Cobra's P.O.V

Well…this is fucking weird. I'm willingly touching someone. I look to my left, at the strange woman I have my arm wrapped around. I thought once we exited the guild that'd I have let go of her, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. She doesn't speak as she leads us to her place. I don't mind it though. Silence is always nice. I never get a moment of silence, not when everyone is talking and their souls are screaming. It's a nightmare. But here, with Azalea. It's pleasant. She isn't speaking, but I can still hear her soul, I enjoy the sounds of it. It has this extreme calming effect on me.

I pull her closer into me. I can't help it. I like feeling her next to me. I hear her chuckle softly at my actions. I smirk. I take a deep inhale, and let out an unexpected groan. Her scent is mind blowing. She smells of small hints of iron that's being over powered by the scent of hemlock and wolfs-bane. My favorite poisonous plants. It's intoxicating. I snort. I just made a punny. Ha, and another one.

Azalea turns her head to look at me, raising an eyebrow at me questioningly. I just shake my head.

"You know," I speak softly. "Our instincts aren't going to allow us to just be friends." She shrugs her shoulders.

"I just don't want a mark right now. It's a serious thing. It ties us together so forcefully and…I like my freedom. Though that's already hampered a little because we won't be able to go anywhere without the other."

I frown. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come to Fairy Tail. If I would have known I would have stayed away."

Azalea stops walking. She whirls in my arm to face me. Her green eyes are wide, and I can see a hint of hurt in her gaze. Was I wrong to say that? I just don't want to stifle her. I'm not good enough for her anyways.

"Why would you say that?" She asks lowly. If not for my senses I wouldn't have been able to hear her. "I know not everyone wants a mate…but would I really be that bad? I know I'm not pretty…and you don't know anything about me, but we wouldn't be mates if we weren't the perfect other half to each other…would I really be so awful for you?" My one eye widens at what she said. That wasn't what I was thinking at all.

I can smell it before I see it. Salt. Oh fuck, I'm making her cry! I start to panic inside. What am I supposed to say? I don't know how to deal with crying girls!

I pull her into me in a hug. "It's not that. I don't want you to be forced to be with me. You don't know me. I'm not a good guy. I haven't been in years. I don't know if I was ever good. And please don't say things like that about yourself. You are beautiful. Not just on the outside, but your soul sings the sweetest melody, the most beautiful sounds. Any one would be lucky to have you as a mate. You're just unlucky to have me as one."

She looks at me, her pretty green eyes wet with tears. She has a frown on her face, one I wish I could make go away. "You aren't bad, Erik." With that she places her lips against my cheek and pulls away. She loops her arm around mine and continues to lead me to her place.

Gajeel P.O.V

I roar as Cobra and Azalea leave the guild. I can't control my anger. I feel a small hand on my arm, but shrug it off. "Gajeel?" The soft voice speaks. God damn it Shrimp. She need's to back off.

"Not now, Shrimp." I seethe.

"But Gajeel, what's wrong?" She never knows when to stop.

"Leave it alone." I growl again. I try to reel in my anger. I don't want to hurt her.

"Gajeel, I don't understand why your so upset about her!" Her voice raises a little bit. I growl again. I can't help it. That's my damn sister, why doesn't Levy get that?

"She's my fucking sister, Shrimp!"

I hear her huff in annoyance. Ever since my sister came to the guild after we came back from Tenrou, Levy has been so fucking stand offish towards her. She's gotten really clingy as well.

"I don't see why that matters." Levy speaks. "She obviously doesn't care about what you think. I don't understand why you let her rule you like this. She has you wrapped around her little finger like a dog."

I roar. I turn my face to Levy's and she looks scared but I don't care right now. "I told you to drop it, Shrimp. She's my fucking sister. I'll be damned if I let anything or anyone hurt her." With that said I storm out of the guild.

I groan entering my house. My anger hasn't gone away yet, and before I realize it, I've extended my arm into the far end of my house. I let out a roar of anger. Why? Why does she have to have a mate? She's supposed to be my innocent little sister forever. She isn't supposed to grow up. I get why she was angry at me, and I can accept that. Her and Cobra though? I don't think I can. Fuck. She can't even fight the bond either. It just had to be another dragon slayer. At least I can ignore my mate so I don't fuck her up with my shit. He can't ignore it. Cobra is going to ruin her.

I walk farther into my house, pulling off my shirt. It's so damn hot. I flop onto the couch in my living room and close my eyes, letting my arm rest against my forehead. I hate all this pre-destined shit. Why the hell do we even have to have mates? It's all fucked up!

