she wasn't good enough for him and never realize that it was he who wasn't good enough for her.
He kissed her stomach, but knew she didn't get the meaning of the gesture.
For a Dragon, it meant that they wanted a family with that person.
Metalicana had taught Gajeel a lot about Dragon mating when he was just a boy and his father had been drunk. It had been the anniversary of his mothers death and his father was still mourning.
Gajeel eased her shorts down so slowly as he knew she was feeling embarrassed by his actions.
She reached to thread her fingers in his hair. Likely to pull him back, but he wanted to show her pleasure with him.
Never pain.
He reached to touch her center with one hand as she tugged on his hair.
He grinned at the tiny pain as he moved back up and braced his arm above her head, effectively trapping her under him.
"Gajeel, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Then don't think." He rubbed as he leaned to nip at her neck and then lick the bite.
xXx
Levy gasped as he touched her in ways she didn't even touch herself.
Her eyes closed as he nipped the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder.
Gajeel didn't relent as he threaded his hand into her hair when she tipped her head back.
She moved her hands to his shoulders as she was brought to the edge faster than ever. She'd read about this kind of touch, but never dared to do it by herself.
He moved to kiss her.
"Let me keep you safe Levy. Trust me."
She met his eyes as he spoke.
She did trust him.
But she understood what he meant as she fell into her first real release.
She needed to trust him to keep her heart safe.
Because she sure as hell had given it to him somehow.
Her Metal Dragon did love her, at least as much as he knew how to right now.
She tried to breathe as his touch stilled.
He let her catch her breath as he kissed the side of her neck.
"You're so beautiful." He said.
"I'm average." She mumbled.
"Never a word in Fairy Tail. No one who is a member is 'average' and that includes you." He said.
She smiled as her fingers went back to his hair.
It was remarkably soft for how coarse it looked. Like cat fur.
He growled as she tugged on the strands.
Or a hedgehog, she stifled a laugh at the thought.
He was just looking at her, ready to ask, when there was a knock on the door.
xXx
Gajeel growled again, this time in frustration.
Levy sighed even as she blushed at the position they were in.
He could scent her lapdogs on the other side of the door.
He heard the knock again and only her hands on his skin made him not lash out at them for ruining his moment of peace with his Mate.
His inner Dragon loved the feel of her tiny hands on his hips as he moved to get up.
"Just a minute." Levy called out.
She kept one hand on him as she got up and fixed her clothes.
She had that fresh from bed look that he wished he could see on her just in one of his shirts. One of the ones he kept for good occasions. Like harassing the guild with poor singing even when he could sing fine. It was amusing and so he did it. He still had to dress for his good times.
She moved to the door and he resisted the urge to hover over her as she opened it.
"You ready to go back and finish the mission?" Jet asked.
"Huh? It's only six in the morning." Levy said frowning.
"You said early yesterday." Droy said.
She had...Gajeel forgot about that.
No matter what time they came back they were to go to the old man's house to report and make sure he had everything he needed to translate.
"I totally forgot. Give us a few minutes. Go on and get some breakfast. We'll meet in the dining room." Levy said.
Levy turned around to close the door and above her head, behind her back as it were with how she was turned, Gajeel saw the smirk on Jet's face.
He knew he was preventing Gajeel from enjoying Levy. And he was glad of it.
Gajeel showed fangs as he grinned back.
Levy was sleeping in his bed though, so he still had the win in the end.
The door closed before Gajeel could see the reaction.
It didn't matter as Levy turned for the bathroom.
"I'm taking a shower, then you can use it if you want." She said.
"No sharing?" He grinned at her.
She blushed as she shook her head.
Gajeel watched her collect her bag and hurry into the bathroom.
What she didn't know was that there was a gap he could easily see through that faced the small standing shower. And the shower had no curtain.
xXx
Jet scowled as they walked down to the dining room.
He knew leaving Levy in a room with Gajeel was a bad thing. But she was so adamant that Gajeel wouldn't do anything to hurt her that he couldn't bear to say that wasn't what they were worried about.
From the look on the Metal Dragon Slayer's face, something had happened.
He was gloating in a way Jet hated.
He was arrogant and acted like a prick whenever he could, but Jet couldn't deny the satisfied look Gajeel had worn last night carrying Levy back to the inn.
Most would have expected the Slayer to force her to walk even though she was clearly tired.
Neither of them could deny that when Gajeel thought no one was looking, he wore some pretty easy expressions towards Levy and Juvia and Mira and Cana.
One could almost think he had a soft spot for women, but he was just as distant and cold to Lucy and Bisca as he was to everyone else.
Jet looked at Droy as they started to get food from the cook.
xXx
Droy knew what he was thinking about, but he couldn't find it in him to truly hate Gajeel.
If it made Levy have that happy expression she only wore around Gajeel, he'd accept it.
Droy didn't have to like or trust the man...just that he had a soft spot for Levy that went far deeper than for Juvia.
He ordered food for himself and Levy and the largest, meatiest meal for the Slayer.
Jet scowled at him.
"Levy would be pissed at us if we got her something but didn't even try for him. And while you might hate him, she still means enough to me that I want her to be happy. Even if that is with him." Droy said.
Jet sighed and Droy knew that his partner was accepting that they needed to at least accept the Metal Dragon Slayer as being in Levy's life.
They went to sit down as they waited for the food.
Droy kept his eye on the door and started to get up as they saw Levy and Gajeel come in the room.
Once again, she was wearing his jacket, looking all the more like the rebel Gajeel was turning her into.
