A/N Little longer chapter but I didn't have the heart to cut it and leave you all hanging badly, I hope you all enjoy!...DESNA
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A lot happened in such a short span of time. Zen was grinning, doing pretty well keeping up with his younger brothers. Cristoff, Vander and Bickslow were all better dancers than one would expect, especially Cristoff, whose size hid just how agile and graceful he could be. The four brothers were laughing and dancing, Vander was practicing with some of his friends, singing and it had just happened, first Vander and Cristoff started dancing side by side while playing their guitars, then Bickslow had jumped on the stage to join them and somehow, likely Xallys doing since she was with Cana laughing and dancing right in front of the stage, Zen had been suddenly on stage being pulled into dancing with his brothers.
Kaleb and Lucy had returned after a week alone off somewhere together and announced their engagement and White Sea had been in a consistent state of celebration ever since. The card mage was spending much more time in the gardens at the guild and had struck up a friendship with Rowan. The Guilds senior green mage had impressed her with his home made apricot brandy and she'd started joining the nightly card game with him and several of the other White Sea men and had seemed to find her balance again.
She and Cristoff were still friends...even friends with benefits sometimes, but that had tapered off as well, Cana spending more and more time in the gardens with Rowan, following the tall Caelish man about as he worked, helping where she could and even learning some about raising fruits and vegetables.
It was odd, Lucy watched it happen, Cana just...getting healthier with time spent working in the dirt and plants out in the sun with Rowan, drinking less, laughing more, it wasn't even surprising when Lucy came down the stairs and saw Cana dancing, her hands in Rowans back pockets groping the man getting him to dance with her. The whole thing made the Celestial Mage feel worlds better about her friend.
Lucy had asked Vander and Presca to look into Gajeels whereabouts, too, and the two men had reached out to contacts in the Magic Council of Fiore and found Gajeel was working with the Rune Knights still but, Doranbolt, when he saw Kaleb sitting beside Lucy, had admitted the Iron Dragon Slayer had been struggling since Levy had left.
Not a day after that call, Lily had called and asked Lucy for help with Gajeel. "He...he thought Levy was his mate, she wasn't, he knows that now, but he thought she was so when she rejected him...when he asked about them possibly dating, it hit him pretty hard." Lily told her.
"Lucy...he misses the guild, he misses having...a family...are you doing ok? He's been worried about you…" Lily said and Lucy smiled at the exceed.
"I'm better than I've been in a long time Lilly...if I get you tickets on a Boscan airship can you get Gajeel to Crocus and onto it?" She asked and Lily smirked
"If I have to drug him and carry him myself." He replied and Lucy grinned.
"Bring him here Lily...White Sea will give him a home...and family...I'll make sure of it." She said firmly and Lily smiled warmly at her.
"Just tell me when…"
That had been a week ago, and Lucy looked toward the stage across from the bar and smiled at the scene there, she wouldn't interrupt them, Kaleb was with her, along with Cobra and Laxus, they would greet her friend at the White Sea city skyport soon.
"Ready?" Kaleb was at her side, searching her eyes, she'd been very worried Lily wouldn't be able to make it all happen, and it had taken help from Arman to get Gajeel released from his contract with the Rune Knights, but it had been done, and now, now she would be greeting him and introducing one of her friends from Fairy Tail...one of her kin...to White Sea...and..to Kaleb. She hoped they liked each other.
With you as our common ground Sunrise, I don't see how we wouldn't. Come on, lets get to the dock. Kalebs silky baritone in her head made her smile and she accepted his hand, Laxus and the others falling in behind them.
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Gajeel stared out over the expanse of the Grass Sea as the airship descended toward the skyport. He wanted to give Lily another filthy look, he'd been dishing them out frequently since his cat had gotten him drunk and he'd woken up in a cabin on a Boscan airship bound for the city of White Sea.
Lily was ignoring him, looking out over the colorful city of White Sea and the Grass Sea beyond it with excited eyes. Lily had made no secrets about being fucking delighted by this whole thing, the only thing that had kept Gajeel on board the ship was...it was taking him to Lucy, Laxus and...friends...nakama… Lucy was his kin...the bond to Levy was broken, and it had almost killed him doing it but he'd been unable to maintain it, it hurt to fucking bad, knowing she didn't share his feelings past friendship, and then...she'd hooked up with Jet.
Fucking Jet...she'd had a fling with Jet going on when he'd bolted her to that tree all those years ago...seems the fire there had never died completely.
Fairy Tail breaking up had made Levy want stability and consistency, something Jet...working in messenger work for the palace in Crocus, could give her, along with a little house there, but all Gajeel had to offer was dangerous erratic mage work.
Levy had gotten engaged to Jet...Gajeel had severed every bond he had with the little bluenette and...been drunk and violent ever since…
Fairy Tail had been the only good thing he'd had and it was gone, he felt like he'd lost an arm, a part of his heart, he still could barely believe the old man had done it...disbanded Fairy Tail...left them all, the mages he'd called his "children" to scatter to the wind, homeless.
He'd felt terrible leaving Lucy in Magnolia, but he'd believed Natsu would be there for her. He'd been shocked when he'd learned the firebreather had abandoned Lucy, hadn't even said goodbye, just took off leaving a note...fucking fire prick...and worse, Erza and Gray hadn't even done that much, they'de also abandoned Lucy without a word.
He knew how devastated Lucy had been that day he'd collected Levy, but his own heart was in pieces and he'd only been able to talk the rune knights into allowing him to bring one extra mage with him...he'd believed so much Levy was his mate...he'd taken her...what an idiot he'd been.
But he'd see Bunny soon...find out what sort of life she'd made for herself here in Bosco with the countrys largest guild. He would never admit it, but he was intimidated.
Jose Porla had feared little, Makarov had been one thing...this guild was the other. Phantom Lord never took jobs in Bosco on Joses orders, he didn't want to attract White Seas attention. Now Gajeel was flying right into the city named after the largest dark mage and guild hunting organization on Earthland, the Magic Councils of all the associated countries hired THIS guild when they needed nasty nests of Dark Mages, large guilds, taken down.
Hell, the council in Fiore was trying to get Hisui to arrange to hire them right now to come in and take down Nightmare.
He sensed her before he saw her...Lucy...the Light of Fairy Tail...his deep red eyes scanned quickly and locked on three blondes, two big brawny ones and between them, Lucy, the man with the long platinum blonde hair had his arm around her as she held a hand up to shade her eyes so she could watch the ship come in and Laxus stood on her other side, Cobra not far from Laxus...Gods...Cobra was here,fucking Poison Slayer had a worse rap than he did...maybe he really was worrying too much.
He leaned on the rail looking over the familiar figures, seeing Lucy bounce up and down and wave made the corner of his mouth turn up, Bunny was a breath of badly needed fresh air. He was gonna scoop the grinning blonde up and drown himself in his kins welcome strawberry scent.
"Lucy looks very happy." Lily commented with a smile, Gajeel grunted, refusing to let the cat off the hook yet, he was still pissed Lil hadn't run this by him, had just gotten him drunk and dragged him onto the ship.
"Whose the big pretty guy? " He asked, frowning a little when he saw Lucy pressing into the mans side and beaming up at him,her arm around the man like his was around her….did Bunny find herself a boyfriend?
