Rust
Chapter 7 - Amor
"Suits you, being out here like this."
Gajeel faltered in his pace, Xally's shorter legs striding ahead as she kept moving, blonde braid swaying against her shoulders as she walked.
"Eyy? Ye can't jus' be sayin' somethin' like tha' without an expl'nation."
They'd been on the road for almost a week, back to the achingly family routine of walk all day, stop for the night... Rinse and repeat for every cycle of the sun since they'd left Craistël on Tuesday. Xally had no complaints - contrary to Gajeel's early assessment, she was no princess and actually enjoyed the outdoors; the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, the chance to slow down and enjoy the world around her. Plus, the deep tan of Gajeel's bare arms was hardly unpleasant to look at, and the sight of him so at ease in his surroundings, so comfortable within himself, was a thoroughly refreshing sight.
Gajeel couldn't help but smirk down at her, crimson eyes meeting with crystal blue as he caught her staring. He opened his mouth to say something asinine, the Dragon slamming it closed again, telling him to enjoy the moment and not make a mess of things yet again.
"Ain't all tha' used ta bein' 'round people still. Spent so long on me own, guess towns still make me jumpy."
"I like the wilds too. Feels like I can breathe, hear myself think." The smile she gave him was blinding, almost eclipsing the sunshine they walked beneath, and it caused his heart to clench painfully, the words he so desperately wanted her to hear choking and dying in his throat, still too hateful of the person he had been to give them breath, settling for squeezing her slender fingers in his gloved hand, stepping closer to her warmth.
"Suits ya - yer kinda wild yerself."
"Haearn, you have no idea." Xally winked up at him, skipping free of his grasp and dancing ahead, twirling with her hands held to the clouds. She was in high spirits, despite their circumstances, the clear sky and dew lingering on the grass blessings enough for her on a fine spring morning. They had a destination; a contact waiting for them who Xally was exceedingly eager to see; had narrowly evaded discovery - according to Connagh, their safe house had been raided and ruined not more than two hours after their departure - and they had the path completely to themselves.
Gajeel couldn't help the smile the stretched across his usually stern face, the warmth blooming in his chest was still a new feeling, but very much welcomed. The more time he spent in the company of the spirited water mage, the less he felt like hating himself was worth the energy - energy he could be spending on her instead. Watching her spin and frolic just out of his reach had the weight on his shoulders feeling lighter, the steel bands around his chest loosening so he could draw deep of the spring air, tasting the fragrance of new blooms as they blossomed beside the road, the scent of Xally herself filling his senses and searing itself into his brain, sweeter and more yearned for than any metal in existence.
They walked in comfortable silence, hands never straying far from reach, until the wind picked up as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Now thoroughly attuned to each other, it took practically no time and minimal conversation for them to find and agree on a place to settle for the night, well practiced teamwork making short work of setting up camp.
As the sky darkened from rosy pinks and violet purples into midnight blue and black, stars twinkling with mischief overhead, Xally snuggled in tightly under Gajeel's arm, savouring the heat that radiated from his body and the warm glow of the fire at their feet.
"I miss home."
"Ye jus' be missin' those rugrats o' yer brothers, I know ya."
"You say that like you don't?"
"Ye kiddin' me? Kills me tha' we're missin' out on watchin' Bicks flounder'n." There was no mistaking the teasing tone his Gajeel's voice, and it comforted her to know that he at least understood what it was to miss children, lament losing their childhood, even when they did not belong to you.
"Maybe we should call?"
"Xal, y'know we can't be doin' tha' right now. In Caesalpinia, maybe."
"Mmm, maybe." She sighed, turning her attention fully to the darkened face of the man at her side, shadows dancing across the sharp angles of his jaw and cheekbones, firelight warming the cold steel of the piercings dotting his features. "Gods you're handsome."
"Alrigh' annwyl, I think ye done ready fer bed." Gajeel's voice was warm, affectionate, his hands scratchy under Xally's fingers as he pulled her to her feet, spinning her under his arm in guidance to their bedroll.
They'd done away with the added weight, the pretense, of carrying secondary bedding. There'd been no point, they hadn't spent a night away from the embrace of each other since that first day in Craistël. And as he watched her under the starlight, fingers and eyes aglow, her movements reminiscent of a ballerina as she drew the remnants of damp from the timber piled beside the fire stones, guiding it back to the earth, moon flowers gleaming with the added moisture she'd gifted them.
"Gods annwyl, yer breathtakin'."
"I love you too, Gajeel."
For the second time that day, the words clawed their way up his chest only to die before they were given life, the Dragon railing at the ineptitude of men to share their feelings.
The morning dawned clear, the faintest touches of a frost over the clearing sparkling under the marigold sky, and Xally was grumpy. Specifically she was cold, stiff from a night spent without movement on ground compacted into firm earth, and shivering under the covers because Gajeel had risen with the sun and taken the heat that radiated from his body away from her.
