Hot, everything was so unbearably hot. He couldn't stand the searing in his veins that was spilling through his arteries like a tidal wave of magma. It was leaking through his organs and causing his skin to crawl. He couldn't keep running, his side was leaking the infernal fluid onto the cold stone floor. What was going on? Was he dying?

"What's going on… with me? What is this?!"

"Laxus, calm down…" Gajeel said calmly, the look on his face betraying what his words didn't, "I need to stitch your wound again…"

"Don't touch me!" Laxus punched him in the chest hard, making him fall backwards.

"You just need some fresh air," Gajeel cringed back. Was that fear in his eyes? "That's all. You're going to be fine…"

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Laxus regarded him harshly, fury making lightning spark even harder around him, "Tell me!"

"Laxus, I don't-"

Laxus grabbed him by the collar and flung him against the wall, his fingers constricting harshly around his throat. Gajeel gripped his wrists as tightly as he could. Laxus sent small, sharp volts into his metallic skin. He was made of iron. This was going to hurt, send sparks flying through his entire being as his body acted like the perfect conduit for his magic.

And yet he tried his best not to scream.

"You're going into heat…" Gajeel choked out. His chest was barely moving as it tried in vain to get more oxygen.

"You know I can't," Laxus sent volts into the Iron Slayer's body, making him grunt as he tried not to scream from the pain, "I'm not a real Slayer, remember?"

"Laxus, I can't-"

Laxus sent more electricity into him. He wouldn't call out, only gritted his teeth and arched his back in pain. It enraged him.

"Laxus stop!" Gajeel screamed, his voice choking in his throat as another blast of lightning hit him. Laxus disregarded him. His body was filled to the brim with rage that needed to be released and Gajeel was the perfect person to unleash it all on. His bloody eyes were swimming with pain, his throat bubbling over with the sounds of his anguish despite how he tried to keep it in.

Gajeel screamed as another volt had his body warping from the pain. Finally, Laxus threw him to the other wall of the cave and Gajeel cracked his head against the stone. He had barely lifted himself up when Laxus kicked him in the face, whipping his back to hit the stone wall again. Blood was trickling down his forehead and staining the ground with red. Laxus could smell it; it stung his nose and made him want to spill even more. Another attack had him screaming again, his body bending in unnatural positions as it sought release from the pain.

"Laxus…" he groaned out, "Stop…"

"I'm just gonna calm you down."

God, it feels so good…

Laxus wrenched himself up in bed, his golden eyes wild as they jolted around his dark room searching for a writhing, bleeding body on the floor. Instead of cave walls he saw the hushed light of early morning filtering into his bedroom. He was out of breath, heavy gulps making his chest swell and collapse as his lungs sought oxygen. He stayed like that for a few moments as he tried to calm himself, finally leaning his forehead onto his sweat-covered palms, his disheveled hair brushing around his fingers.

"What the hell…" Laxus breathed quietly, glaring down at the swell under his bed sheets. His member throbbed wantonly, a call to a completely different instinct than what he'd been listening to in his nightmare. When he closed his eyes he could still see Gajeel's ruby eyes glistening up at him, begging for redemption from the hell Laxus had been putting him through. His attacks had been so brutal, bent for taking life and nothing else.

Angrily, Laxus tossed the blankets off of himself and stomped across the morning-chilled house to pull on his clothes and head out the door. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he let the cool breeze chase away what was left of the sleep in his system and headed slowly to the guild.

"Gajeel!" Mirajane smiled sweetly from behind the bar. Gajeel started at her voice, not even realizing she'd been there until just now. He'd been too caught up in staring at the bottom of his mug, his mind wandering to dangerous places. He'd been having vivid dreams lately that left him in a sweat when he woke up the next morning. His restlessness had even made it impossible for Lily to sleep with him anymore, which may have been for the best given the nature of his recent fantasies…

"I have a favor to ask you," she smiled down at him, her white hair spilling down her bare shoulders as she leaned over the bar to better meet his eye level.

"Eh? What is it, devil woman?"

He saw her lip twitch slightly at her nickname, something that made a smirk begin to twist onto his face. But it quickly vanished when she slapped a handful of what looked like sheet music on the bar.

"Tonight is our monthly girl's night," she grinned devilishly at him, "And I wanted entertainment for tonight: a romantic duet by two of our guild's male singers,"

"You hate my singing."

