Acceptance

It was the dead of winter, and Levy was cooped up in her den. Gajeel's scales were doing wonders at keeping the cold at bay. Currently, a blizzard was raging outside, yet it felt nice and toasty inside her den. Levy only went outside for more wood.

Gajeel was still bringing her gifts. No more berries, but they were still nice gifts. Freshly killed rabbits, a pile of animal furs, a pot of stew that was still steaming hot. He left them all right outside her den where she would see them when she went for more wood. He seemed to always know when she would go to bring more wood in, too, as the hot food he left for her was always still steaming hot when she found it.

He really wasn't giving up, even in this harsh winter. Levy admired his tenacity. Not only that, but he was appealing to her instincts, showing her that he could provide for her even when food was scarce. He was trying to prove to her that he was a worthy mate. It was impressive… and she had to admit that the prospect of accepting was starting to sound more and more appealing…

But she would then remember that she wasn't supposed to make this easy for him. He'd pissed her off by taking her land from her. If he truly wanted to court her, he needed to do something truly impressive to catch her attention.

Well… in the dead of winter, he did just that.

Levy went for more wood one morning, and she froze as she saw what Gajeel's gift today was. It was a basket full of ripe berries. In the dead of winter... How on earth?!

She stared at that basket for a good while, trying to figure out if it was real or not. They smelled real, and they smelled fresh. But how could this be? Did it matter? It was berries in the middle of winter! Her favorite treat, which she'd been deprived of for months now, it was really there. And she was so conflicted on what to do. She wanted those berries… but did she want the consequences of accepting them?

Did she want to court Gajeel? She'd been trying to make him work for it… but he clearly had worked hard, if he'd managed to bring her fresh berries in the middle of winter. And he was a fine specimen of a male. He'd been proving to her all winter that he could provide for her. He was strong, too, he could protect her and any offspring they might have. And he… he really wasn't so bad. He'd gifted her with his scales, after all, and he had not harmed her even when she was trying to harm him. He… he would be a good mate.

It wasn't just the berries that made up her mind. It was everything else. The berries just helped.

And they were delicious.

Levy was not surprised when Gajeel was waiting for her the next time she went to get wood. His proud grin made her blush as she looked up at him. She wasn't sure what to say, and her heart was racing in her chest. She'd accepted his offer to court. She knew what she'd done when she'd done it. She was willing to court him… but she didn't know what happened now… because courting was controlled by the male once the female accepted.

Levy finally got tired of the awkward silence… so she asked the question she'd been dying to ask since she found the berries. "How did you get me fresh berries?"

"I grew them." Came his amused answer, much to her surprise. He… grew them? In the middle of winter?

"How?"

"I'll show ya." He grinned, extending his hand. Levy hesitated momentarily, but her curiosity won out. She accepted his hand, letting him pull her into his arms. He took to the air with her, his body heat keeping her warm in the cool air. Levy couldn't help but blush. She'd never been so close to a male before, and this one smelled so nice. He smelled of cedar smoke and iron, with a musky undertone… such a unique scent. It made her feel warm and… safe…

Gajeel flew with her in his arms with ease, taking her to the far side of the valley, where there were a few steam geysers. The hot steam kept the area around it warm and free of snow… and it was surrounded by green despite the harsh winter. Near the geysers, there were many, many berry bushes. All young, but old enough that berries were already growing. Gajeel had planted the berries she'd refused, knowing that they would grow in this area even in winter. He had planned on surprising her with the berries in the dead of winter in hopes that she would accept his offer. It had worked wonders.

"This is amazing." Levy said in awe as Gajeel set her down to let her walk through all the berry bushes. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, hell he'd even planted strawberries. And was that… "A cherry tree?" Levy gasped at seeing the tree in the middle of the geyser field.

"A cherry tree." Gajeel chuckled, taking her hand and dragging her over to the large tree. He'd scooped it out from the ground and replanted it here. Ripe cherries hung from its branches, waiting to be picked and eaten. Levy could only stare at Gajeel in awe. He'd done all this to impress her? To get her to court him? He really would make a good mate…

"What… w-what happens now?" Levy found herself asking the male. He turned amused eyes to her, and pulled her back into his arms. She blushed but didn't resist as he rubbed his face against hers. It was a scent mark. A way for other dragons to know that they were courting. It would have to be renewed often, and the longer they courted the thicker his scent would be on her. When they mated there would be no more need to the marking, because his scent would always be on her, and hers would always be on him.

"We will court until you mature." Gajeel told her, keeping her in his arms after marking her. "We can go nice and slow until then. I won't rush you." He vowed, surprising her. She had almost expected him to want to jump right into physical activities, which they could do while courting. But… he was going to go slow? Truly? "Yer young and untouched… and I don't want my mate to resent me." Gajeel smirked, answering her unasked question of why.

"Thank you." Was all Levy could think to say. She was blushing furiously, but she was so happy. This male… he really would be a good mate, after all, if he was taking such care with her and her feelings. She knew, then, that he would take good care of her. She… she should have accepted sooner…

It's been a while since I updated. So sorry guys! This month has been hella busy for me, but I'm getting back into my groove now. Expect updates on most of my stories soon.

Thanks so much for your patience and please, please comment. Tell me how I'm doing.

Thanks for reading!

-Nerdy12