"Judging by the clothes and Wizard Saint pins on his collar and shoulders I'd bet that is Master Kaleb." Lily responded and Gajeel narrowed his eyes.
Kaleb Pradesh, the Mindbender Wizard Saint Master of White Sea, Gajeel knew mages that would about shit themselves at the mention of the man and his guild, Bunny sure looked pretty familiar with him…
The man looked at Lucy and Gajeel caught the look...the warm indulgent smile...holy hell...had to be something there, men didn't look at women that way unless there was.
Lucy was waving brightly at him now and he smiled in spite of himself. When Levy had ripped his heart out and stomped on it he'd just curled in on himself for a while, but the thought of getting back to Lucy, to the Light that was the womans bright and positive spirit...Gods...she was just radiant...Bosco was agreeing with her...maybe it would agree with him too…
As soon as the ramps were locked into place Lucy was again running from Kalebs side like she had before, Erik smirking at being on the dock this time instead of the receiving end of the Lucy bullet shooting toward the Iron Dragon Slayer.
Gajeel had the sense to drop his pack and brace himself though catching Lucy as she jumped and flung her arms around him hugging him tightly as her body crashed into his and made him stagger back a step chuckling.
"Damn Bunny!" He smiled in spite of himself as she flung her arm around Lilly dragging the exceed into her enthusiastic greeting as well.
"I'm just so happy to see you! Oh Gajeel, wait till I show you the guild! You're going to love it!" She cried and Gajeel smiled, walking with Lucy still dangling from him, an arm solid around her while he grabbed his pack with the other and started down the ramp.
"Whose the big blonde you were all friendly with while the ship was docking?" He asked and Lucy grinned at him, Gajeel never was one to beat around the bush.
"That would be Kaleb Pradesh, the Guildmaster of White Sea...and...my fiance, and mate." She said proudly watching for his reaction. Gajeels eyes rounded and he slowed for a few steps.
"Yer engaged?" He breathed and Lucy nodded excitedly at him, all the sunshine and joy and brilliant wonder that was Lucy back in full force, she was a far cry from the broken woman he'd had to leave in Magnolia months ago.
"Ok...guess I better meet him...fuckers marrying my kin and...did you say MATE?!" He stopped then staring at her and Lucy grinned at him.
"Kaleb is an Archangel mage...they mate, and...we are mated Gajeel, isn't it wonderful!? I thought there was something wrong with me you know? Natsu and Happy always calling me fat, guys treating me like shit...the whole mess with Greg….but Kaleb...he...he loves me, he loved me when I was broken and not very lovable…" She whispered the last and Gajeel smiled, shaking his head a little and hugging her.
"You've always been lovable Bunny." He said firmly. "Now...introduce me to this guy, I gotta see if he's worthy of my Bunny Girl." He said firmly and she grinned, sliding down to the rampway and grabbing his hand, pulling him after her.
Soon Gajeel was accepting greetings from his nakama, watched Lucy slide right back against the tall Guildmaster, putting her arm around the mans waist again and Gajeel gripped the mans hand firmly, smirking when the man didn't flinch at his grip.
"Gajeel Redfox, this is Master Kaleb, Kaleb, my friend Gajeel." Lucy introduced and the men looked one another over, Gajeel holding his head high. He knew how he must look. He'd not been working for a bit, the Rune Knights wouldn't send a drunk man on missions, his clothes were a bit ratty looking, and he noticed everyone, even Cobra, looked well dressed and...happy.
He'd never in his life put much value into appearances though, clothes didn't make the man or define him, but it nagged at an edge that he was standing in patched trousers and a ratty tunic in front of a man who looked like he was wearing the full reward for an s-class mission, diamonds and gold adorning his ears, a thick hammered gold choker around his neck that held a very valuable looking lacrima, slender cains that also held gems held his long hair back and there were bits of gold and silver that adorned the white leather pants and jerkin he wore.
"So...you're gonna marry my Bunny huh?" Gajeel said and Kaleb smiled.
"I am." He replied.
"She's kin to me...in Dragon culture, you're supposed to get the permission of kin before you claim them from the dragons they are kin to." Gajeel said and noted Laxus and Cobra both smiling.
Kaleb eyed him a minute then bowed his head "Forgive me, I fell in love faster than I'd ever thought I could, I didn't consider formalities, will you give us your blessing Iron Dragon?" Kaleb said quietly and Gajeels felt his dragon settle back….how the fuck….
"Ye...Yeah...we're good...just...make her happy, you ever make her cry…" He warned and Kalebs Lavender eyes met his.
"I'll have 4 or more Dragon Slayers hunting me down, yes...I'm aware." Kaleb said with a smile. Gajeel smirked and fell in step beside Lucy.
The city was clean, children played here and there and it had a lot to offer, he saw shops and cafes, bigger restaurants and markets and when they reached the guild itself...well...he shouldn't have been surprised but he was.
Lucy was pointing things out to him as they walked and he just tried to absorb everything as Lily held up the conversation with Lucy, clearly impressed by all the guild had to offer.
He watched the Guildmaster, his kins fiance...mate...noting how the man seemed...aware, Lavender eyes moving easily over people, he slowed their pace a bit and ahead someone was flung through a barrier to crash where they would have been, the mage quickly rolling to his feet and rushing back into the practice ring.
"Fucker! You hit too high!" The man shouted as he charged back in to re-engage his sparring partner.
Gajeel smirked as they walked by, taking the whole place in, from the gardens, yards, practice rings, the school, the massive main hall and the huge wings off either side of it that Lucy said provided housing to guild members.
She was subtly watching him, she'd poked at Kaleb a couple of times to read him, to let her in on reading him, but her fiance rebuffed her.
He's dealing with a lot right now Lucy, and you knowing it all won't help, he needs you like you are right now, if you knew all he's coping with right now you wouldn't be the way he needs you to be, I'll tell you if there's anything big you need to know, but I'm going to respect his privacy otherwise, just be his friend sunrise...it's what he needs. He'd told her firmly and she'd mentally huffed at him.
So she couldn't know what Gajeel was thinking, but, she did know the man reasonably well, and could tell he was impressed, she was inwardly crossing her fingers, as soon as Presca had come back to her and told her he'd found Gajeel, everything had come together, and she'd had Arman help her pull some strings and taken a big chance she was hoping wouldn't blow up in her face.
Gajeel was a private person, protective of his space, and she knew he'd been living out of a knapsack for a while since Fairy Tail disbanded, all of his belongings in storage.
Once inside the Guildhall he stood staring in amazement at it all, but she saw the slight smile, saw him recognize Bickslow up on the stage still dancing with his brothers, though Zen now was sitting by Shimako, the small Stellan woman putting a tea cup in his large hand and giving him a look when he'd started to refuse that had the big ex-gladiator ducking his head and sipping the tea. Then there was Cana who was being down right indecent dancing against Rowan at the moment.
Gajeel took it in smiling "So...who's the redheaded guy Canas dry humping?" He asked.
Lucy grinned at him "The senior green mage for White Sea, Rowan Drayke. She was going to mate with Cristoff, the Lunar Dragonslayer up there but...when they started to she rejected him because she was feeling afraid of the commitment, he almost died...and she's been beating herself up over it but...Rowan there has been sort of bringing her back out of that. Obviously Cris is doing better…" She waved toward the stage and Gajeel just stared for several minutes.