Peeking open my eyes and glancing out the window, I notice it's slowly starting to get dark. Another hour and the stars will be out. I take a deep breath just barely catching a scent of vanilla and strawberries. What the hell is she doing out here? Before I can sit up, there's a knock on my door. What the hell? Getting up I make my way to my front door. Opening it revels the blond haired, brown eyed mage. She's missing her usually bright smile though.

"What do you want, Bunny Girl?" I ask gruffly.

She plasters a smile on her face. "I thought you might want some company." She says softly. "I saw what happened at the guild."

I groan. Of course she did. "If I wouldn't talk to Shrimp, what makes you think I'd talk to you?"

She just keeps smiling. "I never said anything about talking. There's a hill near your house. I go there a lot to watch the stars." I know she does that. At least once a week. I can always smell her. "There's a meteor shower tonight. I thought maybe you would join me. No talking necessary. I even have food, and some iron." She gestures to a picnic basket in her hands. There's a blanket over her arm.

She looks hopeful; I can't bring myself to say no. "Sure, Bunny Girl. Just let me grab a shirt." Her eyes widen and her face flushes as if she's just now realizing I don't have one on. Gihi.

I walk into my house and grab the shirt I tossed in the hallway. I quickly put it on and walk out of my house. Lucy smiles at me. We walk in silence as we make our way to the hill. I hear a rustle and a small grunt as she adjusts the wicker basket in her arms. Shifting my eyes towards Bunny Girl I notice her struggle a little bit. Without a word I grab the basket from her. Feeling the heavy weight of it I look at her in surprise.

"What the hell you got in here, Bunny Girl?"

Her face flushes. "Virgo gave me pure celestial iron. It's better then the iron on Earthland, it's also a lot heavier and denser. One small brick is like 50 pounds and I have three in there. Plus food and drinks."

"Damn Bunny. You made it look like it was nothing carrying it."

She frowns slightly. "I'm not weak."

When did I say that? "I never said you were weak, Bunny Girl."

She smiles at me.

We make it to the top of the hill by my house. Maybe cliff is a better term. I live on the outskirts of Magnolia. I don't like being bothered. From up here we can see the entire town. I go to the tree at the top and set the basket down. Bunny Girl follows me and stretches the blanket out on the grass before sitting down on it. With a small grunt I sit beside her. Watching her as she starts to get things out of the basket. She grabs a few plates and sets them in front of her, before taking out a large foot long sub, she sets that on the plate next to me. She grabs a smaller sub and sets it on her plate along with some pasta salad. She puts double the amount on the plate I'm assuming is mine. Then out comes three small cubes of iron, I inhale the scent and groan at how delicious it smells. Bunny giggles.

I start to reach for one of the cubes, but before I can grab it, there's a hard slap on my hand. I growl lowly and look at the blond mage. "Not yet!" She scolds me with a large smile on her face.

She slips her hand back in the basket and pulls out two wine glasses. "Bunny, I'm not one for wine."

"Oh, you'll like this wine! Virgo made it special. It's liquid iron mixed with wine. She swears you'll like it!"

She pulls out two bottles of wine, a red wine for her, and a silver one, which looks like just what she said. Liquid iron.

"Gihi, are you trying to seduce me Bunny?" I tease.

Her face goes bright red, "What? N..n..no!" She waves her hands frantically in front of her.

I grunt. "Well it's working. Gihi."

Her face gets redder if that's even possible.

"With all this special iron you got for me, what would you have done had I said no?" It doesn't seem like it was just a whim for her to ask me to go with her. She had this planned.

"I would have had Virgo knock you out and bring you." She says with an extremely straight face. Is she being serious? Then a grin breaks out on her face and she lets out the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard.

She pours me a glass of the iron wine and hands it to me, then pours herself some of hers. She holds her glass out towards me and I do the same to her. "To a relaxing night under the stars." She whispers, her voice almost getting lost in the slight breeze. She lightly clinks our glasses together and takes a small sip of her wine. I do the same.

"Holy shit, Bunny! You'll need to tell that spirit of yours to keep my house stocked with this shit."

She giggles at my reaction. I couldn't help it. That is some of the purest iron I have ever tasted in my life. Metalicana never even got me iron that amazing. Shrimp can't even conjure such amazing iron. Bunny Girl is spoiling me.

"When's this meteor shower start?" I question her. She places her finger on her chin in thought before brushing her hand against one of her keys.

"Horologium says we still have an hour! Plenty of time to eat."

