"I fucking hate Cana," Laxus growled, keeping huddled underneath a tree to stay out of the rain whilst Gajeel snapped branches and tied them together to make a hasty shelter.

"Says the S-Class wizard who didn't come prepared in case she was wrong," Gajeel muttered angrily.

"When is Cana ever fucking wrong besides when she wants to be?" Laxus huffed, suppressing an angry current that was threatening to ignite the humid air around them.

"Piss her off lately?" Gajeel smirked, propping the makeshift shelter against a tree so he could gather needles for the roof.

"Hell if I know," Laxus griped, quickly transferring himself underneath Gajeel's hasty shelter. Gajeel slid off his coat and draped it over the roof, adding to the rain protection. He didn't bother to ask Laxus to donate his own to the cause since having a wet coat would probably short circuit him as much as the rain would. Finally, Gajeel plopped heavily on the ground outside of the shelter, taking off his shirt and throwing it with Laxus under the eaves.

"You staying out in the rain?" Laxus crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Iron and Electricity don't mix well," Gajeel mumbled, laying on his back under a tree and folding his arms behind his head, "Besides, I ain't gonna rust or anything,"

"Suit yourself," Laxus sighed, tucking his jacket underneath his head as a makeshift pillow. An uneasy silence followed between the two.

Gajeel stared at the heavy branches and watched as the rain dripped down around him. The sweet aromas of the forest were filling the air with weighty smells of bark, pine, and earth. The scents calmed him and let his mind ease from the day's stress. This was why he had wanted to be alone, to not only beat a few skulls without judgment but also to enjoy nature in peace. He wasn't a tree hugger by any means, but being out like this made him miss his days in the wild with Metalicana. He felt nostalgic and at home under the thick branches with the wind rustling through the trees serenely.

"You like it out here?" Laxus's voice interrupted his quiet.

"Yeah," Gajeel sighed, "Helps me to calm down and think."

"You don't seem the type," Laxus's voice was strangely light, like he was joking.

"Watch out. I still haven't forgotten about you flirting with that dame at the hospital," Gajeel smirked; turning onto his side and propping himself up on an arm to face Laxus.

Laxus's eyes were on the roof of the shelter, half-closed with either fatigue or lack of concern Gajeel couldn't tell, "Go on ahead. Mira and I aren't really a thing anyway,"

"Is that so?" Gajeel mused, "That's not what Makarov thinks,"

"Gramps? He wishes," Laxus chuckled, "Nah, he just wants me to settle down. Mira's nice to fuck around with but she gets too clingy,"

"She know that?"

"Yeah. She gets it and she tries but I think we both know it probably won't work. We both have too much of a temper,"

"Devil Woman? Have a temper? What a surprise," Gajeel started fiddling with some twigs on the ground, his eyes searching for something to focus on in the darkness.

"What about you? Don't you have a thing with that blue-haired girl?"

"Levy?" Gajeel's brow furrowed and his bloody eyes quickly shot to Laxus, "What would make you say something like that?"

"She seems to have a thing for you,"

"She does… doesn't she…" Gajeel was silent for a minute and just closed his eyes, "But I couldn't…"

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Laxus was facing him now, his yellow eyes flashing in the dim light.

"Both," Gajeel stated firmly.

"And why is that?"

"She's just too… light,"

"Light?" Laxus snorted.

"Like sunshine," Gajeel's mouth turned up in a sour smile, "And I'm just one of the shadows that still haunts her dreams at night. She's not scared of me anymore but I can tell whenever I get near her she's uneasy. She's waiting for me to show that I haven't changed, that I'm going to relapse and destroy something beyond repair."

"Are you sure that uneasiness isn't just the fact she's a nervous girl around her crush?" Laxus scoffed, "Like some damn kid."

"It has a bitter smell to it," Gajeel's smile faded.

"You can smell fear?" Laxus sniffed, his tone unbelieving.

"Gihi, I like to think of it as one of my more promising qualities," Gajeel smirked over in his direction, "And it's more than just fear."

"I don't believe that for one second," Laxus growled.

"But you're curious," Gajeel's grin spread until his fangs glistened in the dank light. Laxus fell silent and stared, "Natsu can do it, too. I wonder why you don't."

"Probably because I'm not first generation," Laxus said somewhat to himself, "Makes me wonder if I'm at a disadvantage,"

"You probably don't go through the Heat every year, then," Gajeel growled, "Lucky bastard."

"The Heat?" Laxus was looking at the shoddy roof, "What's that?"

"A pain in the ass," Gajeel sat up, stretching out his arms and shaking the rain from his hair. In the dim light, Laxus could still make out the scars that crisscrossed up his arm to decorate his back. They were all large and dark, tender flesh compared to his regular calloused skin. With his bloody eyes looking coolly over his shoulder, it was hard not to see Gajeel as a threat despite knowing how he'd changed. His look was still a rugged one that knew violence and all its darker sides, "Back in the time of the dragons, like any beast they had a mating season. Males fought each other, sometimes to the death, for a mate. What once was a way for the best genetics to be passed on is now just a bloody nuisance. First generation Slayers become violent. They'll actively search out and attack nearby male Slayers and then, naturally, search for a mate."

Laxus wrinkled his nose, "I have a hard time imagining that. Natsu would have done far more damage to Fiore than he already has."

"Igneel and Metalicana both showed us different herbs and ways of coping with it. If you can find a way to get away from people its manageable," Gajeel drawled, running his fingers through his hair, "But it's a hell of a few days."

"And if you can't get away?"

"Well someone's talkative…" Gajeel's mouth curved into a crooked grin, "The first and last time I ever didn't go out of town for it, I was still with Phantom Lord."

"That bad?" Laxus was facing him now, his usual bored façade returning.

"Dragons and Slayers alike have fangs, right?"

"Aye…"

"They ain't just for show. When you're in heat, your body changes. Your fangs make a toxin that when you bite your potential partner, it changes their makeup just slightly to accommodate you," Laxus stared at him blankly and Gajeel huffed, "They can't say no."

"Sounds like rape to me," Laxus growled.

"Like I said, first and last time," Gajeel stretched out on his back once more, "Natsu told me he got caught once. Fortunately for him, no one came around looking for him. As annoying as you Fairies are, you know when your guildmates need their space. Phantom Lord doesn't much care."

Laxus stared at him for a moment, taking in Gajeel's relaxed position and easy breathing, "Would you ever go back?"

"Eh?" Gajeel cracked open one eye at him, his brow creasing in confusion.

"To Phantom Lord,"

Gajeel was silent for a while, closing his eyes again while taking in a slow breath and releasing it before answering, "Nah, I don't think so. I wouldn't have met Juvia but then I'm sure she'd find her way to that Stripper anyway. And as much as it pisses me off to not be the strongest mage in my guild, Phantom Lord was no home. We were all just assets. Fairy Tail is different… caring… even to someone like me. Can't say there are many places like that."

"I guess you're right," Laxus leaned down and turned away. They both fell asleep to the hushing sounds of the light rain.