"She...rejected him during the mating? Holy Fuck...it's a miracle he's alive…" he said quietly and Lucy frowned at Gajeel, looking worriedly toward Cana in case she'd overheard but the woman was having fun grinding against Rowan right then and hadn't even noticed Gajeel yet.
Lucy smacked his arm and Gajeel just smirked at her, enjoying Bunnys sass and being able to look at people and...know who they were.
Bickslow was still acting like Bickslow, Laxus still had his familiar glower, though he was currently being whispered to by a very pretty little pink haired woman about "sharing pleasure" and his glower was replaced by a smirk as he nodded and with a brief "Glad to see you Boltface" the Lightning slayer followed the girl off into an alcove with benches and pillows and pulled a curtain shut as the girl was undoing his pants.
The fact Bunny just glanced at the scene and smiled before turning back to him was downright stunning to the Iron Slayer, no blush no nothing...Laxus had just stepped off to probably get blown and Lucy acted like it was just...normal everyday life.
"You'll get asked too ya know? I mean, the women and some of the guys in here are already looking you over...you know about that right? About sharing pleasure and and everything? It's part of the culture here." Bunny was saying and Gajeel had to remind himself how to blink for a moment.
"You mean an invitation to have sex…" He deadpanned and Lucy nodded, still no blush.
"Yeah, you're a good looking guy Gajeel, and the piercings and stuff will draw em, the long hair is pretty normal here, but the rest of you? Yeah, surprised nobody has asked yet, let me introduce you to Jina, she runs the bar, super amazing blueberry muffins and strawberry and orange smoothies." She said grinning leading Gajeel to the bar while Kaleb was preoccupied with Thane and going over some missions to be posted to the system.
Jina was making Gajeel a metal shaving slurpy, something he said he'd learned for their two metal make mages and the metal work mage that had been saved when Zen had been recovgered...a woman Lucy was still trying to get to know but the tiger shifter from Seven leaned toward curling up with Kittar. Glancing toward one of the large bay windows at the front of the hall she spotted her. Kittar in his massive black leopard form lay sprawled and the petite woman was laying curled up against him, green eyes watching everyone dancing with a sad sort of detachment that had Lucy making mental note to go out of her way better to speak with her. Kaleb finally finished talking with Thane and came over and set his tablet down on the bar.
"Have a look sunrise." He said and Lucy picked the tablet up reading over what he had and she grinned, grabbing Gajeels arm.
"Gaj….oh my stars! 1 million jewel and a silver key!" She breathed.
Kaleb smiled "And once I load it in the system I'm betting, if Gajeel is put in, it will tag him as a prime mage for it with the hunting and such involved, since a Celestial Mage is a given for the job because of the reward, it's just a matter of your team." He said.
Gajeel blinked, he'd barely arrived and the Guildmaster was already laying possible good paying jobs down? Gods he needed the work too…
"Could you hold it? Give him a couple days to settle in and decide?" Lucy asked and Kaleb shrugged looking at Gajeel.
"If she hasn't mentioned it yet, you have a place here, White Sea will take you, give you work, a place to call home." Kaleb told him and Gajeel glanced at his shoulder where the black Fairy Tail symbol still showed.
Getting into a new guild would wipe that seal off his shoulder…but what did he have? Fairy Tail was no more, Levy was marrying Jet….he met Kalebs gaze.
"I been thinkin on it the whole way here...I aint got nothin to go back to, Bunny and these assholes are all I've got...so...yeah...if your willin to put your seal on someone like me…" He said and Kaleb smiled.
"I wont do it, Lucy will, as my fiance, she is soon to be co-master of this guild with me, the decision is hers." He said firmly and Gajeel smiled turning to Lucy.
"How bout it Bunny? Willin to take in a miscreant like me...again?" He asked and Lucy threw her arms around the big slayer, hugging him then pulling him toward the stairs. "Come on big guy, lets get you in the system so we can take a job together and I have...a special surprise for you."
It didn't take long, Gajeel stared in a daze as Lucy pressed the seal of White Sea over his right pectoral and the fairy tail seal faded away. Lucy hugged him as he stared at his bare shoulder, she hugged Lily too when she placed it on him.
He'd never thought he would ever remove that seal, thought he'd die wearing it, but Makarov...he'd ended that idea.
He followed Lucy in a daze from the massive Guildmasters office, barely aware of Lucy leading him along, Kaleb and Thane behind them.
The left the office areas and went into what was decidedly residential hallways. The smell of the grass sea mingling with the scent of the ocean through open windows on both sides of the hall.
She stopped and unlocked a door. "This...is yours now Gajeel." She said and opened the door, stepping back to let Gajeel walk in.
His breath caught as he took it in, it was an apartment, a big one, and he'd stepped into its entryway that opened up into a massive livingroom with a fireplace, across from where he stood one whole wall was floor to ceiling glass overlooking the ocean, a big balcony with familiar iron chairs set up on it,
Looking around his mouth fell open...his things...everything from the storage unit back in Magnolia where he had hastily put his belongings knowing he couldn't keep his lease on his place there going while working for the Rune Knights.
Hardwood floors, his own handwoven rugs he'd gotten on various missions, the furniture he'd made...even some of his metal art pieces hung on the walls already, when he walked in he took in the kitchen, with his knife block holding the knives he'd made, off the kitchen was a dining room with his own table and chairs and beyond it, a hallway led to two bedrooms, one a little bigger than the other but both had access to the huge balcony that spanned the entire width of the apartment.
His bed...the one he'd made...was set up piled with his favorite blankets and pillows…
"Oh Lucy...thank you…" Lily was whispering, looking into the smaller room where his things were all neatly set up.
"This was my apartment when I came here, it gets amazing sun during the day and starlight at night on the balcony, Laxus is just down the hall and Bickslows place is just downstairs. Cobra and Vander have the place at the end of the hall when they're in White rent to pay if you want it...the guild provides this for it's members...so they can save their jewel and be safe and have a roof over their heads if they can't work for a while for whatever reason. You can always save up and buy a place if you want but...I was thinking you could have this you know...in the mean time...I know you hate when people mess with your things and I didn't want to upset you…" Lucy was wringing her fingers at his emotionless gaping.
He turned and yanked the blonde into his arms, burying his face in her golden hair. Nobody, not anyone had ever done something like this for him…
"Bunny...I fucking love it...thank you…" He managed to get out and Lucy hugged him back.
"I'm so happy you're here Gajeel...I know this isn't Fairy Tail, it's not even Fiore...but...we can make all of what we had there, happen here, these are good people and Bosco is beautiful and I promise I'll be a good leader, Kaleb is teaching me and he's fair and patient and...I'm just...I so want you to be happy here…" She finally said and Gajeel smiled, pulling back so he could look at her again.
"I'll be ok...I've got my kin back...and this is the nicest place I've ever fucking had...so..relax...gimme time woman, gotta get my boots back under me but having this place...all my stuff...it really helps ya know?" He said and Lucy nodded, she knew, when Freed and Bickslow and Laxus had given her this same apartment, already set up with all her things, she'd been so happy, it had helped her so much to feel like White Sea was home, she'd hoped Gajeel would feel that too.