"C'mon, gotta surprise fer ya."
The sound of his voice at her ear made her jump near out of her skin, heart hammering wildly in her chest from the fright, and Xally was rapidly transitioning from cranky to mad as hell. Regardless, she pulled on unlaced boots and stomped along behind the footprints Gajeel pressed into the damp grass.
She wanted to stay mad, to hold onto her anger and let it fuel the morning, but as she stepped down the stony path into the glade, Xally found she simply couldn't keep a grip on precisely why she'd been in such a foul mood. In fact, it was hard to feel anything but awe as she gazed at the pool in the rockery before her, and the earnest smile on Gajeel's face.
"How did you -?" She breathed deeply, the steam curling around as if recognising her as its own kind, bidding her welcome and drawing her in.
"D'ya like it? Found't last night, thought ye might wan'ta see it."
"It's beautiful." She moved as she spoke, voice barely a whisper, shedding clothing with every step so that she was completely bare the second her toes stepped beneath the surface, ripples disturbing the glass of still waters as she walked deeper, stopping only when she was deep enough to sit comfortably and soak, the warm spring waters chasing away any remnants of vexation.
"Joining me, or are you scared you'll rust?"
The sensation of azure irises boring down to his souls snapped Gajeel out of his reverie, mouth closing into a knowing smirk as he too shed his clothing and stepped into the spring, opting to dive under the surface and come up for air somewhere near the centre of the naturally formed bath.
"Comin' out?" The look that flashed across her features, slightly flushed from the thermal heat, left him thoroughly confused and with an overwhelming urge to apologize, although for what Gajeel had no idea.
"I... I can't." Xally drew her knees to her chest, chin resting on the just above the surface of the water, so that it cast silvery reflections on pale skin.
"Whaddya mean ye canny?"
"I can't swim."
The words were muffled, Xally's lips pressed against skin as though she were attempting to swallow her confession in embarrassment.
"Yer a water mage, an' ye canny swim?" Gajeel was astonished, of all the things he'd been expecting her to say, the fact that she was completely inept at moving through the very element she had control of was not even in the stratosphere of possibilities he'd considered.
"I know the theory! I just, I don't - I don't float."
The hand he held out to her was steady, grip strong as ever, vermilion eyes begging for her trust, and Xally took it all. Fingers clasped together, she trusted him with her very life, letting him pull her out into water so deep she couldn't see the bottom.
"I got'n ya, annwyl. Yer safe with me, ain't gonna let anythin' happen ta ye."
He was so earnest, something in his eyes so truthful, pupils shifting slightly as they bore into hers, the voice resonating in Xally's ears neither solely that of Gajeel nor the Dragon.
"Yer ours, dywysoges. An' we gon' take care o' ya. F'rever."
From anyone else, under any other circumstances, those words could be considered a threat - an unwise thing to make to a water wizard in the middle of her element - but coming from the man holding her tight, from the Dragon who's adoration shone clearly? It was a promise, one that stole her breath and her thoughts, leaving Xally with only the instinct to lean down and press her lips to his, sealing the bond with a kiss.
The remainder of the walk towards Caesalpinia was without incident, a welcome respite from the calamity they'd narrowly avoided, and the chaos of the unknown they were heading into, Xally's excitement growing with every step she took closer to the northern city.
"Doireann!"
Gajeel watched as blonde hair went flying, the pale limbs of his partner leaping and colliding with the solid tanned form of a woman, their embrace one of familiarity and friendship.
"Xally Pradesh, as I live an' breathe. Girl, let me be lookin' at you right now!"
"You look good, Doire!"
"Honey, you know it. Speakin' of good lookin', who's the hunk?" She leant around Xally's shorter frame, eyes travelling up and down Gajeel's form in an appreciative manner.
"Hands off lady, that one's all mine."
"Hey, handsome - she ain't scared ya off yet?"
"No ma'am. Gajeel Redfox, pleased t' be meetin' ye." He stuck his hand out in greeting, unexpectedly finding himself pulled tight against a feminine chest by a grip that was far stronger than he'd anticipated.
"Honey, if she ain't run you off yet, you're practically family. Come on, follow me!"
Xally linked arms with the taller woman, falling in step beside her as they walked, chatting animatedly as Gajeel followed close behind, mentally tracking their path and making note of landmarks, of scents and sounds, as they wound through the centre of the town, ending on a quiet street adjacent to the only medical clinic in the area.
"Good thing it's close, knowin' all the drama you be gettin' yourself into, sugar!"
"Ya mean Xal's always been kin ta findin' trouble?"
"You talk funny, Redfox. Anyone ever tell ya that? And yup, girls always been like this, long as I've known her anyway."