The cook called for them to come to the counter and Gajeel did something unexpected as he collected the plates and balanced them like a professional. Droy started to take his plate as Levy sat in the open booth he'd been sitting in.
A clear sign that she was still friends.
Gajeel set her plate in front of her and Jet took his.
Droy sat beside Levy and she reached out with her hand.
Droy stared as she drew up a word without using a pen.
"What the..." Jet watched as the word of gold shimmered before forming into a disk.
"The Dragon we found taught me how to do a couple metals in exchange for returning his book so he could go back to hiding away and training." Levy smiled as Gajeel took the disk before it could hit the table.
Droy watched the Slayer test the strength and taste of it.
"Just like Metalicana used to do." He approved with a nod before digging into his food.
xXx
Levy smiled as she ate with her friends. It was good to see them not fighting with Gajeel.
Droy had even been good enough to get them both food.
She could only hope that they would eventually come to like him as a friend and member of their guild.
She didn't bother thinking that Gajeel would ever join their team.
It wasn't his style.
Droy talked with her about the mission they were going to finish up as they cleaned up their breakfast.
Gajeel stayed behind them as Levy led the way to the house.
Jet was still more quiet than usual.
She worried about him, because she had a feeling that he was still in love with her.
It wasn't as if she didn't love them both, just not in the way they had wanted.
Droy either hid it better or got over it faster.
When they got to the house, they immediately set to work and were finished in less than two hours thanks to Gajeel.
Levy urged Gajeel and Droy to go back ahead of her.
Jet started to go on but she caught his hand.
"Jet, talk to me."
"I do, all the time." He shrugged.
It wasn't like him.
She sighed.
"You hate him and you hate that I like him." She spoke clearly.
He winced.
"That obvious?"
"When you act like this, yes. Why though? Gajeel would never hurt me."
"Not physically, I know." Jet sighed. "But I'm afraid his lies and his disdain for the guild will hurt you eventually."
"Gajeel keeps no secrets from me save for one and I'm fine with that." She said. "And he doesn't dislike the guild. He just dislikes not having family. It's the same as with Laxus, he wants to be treated normal."
"Then he should never have got piercings and learned Slayer magic." Jet snapped.
She pulled him to a stop.
"Gajeel was born a bastard orphan and his affinity for metal caused people to fear him. He did the only thing he could when he found Metalicana as a child. His father was the only one who took him in and loved him despite being different." Levy snapped back. She didn't want to reveal any of the secrets she was supposed to keep, but Jet had to stop seeing Gajeel as a monster.
"He-" Jet started.
"He found a being who loved him and then had his heart torn out when that being left. All he ever did after that was attempt to patch it up. You have no right to deny him the chance to have a guild who can make him feel like he has family again. Natsu and Laxus are the closest to brothers he'll ever have and if you'd stop being such a jerk, you might find he's willing to add normal humans to his list of family. Though I wouldn't blame him for not wanting a brother like you. You can be such an immature jackass when you don't like someone. The least you could do is pretend you care. Then you might actually start to see him as one of us and a man I love." She covered her mouth as it slipped out.
Jet just waited for her to be finished ranting before laughing at her slip.
"I guess he was right. We never did stand much chance with you." Jet pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry I've been rude. I suppose I just hoped that I still had a chance."
She stepped back.
"You won't tell him I said it to you first right?"
"And remove the joy at knowing something about you he doesn't? Never. I'm gloating over it as long as possible." Jet said. "We good again?"
She nodded.
He turned around and knelt on the ground.
"Then we'd better catch up."
She threw her arms around his neck as he carried her on his back and raced to catch back up with the other two.
xXx
Gajeel felt a little nervous being alone with Droy.
He wouldn't hurt the man, but he knew that he wasn't liked by either of her pets.
"You don't have to worry about me Redfox. I get that you're really into Levy. I just want her to be happy and even though I know it's ineffective, I will try to hurt you if you make her unhappy."
"What do you mean 'into Levy' and I would hate to make her unhappy." Gajeel frowned.
"Believe me, I'm not blind, just a bit slower on the jealousy reaction compared to Jet. I can see that you want her. You're a grown man and she's beautiful, inside and out." Droy said.
Gajeel glanced at him.
"I just..."
"You're not the kind to screw with her heart and leave her, I can tell that much. No man does the kind of things you have for her and leaves right after getting laid. You're in it for life." Droy said.
"So not a talk I want with you." Gajeel grumbled.
"I know." Droy grinned. "But we're the closest she has to brothers and would you rather have Jet?"
Gajeel shuddered. "I don't love her enough to deal with that prick yet." He made a sound of disgust. "Fuck, forget I ever said that."
Droy shoved at his shoulder in a friendly way.
"I'm not one for gossip. Besides, holding your slip over your head is so much funner." Droy laughed.
Gajeel scowled at him until he heard Jet running up behind them.
He stopped to face them and saw a cheerful Levy being set on the ground.
He scowled at her having that other man's scent on her and his jacket instead of being aggravated with Droy.
"No hard feelings?" Jet asked as he held out his hand.
Gajeel took it for a fraction of a second. "Don't ever put your scent on my jacket again and I'll consider it water under the bridge."
"Fair enough." Jet nodded.
"Lets head back home." Levy said as she looped her arm through Gajeel's left while his hand was stuffed in his pocket.
"We've got several days to report back in, so prepare to have the training from hell." Gajeel said.
Levy sighed. "I thought we were forgetting that..."
"Not a chance. Any excuse I can get to harass people for benefit is good to me." Gajeel said as the other two men sighed.
He was the only semi happy one on the walk back to the inn.