"So...we been walkin all day all over this big ass place and I'd kinda like to get a shower, maybe rest a bit…" He admitted and Lucy eeped, hugging him and putting the keys for the apartment into his big hand before kissing his cheek. "You rest, I'll have the kitchen send up a nice big dinner for you and Lily and you two can just settle in tonight, if you need anything, I already programed my number, Freed, Laxus, Bickslow and Kaleb into your com ok?" She said brightly and Gajeel nodded.
Lucy hurried back out, Kaleb waiting patiently in the hall with Thane going over reports grunted when she caught him off guard, flying into his arms and almost knocking the tablet from his hand.
"He likes it Sunrise...he really does...he's just overwhelmed and needs a little time to think." He told her, kissing the crown of her head, knowing both what was troubling her because she still couldn't control her thoughts, and what Gajeel was thinking in the apartment behind her.
"I just don't understand...Levy had a crush on him, she...she made out with him and was all excited about it...why would she ditch him like that...even if she wasn't his mate...I...I thought she was a better person…" She said softly.
"People change, big traumatic events, like Tartaros, losing Fairy Tail, all of that, they can change people, and not always for the better." Kaleb said and Lucy nodded.
"I know...I just…" She sighed tipping her head back so she could look into lavender eyes she knew would be her sanctuary, warm and calm and when she pushed into him and stretched up his lips slanted over hers and his arms closed around her better.
Inside the apartment Gajeel left Lily happily going through his room and retreated to his own, finding the master bath as impressive as the rest of the spacious apartment, he shed his clothes and retreated into the shower, letting the soon steaming water soothe his body.
He was still without a mate...maybe he would never have one...maybe Levy was supposed to be his and bolting her to that tree, lost in his own dark bloodlust at the time so maybe his dragon couldn't tell him...maybe that act had broken it...maybe there would be no mate for him, Metalicana had warned him to handle his mate with care, that he could break the beginning of the bond by being cruel, harming the trust, betraying them...and he'd betrayed everything back then...his own morals, common decency...everything because Jose had told him to…
He leaned his head against the stone of the shower wall, gritting his teeth, he didn't want to be alone...not anymore...he used to think a mate was nothing, that having that life partner was for pussies and would only make him weak but Fairy Tail had taught him better, he'd learned love and relationships made you stronger, better, happier.
He could only pray he hadn't ruined his chances, that Levy wasn't his mate, that his was still out there somewhere, for now, he could relax...he had some of his Nakama back, he was in a big strong guild had a roof over his head and would be able to get work...he wasn't a praying man, but he whispered one in his head, begging whatever Gods there were for people like him to not let him...die alone, to let him have his own family...a mate...children...things he wanted now, that mattered to him now...if there were mercy for people like him, he prayed for it then.
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Hestor had been alternating between fits of black rage, dark seemingly bottomless wells of despair, and lucidity. Zen was back...apparently Lucy was busy helping a friend from Fiore acclimate to life in Bosco and Arman, no longer busy straightening things out politically for some of the Fioran transplants had turned his full attention on getting his eldest back.
It had put pressure on Lady Hishiko, and the Mother Seer of Stella had in turn put pressure on Hestor and was ready to be handed over, the exchange would only be for 3 days, then Manuke was to be returned. Arman had been helping Hishiko negotiate Tenshis return as well and the High Warqueen of Joya had been...balking. Insisting Tenshi was a gift from someone else and not up for discussion but ultimately, Hestor had finally talked the woman into a meeting at sea in the straight between Joya and Stella.
Not that Hestor wasn't pressuring himself plenty...he lay in a bed hands over his eyes, tears running down into his silver hair. He had to get a grip...any minute now they would meet the Joyan ship and he would be standing with his cousin Xiao negotiating for Farron to be given back to him...for Ma'ats key to be placed in his hand….it had to happen.
"He still loves you." Kek-Ts voice purred "There can be no doubt of the depth of that now, even you can't deny it...can not doubt him...he's suffered for weeks, been our toy...allowed you to do so many things to him and still he says he loves you, even while you chased his brother for 10 years and ignored him, used him like he was some cheap whore while you pined for his brother right in front of him...there could be no "One" more steadfast than he."
"Shut up…" Hestor hissed as he felt Lethes touch hazing his thoughts "No...no...I do love…" he whimpered as his own warm loving feelings toward Farron seemed to detach and pull away some "No I need those…" he hissed lost in the nightmare his keys were dragging him through. The grasp on Farron let up but he felt something pulling at memories...the day when he was 12 and had come back from the Academe for the holidays, his Mother and Father were handling a fight over him with Stella and his mother had sent word he couldn't come home...he was sent to a little hotel in White Sea City and had bravely tried to convince himself he'd be perfectly fine, he could spend his Christmas and New Years break all alone, he had homework and research he wanted to do…
The third day in he'd gone downstairs to eat and had turned around and gone back to his room seeing some happy children there with their parents and siblings eating and getting ready to go shopping and he'd decided he'd just stay in his damned room and order room service.
That was the day Kaleb had come looking for him, The older boy smiling and ignoring his snappy protests. "Come ON Hes, the tree is up, it's TRADITION." Kaleb had insisted, pulling him to the Guild Hall where the Guild tree was freshly up and massive trunks of ornaments that were hundreds of years old awaited the hands of the guilds mages to put them on the tree. Every mage in the city was expected to hang at least one.
Hestor finally gave in, had hung several ornaments, his ermine spirit playing in the tree and making other children laugh and Kaleb had hugged him and brought him cocoa and they had sat and talked and when Kaleb learned why Hestor was in the hotel he'd insisted Hestor come home with him.
He'd spent that Christmas with the Pradesh family in Pelerno, eating delicious food and playing endless games and shopping and going skating and getting to visit the city aquarium with them and he'd gotten dozens and dozens of thoughtful gifts and Farron had been there...and they had snuck some of Armans scotch and had played checkers and chess and that year had been the first time...he had kissed Farron, of course he'd also kissed Cristoff...because there had been a full moon during his stay and his Celestial magic had about sung in his veins when Cristoffs Lunar magic had spiked up.
Nurem had been there...he had fallen asleep on the back of a Dragon curled up with the Pradesh siblings and it had been a magical Christmas...and suddenly...the memories of Kaleb...of talking with him about his troubles with Stella, how he didn't want to become a priest, playing on the beach, showing Kaleb his favorite Grass Sea plants and waterlife...were just...gone...faded away out of his reach but at least the pain in his head let up, he could open his eyes again…he sat up and once he'd sat for a few minutes, plucking at the thin blanket on the narrow bed in the ships bunk room, he realized...felt...that memories were missing and his breathing hitched in horror over that fact.
He didn't know what he no longer remembered...just that there were holes in a precious memory...he shoved his hands into his silver hair and stared at the thin blanket on the bed. He was aboard a ship...about to meet the Joyans to make the exchange...to hand over his cousin Manuke...and take in return...the key to Ma'at, who would, according to all sources...stabilize him greatly...and...he bit his lip, choking back the sting of tears in his eyes...he would get Farron back.