"Oh shush, Doire. You're one to talk, always causing the trouble!" Xally laughed, the sound music in Gajeel's ears as he resumed trailing the women, following them up the chiselled stone steps and into the house adjacent the doctors building, carefully closing and latching the door behind him.
"Rooms are down the hall, and I'll have no funny business in my house."
"She's joking haearn. I think."
For what felt like the first time in hours, Xally slipped her hand into his, Gajeel's whole body lighting up at the contact. Closing the door, he dropped his pack and gathered her into his arms, kisses almost desperate as the Dragon, too, lamented the loss of her undivided attention and affections, Gajeel near shaking with the effort of maintaining his control, the air vibrating with the power bleeding through the cracks in his restraint.
"Breathe, fy ddraig. I'm here, I'm yours."
Focussing on her voice, on the feel of soft hands stroking his jaw, on the intoxicating scent of her, Gajeel slowly clawed back the Dragon, who unhappily relinquished it's hold over the body they shared, the effort leaving him trembling, exhausted and frightened.
"Hey, it's okay. Just keep breathing, keep your eyes on mine." Xally slowed her breath, pacing it in time with his, giving Gajeel something concrete to focus on, to aim for, even as her hands worked over the tense muscles in his jaw, fingers faintly aglow as she worked to relax every part of him, their foreheads resting together.
"Hey, who's... Never mind! Y'all can come explain everythin' to me when you're done with whatever this is." Doireann closed the door as suddenly as she'd opened it, laughing to herself as she headed down the hall - she hadn't intended to interrupt them, really was only concerned about the sudden shift in the ether that came from old power, but watching her wild and carefree friend so calm and stoic truly was the shock of a lifetime.
Mere minutes later, Gajeel and Xally entered the kitchen hand in hand, neither one showing any signs of embarrassment or sheepishness at the interruption of what had so clearly been an intimate moment.
"Y'all better not have been doing somethin' I'm gon' need Uncle Arman for."
"It's not like that, Doire."
"Is my fault, sorry'm. Prone ta slips in control 'round this'n." Gajeel's eyes were warm, tiny smile quirking a corner of his lips as he gazed down at the blonde under his arm, drawing her in closer to his side.
"M'kay, I'll pay you that, she's definitely vexxing. Don't quite figure what that's gotta do with you puttin' out so power it damn near shook the house apart?"
"Well, y'see, th' Dragon an' me, we ain't always get along. Sometimes, he ken ta push through, an' I guess anyone who knew anythin' 'bout magic be ken ta feelin' it."
Doireann had the good sense to keep her mouth closed, it was hardly polite to gawk at the strange man her friend had brought home - especially when he could rip her limb from limb in mere seconds. Instead, she focused wide eyes on Xally, who at least managed to squirm a little under the intensity of the stare.
"Xally, you're a smart woman, a gifted wizard, a good sister... And you fell in love with a DRAGON SLAYER?"
"Tried ta tell 'er t'was a dumb thing ta do, but ye oughta know Xal enough ta know she ain't like ta listen."
"Okay, number one - I can't believe no one has told you that you're impossible to understand. Secondly - how is it that you two, of all people, ended up three countries from home and all loved up instead of workin'? And C - how bloody old are you Redfox?"
"They have, but'n ta answer yer third question, somewhere'n 'round 327, give or take. We are workin' - ain't be lookin' fer anythin' but answers, rest ken wait, an' we're here t'gether 'cause Xal's gotta a brood o' gossips fer a fam'ly."
"Hold up. You trying to tell me that not only is your boyfriend the world's most disconnected Dragon Slayer ever - shush, I'll fix you later - but he's also the best looking three hundred year old guy EVER? Xally Emcillia Pradesh, you really know how to pick 'em." Doireann had to laugh at the absurdity of the entire situation, because only her friend could inadvertently find herself smack in the middle of a situation this ridiculous. They'd always gotten themselves into - and out of - plenty of mischief, but there no denying the way Xally seemed to attract trouble like a magnet.
"Hey, whoa for a second. You're saying you can fix Gajeel?"
"Ye say'n tha' like I'm broke!"
I'M SORRY!
I know, I'm like 4 days late! I'm drowning in assignments for school, but I'm doing my best!
Anyway, I'm excited to be introducing my first fully fledged OC. She's a funny one, and I'm keen to see how the dynamic works when she's around, needling the two of them.
Nic - me too! I just want these precious beans to be happy!
Rao - I think Kaleb's going to be notorious for this kind of stuff. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
Dragonfly - thank you! It's a struggle, and I'm really making an effort to be more emotive and evocative in my writing - I'm glad it's paying off!
As always, I'm keen for your feedback and your ideas! Stay safe everyone.
Much love
- A.V xxx