With that said we start digging into our food. We don't speak, but that's okay. I've never been a talker. As I eat my sub, I watch Bunny Girl. She's so calm. She's always been so calm around me. Even when I first joined the guild. She was never afraid of me. I don't understand it. What I put her through…how is she so relaxed? As I finish my food, I set the plate into the basket and decide to try these Celestial Iron cubes. Grabbing one I take a bite out of it, causing me to let out a groan of pleasure.

Bunny Girl smiles at me, "Is it good?"

I nod. " Very." I quickly devour the rest of the cubes. With a satisfied groan I lay back on the blanket. One arm under my head the other resting on my stomach. After a few moments of hearing Bunny Girl moving around, I feel her lay next to me, not touching me, but next to me. We lay there and just stare at the stars waiting for the shower to start.

I feel her nudge me, when I look over to her, she points up at the sky, and I follow her finger to a small cluster of stars. "See those there? That's Virgo." She smiles as she speaks.

"Make sure you tell her thanks for me." I respond gruffly.

She sighs happily. "Why'd you bring me here, Bunny?" I ask looking at her. She returns my gaze.

"It'll sound stupid if I try and explain it."

I raise a studded eyebrow at her, "Try me."

She looks away from me, a small red tint on her cheeks. "It's weird. After you left the guild. I felt this weird tug in my chest. It made me worried. I just knew that maybe you needed company. I don't know why. I just felt it." She chuckles. "I told you it'd sound stupid."

"Not stupid at all, Bunny Girl." I mumble softly. Can she really feel the bond? It's impossible. I never marked her. I try and say away from her really. I don't get it.

"Oh look! It's starting!" She squeals with excitement. Pointing at the sky again, I once more follow her finger. I smile slightly watching a bright light shoot across the sky.

I turn my gaze back to Bunny Girl, back to Lucy…I don't think I've ever actually called her by her name. Come to think about it, I think I'm the only one she doesn't yell at for giving her a nickname. I watch as her face lights up, while she's gazing at the sky. I can't turn away from her. I can't bring my self to look away from Bunny Girl in order to watch the meteor shower.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Bunny whispers.

"Yeah, Bunny Girl, beautiful." If only she knew that I wasn't talking about the stars, or the meteors, but her. My beautiful Bunny Girl. Without thinking I use my free arm and wrap it around her, pulling her into me. She doesn't speak, just curls into my side, resting her head on my chest. I hold her close to me.

"Can I ask you something Gajeel?" She sounds nervous.

"Anything, Bunny."

"Do you have a mate?"

I sigh, "Yeah, I do."

I feel her tense slightly. "Is it Levy?"

"No." As soon as I say no her body relaxes and I feel her nuzzle into me more. I kiss the top of her head so lightly I don't think she can feel it, at least I hope she can't. We lay in silence as the meteor shower continues. There's so many falling from the sky. It really is pretty cool. No wonder Bunny is so obsessed with the stars and shit.

I get lost watching it. Is this how she feels? Relaxed, calm, and lost from all her troubles, when she looks at the stars and the meteors. It's pretty impressive that something like this can make everything seem…ok. When the meteors stop falling, I realize just how lost in time I had become. It seemed like it only lasted a few seconds, but I know it was longer than that, at least an hour, but probably more like two. Looking down at Bunny Girl I realize she's fallen asleep. When did that happen?

I move, trying not to wake her. Getting out from under her, I notice her shivering slightly. It does get a little chilly at night. I wrap her up in the blanket, before moving an arm under her shoulders and one under her legs, and lift her up. God damn she's light. With the way that Happy and Natsu always complain about her weight I thought it might actually be a little tough to hold her. But she barely weighs a thing. I glance at the picnic basket and shrug I'll grab it tomorrow.

Slightly adjusting Bunny Girl in my arms, so her head is resting against my shoulder, I start the short trek to my house. I really hope she doesn't mind staying at my place. I'd rather her get mad at me for keeping her at my place, then for breaking into her apartment. She complains enough about her team doing it.

I kick my front door open trying to be quiet. Thank Mavis, Lily isn't here right now or he'd be asking way to many questions. I push the door closed again with my shoulder. I groan. I'm gonna have to sleep on the couch.

Going into my bedroom. I slowly place Bunny Girl on my bed. I watch her for a moment, and lightly move a piece of hair out of her face. With a sigh I stand up, and move to make my way to the living room. I feel a hand grasp my wrist. I turn around to see Bunny Girl with her eyes open. "Don't leave me, Gajeel." She pulls my arm forcing me close to the bed. "Please?"

"Alright Bunny Girl."

I pull my shirt off and slip into bed with her, pulling her into me once more. She snuggles against me and sighs contently. Within seconds her breathing is evened out again and she's sleeping. "Goodnight…Lucy."