Long long weeks it had been since he had...betrayed Zen, Cristoff...handed Farron over to the Joyans...he knew he'd done it...but Lethe...the memories of it were gone. Zen told him in vivid detail every little thing about it...the Evening Star was brutal in his honesty, one of the side effects of his magic was the aura of truth he put off...no lies around him...so Hestor didn't doubt at all he'd done everything Zen said he had. Just...the idea he'd done those things..it horrified him one minute...thrilled him the next and his spirits were all...smug.
"Hestor...they've sighted the Joyan ship." Manuke called into the room and Hestor stood, composing himself. He was pale, wasn't eating well, and his lack of sleep showed, but hopefully...soon...he would be able to fix all he had set wrong and...Farron would accept his apologies and still love him...
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It took Gajeel about three days to reach a point he felt ready to venture out, he'd never admit part of his better relaxed state had to do with Bickslow and his brother Vander getting him drunk and in the community bath where he had been thoroughly...utterly...fucked by two women whose faces he didn't remember but Gods he remembered their bodies. There was just no way he'd been able to say no when they had approached him, Vander had heaved a sigh when they had propositioned the three men.
"Sweet things, I am so very mated to a sexy dragonslayer, but I'm a voyeur when I can't be a participant." He smirked, sliding from the water to make room for the women to close in on Bickslow and Gajeel.
Once those two had moved in a very good looking fire mage slid up to Bickslow and the Seith had forgotten all about being Gajeels wingman, leaving the slayer with the two women all over him while he'd been pulled to a shallow spot to bend the sexy woman over the edge and just went at it right there.
Gajeel though, even drunk had needed some privacy, and the girls had figured that out relatively quick, dragging the chuckling growling man into one of the curtained alcoves where they had kept him for most of the night.
It had helped, he sure didn't wonder if he was attractive anymore, didn't doubt everything he had, worked right for a woman that wanted it, and after three very satisfying orgasms, he'd slept with beautiful women wrapped around him and woken up hours later more relaxed and feeling better than he had in a while.
Good enough he'd agreed to Bunnys mission and she'd been thrilled. "Yes! Emi just got back from one, I can pull her in since a fire mage is recommended, we'll take her Cana and Rowan!" She said brightly and Gajeel had shrugged, happily munching on some mixed metal baked into blueberry muffins by Jina and drinking down some hot coffee with them. Lucy hadn't been wrong about the kitchen team at the guild, once Jina knew his needs and Lucy had apparently given her some info on his tastes, Jina had delicious things available whenever Gajeel wanted them.
"I'm gonna go get Emi, I know where her apartment is, you'll like her Gaj she's a Dragon Slayer and tough, as tall as you too." She chuckled and hurried off, leaving him to enjoy his breakfast and watch the guild.
It wasn't all that different from Fairy Tail, typical guild activity for a weekday morning. He'd been impressed Bunny was even up and about when she'd knocked on his door, but then he'd smelled Kaleb all over her and figured the couple had been...busy...that morning. Lucy did have a couple of fresh hickies on her neck and she'd mentioned Kaleb was up with the dawn every morning habitually.
He was enjoying meeting the Pradesh siblings, Bickslows large family had an infectious warmth to them, and Cristoff he had liked immediately, something Cobra had chuckled over when he'd mentioned it.
"Yeah, Moony has that effect, he's easy to like, calm, relaxed, his soul is like that, soothing and shit, I liked him right off and I hate everyone." Cobra had said.
Cristoff though was easy to talk to, and a fellow slayer that did not have a prickly temperament like most did, he'd also spent a much longer amount of time with his dragon than Gajeel had with his and was just...settled, balanced, which made him perfect as an information source for Gajeel, who was still trying to figure out where the fuck he'd gone wrong with Levy.
He got along with her, liked her, there was attraction, Gods the woman had made out with him more than once, after Tartaros they'd almost done the deed, but she'd stopped him, and he respected her wishes enough he'd dealt with it, hadn't pushed her.
For a while he'd wondered if Bunny was the one,he fucking loved blondes, always had, but no, Lucy was kin, his dragon had leaned right into that.
Emi had to be Emzadi, Bicklows little sister, second generation that had luckily grown up with Cristoff and his dragon, so she'd have gotten some good education being the sister of a dragons adopted child. Gajeel was going on this mission as a Dragon Slayer for his hunting skills and metal handling, Rowan selected because of his talent with plants, Cana for her reading abilities with fortune cards, something she had recently replenished was her card collection. Cristoff because of his healing.
Emzadi it wanted for fire, Lucy it wanted for the utility a Celestial Mage provided and because of the reward being offered including a key. The guild system was impressive. Gajeel liked his com, really liked his apartment, Lily could fly in or out from the balcony and had his own room and Gajeel was just, so fucking happy to have all of his belongings, a dragon without their hoard was always a bit jumpy, now he had his and, he didn't have to worry about rent, leases, any of it, White Sea provided housing to their wizards free of charge if they needed it.
The Guild was centuries old too, and Kaleb was young, so it wasn't hovering around being disbanded like Fairy Tail had been so often over the last few years. With more than 4000 members the guild was strong, there were branches in several cities across Bosco and the Guild even kept quarters in other countries so their mages had places to stay if they needed it while they were abroad.
Being in White Sea was something people took pride in, Boscans respected the seal when they saw it, and with the Guilds healthy history, and Kaleb and Lucy running it….well, if he wanted a stable home, this was probably as good as it got. It helped a lot he didn't have to worry about rent, and if he wanted to eat, the guild maintained not just the main guild hall where he could have just about anything, but also a couple of cafes inside the complex that wouldn't accept jewel, you just tapped your lacrima to a small input screen. The guild covered it's members eating at the guild or at a guild branch whether they had funds in their accounts or not.
"You'll work eventually, and when you do, a bit each month will come out to cover whatever tab you run." Freed had told him. The whole thing was organized so that each wizard was...safe. They could get health care, food, had somewhere comfortable to live, hell there were even stores inside the complex where he could purchase clothing with his com. He hadn't done it, not wanting to run up alot on it before he'd taken a job, but he'd been tempted...until Thane had delivered a hefty box with his guild clothes…
He got two work out sets, celebration attire which was considered semi formal and then the full guild regalia for formal occasions. All bore the tags of Elluris and fit him flawlessly.
He'd been reluctant with the work clothes, the ¼ jacket that fit snug across his chest left everything from his pecs to the waistline of his pants bare, but...once he'd sparred once against Cristoff in the clothes, he'd changed his mind.
So he was wearing that now, a ¼ black and gold jacket, black pants that hugged his legs, just with his own studded belt and studded combat boots. He still had his old stuff, but figured he'd replace it, and give what the guild had provided him a try, besides, most of the guild walked around in it. And no, he didn't care about fitting in, he just didn't like standing out too much.
He did however...not mind at all getting on stage with Bickslows brothers. Gods Vander had an impressive collection of guitars too and Gajeel had been forced to sell his to keep him and Lily fed when his problems dealing with Levy walking out had kept him from working for a bit. So on his second night at the guild when Vander had slid a beautiful stratocaster into his hands and winked at him, that had been a changing point.
"Heard you could play, so,try to keep up." Vander had said pulling another guitar from its stand and walking onto the stage where his friends were already waiting.
It had been an amazing jam session, Vander could sing like an angel, Cristoff was damn good too and the rest of the band was really good, that was what had led to him ending up drunk and wrapped in women.
They got together twice a week, the people changed up a little based on who was in town but if Gajeel wanted to participate, the group had the stage twice a week for 3 hours and often met at Cristoffs house near the guild to go over music and work on their own songs.
He'd never had anyone to really work with on his musical pursuits, and while he'd admit he couldn't really sing, damn if he didn't enjoy writing music and playing, having Vander and Cristoff, who COULD sing delivering his lyrics? Well, it would be nice to see them delivered well.
He was brought out of his mussings by a divine scent hitting him that sent his dragon purring inside his chest. Cinnamon, the spicy kind, warm cinnamon with a distinctly feminine flavor to it hit him and he turned, eyes widening even as his pupils constricted then dilated.
Lucy was walking toward him with a tall...stunning blonde beside her. The woman was statuesque, gorgeous, with waist length wavy blonde hair streaked through with bright highlights from the sun. She had a deep red cropped strapless top on hugging flawless breasts, gold bangles on both of her upper arms and high waisted deep red harem pants with gold chains around her hips and gold strapped sandals on her feet.
Her skin was a sunkissed tan, long red fingernails, ruby red full pouty lips and ruby dotted gold hoops in her pierced ears displayed because a hammered gold band held her thick silky hair back from her face to cascade in shinning waves down her back.
Gajeel forgot how to fucking breathe as the steady chant took up in his soul...MINE
"There he is, Emi? This is Gajeel he's…" Lucy began and Emzadi froze, stopping abruptly and narrowing her orange eyes on the big muscular man sitting on a barstool about 15 feet from her.
"Mine." She growled, interrupting Lucy.
He was...delicious. Raven hair to his waist that was decidedly unruly, a masculine, handsome, angular face, crimson eyes, and the piercings...his brows, along his nose, on his chin...studs in his arms...he was built, muscular like her brother Cristoff or Kaleb, and his lip curled, baring a gleaming white fang at her. Her nose pulled it in, the tantalizing scent of sunwarmed metal and male dragon...arousal...her own body instantly heating in answer as her dragon snarled inside her.
Mate...conquer...test him...he looks strong...delicious...throw him on the ground and ride him until he's ours… The sultry insistent purr of her dragon made her muscles tighten. Within her was the soul of a submissive male solar dragon who had deeply enjoyed seducing other male dragons. Solaris had been very successful when he had lived, and when he'd finally mated, it had been to an immensely powerful steel dragon. So, smelling the warm metal, meeting crimson eyes...it had her dragon just all sorts of ready to slam the black haired brute to the floor and fuck him right in front of the whole guild.
Now...admittedly...for Emi..it wouldn't be the first time she'd done that, there had been a couple of them, most recently with Beck right on the bar the gorgeous dark haired slayer was currently leaning on during the first celebration party for her brother Kalebs engagement party. She was a healthy boscan female Dragon Slayer in possession of a Dragons needs and drives, Solaris was a self admitted sex addict that had done more fucking than fighting to gain rank in his tatsu, but it had worked for him. And he contributed greatly to Emzadis lusty pursuits.
Still, the need to mate, in a female dragon slayer was much much stronger than it was in a male, there were so few females, their drives had to be high. Gajeel...the Iron Dragon Slayer from Fiore, her soon to be sister in laws good friend...was just...too good to be fucking true.
Solaris had purred at her more times than she could count about bedding this man or that, the Dragon loved living vicariously still through her, but this time, she was in full agreement because when the Iron Dragon stood, she was ready to jump him, wrap her legs around those hips and sink her teeth into the bulging pecs stretching the black fabric of his jacket.
Lucy stood wide eyed looking back and forth between her friends until a gentle hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back a few steps. "Easy little sister." Cristoffs voice rumbled, pulling Lucy back to stand behind him with Cana and Rowan who kept Lucy by her behind the Lunar slayer. They had been coming to meet up and discuss the job they were going to take when Cristoff had seen Emzadi react to Gajeel and hurried them forward "Mates...they're fucking mates…" He'd said half laughing half terrified.
Emzadi was a force,,, she was by far, the strongest offensive mage White Sea had short of Kaleb himself, she could melt holes through mountains, vaporize a human body, turn hundreds of thousands of gallons of sea water into steam, her inner dragon even told her she was stronger than he had been.
Only a few people could best her in combat and they were all her siblings, Kaleb because no matter what she did her brother could overpower every mental barrier she put up and deal with her dragon as well, Cristoff was immune to her heat, unburnable, could walk right into her worst attacks ang come out steaming a little but otherwise unscathed which reduced her to hand to hand with a big powerfully built man and he always overpowered her once he got in close to her. Vander was fast, ingenius, and could shadow and void skip avoiding her attacks until he got in close and immobilized her though he had to use his strongest shadows to do it and it didn't hold long, he could still get in and win a spar.
Bickslow possessed her...the ass...liked to make her dance when he did it too, and Xally...well...Xally was as shrewd and calculating as Kaleb. Farron could turn the intensity of her attacks back onto her, but she'd bested him, and Xally and even Bickslow, only Cristoff and Kaleb had never been pinned by her, she'd even had her knee in Vanders back once...only once...but she was still damn proud of that.
In spite of...or well...because of her strength and power, Emzadi had had little luck in love. Her first romance ending in tragedy when she was only 14, the boy she loved killed when he tried to mate with her and claim her as his own. Then again when she was 17 the s-class fire mage Shota, tall, handsome, with ruby red hair and golden eyes had loved her, and she'd warned him, she couldn't prevent whatever it was about trying to mate with her. They had been lovers and she was so happy with Shota and his fiery lively ways, he was like her brother Vander just without the dark back ground. By 17 she was already 6 feet tall and curvy in all the right places and they had been a happy couple, though she had refused to promise with him, refused all of his offers of commitment, insisting she was a Dragon Slayer, not like other women and he had to respect that but Shota was one who believed he could achieve anything, there was no obstacle he couldn't get through, and he'd broken his promise to her to stay away during mating season when she was 18. He'd tracked her down and tried to claim her, telling her he had to, he loved her too much to see her with anyone else ever, she would be his or he would die trying to make her so...and he'd died.
Just like her first love, Shota had died in her arms, the fire leaving his beautiful golden eyes, and only Cristoff had prevented her from burning the whole island to ash...from finding a way to kill herself because she didn't want to live like this, couldn't bear seeing the life leave another loves eyes ever again.
For a year she had stayed near home, her father and brothers and sister watching her carefully, making certain she didn't follow through on her first impulse after Shota had died. Finally, Vander was the one to get her out, making her help with one of Cristoffs full moons, and she had given in to her base desires that night, fortunate enough that Beck, one of Kalebs top mages, a member of Kalebs own elite team, had been lured there by Cristoffs pull.
The whole night the big beast master had kept up with her, they had broken furniture, cracked Vanders marble counter and both bore bruises and plenty of marks all over them by the next day, but Emzadi had laughed...Beck knew he wasn't her mate, understood it, and had become a friend that she sometimes had sex with because he understood, and was willing to live knowing he couldn't have her.
Beck was already in love with someone else he also couldn't have anyway, and Emzadi had tried many times to talk him out of that but the beastmaster always shrugged and grinned at her. "I know Love, but the heart wants what it wants and until he is married, I'll just hope." He'd chuckled a little bitterly.
She hadn't had a bad childhood once Arman had adopted her, in fact, she'd grown up surrounded by wonderful siblings and with a father who somehow always managed to be there for his children, made sure each one of them never doubted they were loved, wanted and safe. She adored her family...was happy Kaleb was marrying Lucy, Vander with Erik, she'd felt small pangs of jealousy, wondered if she would ever find the one meant for her, she took solo jobs all over Earthland and hadn't found them...until now.
Here he was, tall, powerful...sexy, a Dragon Slayer himself and how fitting that was, how right it was...the Dragon within her purred in delight, her instincts flared and demanded she claim him and she knew his had to be doing the same, if they were mates both of them would be feeling it all, intense because they were both Dragons.
"You feelin this gorgeous?" Gajeel growled at her and she narrowed her eyes, smirking.
"At least as much as you are sexy." She responded and he smiled more reaching for her, cupping her cheek and she nuzzled into his hand.
"I ain't really got much fight against this in me…" Gajeel admitted, how could he? After all he'd been through, after thinking he'd somehow ruined it all by what he'd done to Levy, that somehow bolting her to a tree when he was too fucking stubborn and ignorant to listen to his dragon or something had broken what could have been the mating for him.
He'd been miserable, lonely to the point of a black sadness he'd never known before even with Lily doing his best to help him through it, he'd drunk himself unconscious repeatedly, woke up in allys missing clothes with someones cum in his damn mouth, woke up in beds with women he couldn't remember even meeting and shoved pregnancy prevention down their throats.
He hit a new low for him, even with the Fairy Tail seal on his shoulder he'd once thought would protect him from it.
After all of it, Lucy had reached into the darkness and plucked him out with Lilys help and now...here he was looking into fiery orange eyes that belonged to what was probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life...Gods he wouldn't even need to bend down to kiss her...and his dragon was screaming, shrieking, wildly thrashing inside of him that this gorgeous creature was...his mate.
"I don't either." Emzadi whispered, breathing in his scent, trying not to let tears escape her eyes, she couldn't fight this, she didn't want to, Gods...this man was meant to be hers...surely he wouldn't….die when they mated, when she took him to his end and sank her teeth into him...he would live...be hers...right?
It had to be...please dearest Gods….she couldn't survive another loss...whether she knew this man or not...if this mating didn't work, if whatever had happened to her first love and Shota happened to this sexy raven haired dream of a man...she'd die.
"Mates…" Lucy breathed and Cristoff nodded, not taking his eyes off the pair of slayers before him, Emzadi he already knew could destroy the guild in seconds if she went off, not that he thought she would...but he'd been there when she'd lost Shota...finally meeting the man meant to be her mate...her reaction could be anything…
"So...what are we gonna do here gorgeous?" Gajeel asked softly, about to lose his mind having her nuzzling into his palm, her hand holding his to her so she could kiss the inside of his wrist, run her tongue over his skin to taste him...drawing another growl from him as his cock twitched to life in his pants and in a few seconds he was reminded how snug they were.
"I say we go where our dragons lead us...mine has never led me wrong." She replied against his palm, moving to kiss the pad of each of his fingers then sucking the first digit of his index finger into her mouth, scraping a sharp fang over it before licking it and moving to the next. All Gajeel could do was stare...watching his finger slide between those plump ruby red lips, feeling her tongue slid over his finger, vividly imagining his cock in his fingers place in that mouth.
"I'm good with that…" He breathed and his other hand shot out to fist in her silky thick blonde hair and pull her into him, lips crashing into hers, teeth clacking, tongues plunging past parted lips, both dragons desperate to taste each other.
Lucys eyes widened as Emzadi pushed into Gajeel, forcing him back, the Iron Dragon hitting the bar with his back before the dragoness gripped his shoulders and climbed his body, wrapping her long legs around his waist then her arms around his neck.
"I...they're...would they um...do it in front of everyone?" Lucy asked tentatively, seeing Gajeels hand push under Emzadis top to palm one of her ample breasts while Emzadi started grinding her hips right over the distinct bulge in Gajeels pants.
"They ARE doing it in front of everyone…" Cana snickered and held her fingers to her lips so she could let out a loud wolf whistle.
Cristoff chuckled shaking his head, searching the guild hall and smiling he opened his free hand and Lucy looked where he was, finding Vander cuddled up to Cobra enjoying breakfast...or well...Cobra was...Lucys eyes flew wide when she realized Vander wasn't just resting his head in Cobras lap…
Cobra had been contentedly eating his breakfast, eggs, bacon, coffee heavily laced with cyanide from pressed apple seeds giving his coffee this marvelous apple spice taste, muffins with these little white berries they called Lace berries, sweet and tangy things and seriously poisonous when Vander started licking his neck, nibbling at then sucking on his ear lobe driving him crazy.
"You're cruising toward getting laid on this table…" He warned, he'd done it, the night after Gajeel had arrived, while everyone was getting Gajeel drunk he'd not been able, alcohol having no effect on him. He'd let Vander go with Bickslow and Gajeel figuring it would be fine and gone into the bath house planning on a dip with his sexy mate only to find him flirting...a pretty little woman playing with his hair while he talked to her, laying on his back naked with her standing in the bath by his head.
She was TRYING to convince him to have sex with her too.
"...but if you're not promised, I don't understand, mated is like what? Some sort of thing that means as much? I love your eyes...your hair...your body...I would give you wonderful pleasure…" She purred at his mate.
Vander chuckled "I told you sweetheart, I'm happily mated, you wouldn't believe how gorgeous my mate is either...so so delicious...so as tempting as you are..I stand by my no." He said and she pouted at him.
"But you told them you would enjoy watching...I thought if you'd enjoy that much…" she protested and Cobra finally was standing over his mate who looked up in surprise then smirked.
"There you are...thank the Gods...I was starting to feel left out of all the fun...see sweets? Isn't he just hot as hell?" He didn't look at the girl pushing himself up on one arm and Cobra watched the muscle under the tan skin work, saw Vanders cock twitch, his own responding immediately.
A few feet away Bickslow had a woman bent over the edge of the pool fucking her senseless and Gajeel was getting dragged away by two women who had their hands and lips all over the moaning growling and snickering Dragon Slayer.
So he'd been enjoying watching huh?
"Bout time you returned the favor and put on a little show yourself huh?" Cobra growled and Vanders eyes narrowed but his smile held, fire licking around those wine colored eyes.
"Roll over…" Cobra growled and Vander growled at him, a note of defiance in it.
"How bout I just suck the snake for you?" He purred but Cobra wasn't having it, he wanted the woman staring at them, who had been so after his mate to see how thoroughly Vander was really his.
"Roll over Van." He growled again and Vander started to move but Cobra lunged, fisting his hand in his mates thick hair and grabbing his hip with the other he flipped him over, pressing him down flat on his belly on the smooth marble and Vander gasped, trying to get his arms under him, somehow managing to have gotten a leg under him but it was bent and Cobra was applying enough pressure he couldn't push off it, he also had one of Vanders arms pulled back, so he just had no leverage, however, with one leg bent up and pressed into Vanders chest...he was perfectly positioned for what Cobra had in mind.
Vanders hiss followed by a "Oh Fuck YES…" heralded him plunging himself into his mates heated body.
So...he was willing to toss his mate on the table, it wasn't in the middle of the guild hall, it was a little secluded, nobody would hardly look their way...this was Bosco.
"Mmm, tempting...but I've an appetite for something else…" Vander purred and Cobra tensed when Vanders deft fingers had opened his belt and pants, pulling his cock free the shadowquip wasted no time, diving down over Cobras lap and the Poison Slayer had gripped the table and groaned, was starting to lift his hips into the plunges of Vanders head.
That was about when a silvery white magic circle had formed over them and sent a chilled blast of lunar light right over Vander making him gasp and pull back too fast, hitting his head on the edge of the table and cursing before turning blazing dark red eyes toward his brother only to freeze.
Now, were it not for his mates distraction, Cobra was betting he'd have caught the whole show going on over by the bar but that was Vanders affect on him, his mate could so engross him the world could explode and he wouldn't notice until the blowjob was suddenly stopped.
As it was the absolute riot of dragon souls screaming about mates made him duck his head,
Vanders eyes flew wide and he blinked, bent and kissed the head of Cobras soon to be neglected cock "Sorry baby, daddy will be back soon to see you off." he promised and vanished, reappearing by Cristoff.
"Gajeel has Lucys old apartment, already runed to hell by Freed because she was having sex with Kaleb in there and they kept setting off the guilds wards and shit, so take them there, it'll hold em." Cristoff said firmly and Vander nodded, vanishing again and the two slayers seemed to barely notice him grabbing their feet, pulling them through the void and depositing them beside Gajeels bed, though Emzadi wasted no time at all in toppling her big mate onto the bed as soon as she noted its presence. Silently promising she'd get her brother a bottle of x710 spiced wine for delivering her and her soon to be mate into a bedroom.
Gajeel was swift to reverse their positions, his dragon warning him instantly he had to be dominant, there would be two couplings to start this mating because they were both slayers, and the first had to see him in control or he'd suddenly go from "mate" status to "consort", the magic perceiving him as too weak. Once he'd claimed her...he could submit to her, but the first bite had to be his and he had to control how they got there.
They wrestled then, and sweet Gods did he enjoy it, she was so fucking strong, and as they grappled for dominance, biting and growling, clawing and kissing, licking and touching...the clothes gradually fell away until she was naked beneath him, straining to get his left arm to give but he held her firmly caged, sucking at her neck, loving the spicy cinnamon taste of her, and her growls…
Heavens choirs couldn't match the way a female dragoness' growls sounded when she was aroused. Every one of them went straight to his cock, he was so hard now it hurt and she kept stroking him, playing with his piercings, delighted by them but still trying to flip him on his back.
"Mine...my mate...give in...let me have you…" He growled and she growled right back, a silky thigh sliding up his flank and the moment she started to tease again, trying to get him to soften his hold on her, a tactic that worked because he moaned at the feel of that soft skin, that leg coming up and parting from the other, the scent of her arousal wafting over him and she lunged up, almost tossing him over again but he snarled, caught her shoulder and slammed her back down on the bed, adding more weight to his body, converting bone to metal.
She growled but tipped her head back, baring throat to him, a leg dragging up his side again and he didn't waste the invitation, lunging down, lining himself up and thrusting into the intense velvet heat of her body. Her body arched into his and from that point, she wasn't trying to take dominance from him anymore, no, she was pushing into every thrust, growls and purrs and sweet mewls of pleasure from her driving him out of his mind, making him hammer into her faster and harder.
She fit him, was perfect, filled his arms, he didn't have to worry at all about hurting her, or being too rough, Gods she was giving him bruises, leaving marks on him,clawing at his skin gripping his ass and pulling him into her harder as she braced a foot on the bed and started rotating into his thrusts taking him deeper into her tight heat.
She was so warm against his cold metal, felt so good, her tan skin, her beautiful full breasts that spilled through his fingers when he gripped one, round hips that filled his hands, a firmly toned, delightfully rounded ass, and her eyes, burning fiery orange alight with lust and excitement, arousal and just a hint of fear.
He couldn't imagine what would frighten a woman so strong, the unknown maybe, that they knew nothing about each other but were throwing caution and all of their trust to their dragons, racing toward mating with each other, it scared him a little too, but not as much as he craved it, nowhere near enough to stop.
A little fear and uncertainty couldn't stop a mating, he was sure it couldn't...if they were destined for each other, it would happen.
Beneath him Emzadi was less sure, her dragon had decidedly not ever reacted to her childhood love or to Shota like it had to Gajeel, really...there was no denying...it was still writhing inside of her, purring and in ecstasy that they were being held, fucked long and hard and rough by their powerful mate. Her dragon had no doubts but she couldn't help her fear. What if...when the moment arrived, when pleasure overwhelmed them as it was racing toward doing with every lusty thrust of Gajeels hips.
She felt her end, couldn't possibly hope to hold it back either, he just felt too good, the piercings...Gods his piercings felt incredible, and his body, so deliciously bulky, muscular and strong, not as large in build as Beck but he fit her so perfectly, and his hair, she loved his unruly black locks that had fallen around his shoulders.
She arched into him again, gasping "Gajeel...ahhh!" and that was it...she lost control and the moment her body clenched down on his length Gajeel was ripped with her, falling forward and sinking his fangs into her neck just below her ear. He felt himself tear, felt his soul literally rip open and the pain was intense but blessedly short lived because from Emzadi came the soothing warmth of her answer...her own soul rending and reaching to accept the part of him that had been pulled away, replacing it with her own and as Gajeel shuddered, barely catching himself on his forearms then smiling faintly as her arms closed around him and yanked him off of them, he didn't have to protect her from his size, his weight, she took it gladly and hummed as he filled her, memories, pain, happiness, the greatest and darkest of his life flooding into her.
Her's flooded him, and she realized how lucky she had been, how good her life had really been once she saw her mates. He'd been through so much...suffered so much, struggled and hidden behind a hard facade, a heart that was battered and hungry for love, acceptance...love she would give him...no more loneliness,never would he know that again, Gods help him whether he wanted it or not with her family he absolutely would never know it again. He wanted family...she was smiling, leaning up into him, kissing him soft and deep, she would give him a big family, happily bear him all the hatchlings he could ever want.
Gajeel was drinking his mate in, feeling her, all of her, overwhelmed by her, she was the sun, bright and vivacious, bursting with so much life and energy, she'd dealt with loss, too much of it, and no wonder she'd been afraid...he kissed her back...Gods she had 6 brothers and a sister and a Father that would never let his now son in law rest, that was wanted family too, a big one, heavens help him but it thrilled him as much as it sent chills all through him, or maybe it was her sucking on his neck, starting to roll her hips into him.
"My Turn…" She growled and Gajeel was pleasantly surprised to find his mate plenty strong enough to throw him right off of her, pin him to the bed and start kissing all down his chest, nipping at his pierced nipples and making him hiss, her hands playing with his lower piercings, assuring he was plenty hard before she lined herself up and sank down on him, thrilling him with the sight of her sitting up and running her hands up her body and over her full soft breasts until his own hands were seeking them out greedily while she started riding him...he had no time from then on to even think about anything but her...Levy,Jet, Fairy Tail, all of it farther away with every roll of Emzadis beautiful body.