"When did I ever…?"

"You banned me from the stage."

She let out an agitated sigh before continuing, "I'm removing my ban as long as you're ready by 6 o'clock tonight. As an added incentive, you get free booze all night or until I have to kick your ass out because you're disrupting the girls."

"Fine," he growled, snatching up the sheets, "I'll sing your shitty love song. Who's my partner?"

"Oh don't you worry," Mira grinned sweetly, "He'll be ready by tonight."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Gajeel grunted, grabbing his bag and stepping away from the bar.

"Just keep in mind the free alcohol. I'm sure that'll make it ok," she waved dismissively as she picked up a rag and started washing mugs. Gajeel only grunted in reply, but he definitely didn't miss the devilish grin she sent his way when she thought his back was turned.

Gajeel pulled angrily at his bowtie, cursing under his breath as he once again looked over the lyrics to the sappy song Mira had given him. Two mugs of beer before he'd even made it to the stage still wasn't enough to make him not hate singing the damn thing. Surely a woman wrote the damn thing because he was certain no man would have come up with the sickly sweet lyrics on his own. What he couldn't believe was that he was actually going to be singing it. On stage. With another man.

Who could've Mira had suckered into doing that? Actually, what other guy could sing in the entire place? Definitely not Salamander or Stripper. For a brief moment he entertained the thought of Jet or Droy getting on stage but there'd be no way they'd get in front of a crowd, especially not with Levy there watching. They'd lose their shit. So who the hell…?

Gajeel's red eyes cut angrily to the stomping of boots up the side stairs headed for where he was back stage. To his complete and utter surprise, Laxus glided quietly up the stairs wearing matching attire with hair slicked back with mousse that smelled almost fruity. Every here and there a rebellious strand would curl gently away from the others, but it only seemed to make him look like some bad boy trying to look good. Gajeel couldn't stop the snarl that pulled at his lips.

"You're shitting me," he huffed, crossing his arms as Laxus walked past him nonchalantly and started adjusting one of the microphones.

"Think you're the only one in this damn place that can sing?" Laxus's smirked.

"Tch, whatever," Gajeel growled, "Shoulda guessed you'd be into this type of sappy stuff since you're such a pretty boy."

"If I'm not mistaken, you seem to be on this stage too, human lighting rod."

"I'm just in it for the free booze," Gajeel muttered just as Mirajane skipped up onto the stage and took her seat at the piano.

"You boys ready?" she grinned happily, adorned in a sleek black dress that sparkled in the dim 'romantic' lighting.

"As I'll ever be," Gajeel huffed, messing with the mics as the curtains began to pull up exposing a guildhall full of frilly dresses and giggling women. Everyone seemed to be dressed in their best. For a night out, it seemed the girls still needed to impress each other with expensive fabrics and jewelry.

The piano suddenly brought him back and he took a deep breath, his fingers gently grasping the stand in his best actor's performance, swaying gently forward as if to show that his entire heart was in what was about to leave his lips…

"Yes, I do, I believe that one day I will be where I was, right there, right next to you…"

The entire room suddenly hushed, all whispers ceasing as his voice filled the hall. He wanted to smile in victory at how they all were mesmerized by his voice but he knew that would be breaking character.

"Your touch, your skin, where do I begin? No words can explain the way I'm missing you…"

His ruby eyes swept over the crowd, taking in some of the expressions of their faces. He could feel Laxus's gaze on him, taking in his movements as he serenaded the crowd. Well fine, if he wanted to watch let him. He could put on a good show if he wanted to.

"Can I lay by your side? Next to you, you. And make sure you're alright? I'll take care of you. I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight…"

A short pause of just Mirajane caressing the keys before Laxus's voice cut through the silence. His voice sent a chill through Gajeel's spine. He crooned beautifully into the microphone, each syllable dancing through the air and seemingly into Gajeel's soul. He was trying to keep his cool façade but inside his heart was starting to pick up speed.

"I'm reaching out to you, can you hear my call? This hurt that I've been through, I'm missing you, missing you like crazy…"

"Can I lay by your side…"

"Next to you…"

"You…"

"And make sure you're alright?"

Their voices melted together like ice into the sea's warmer waters. It was perfect harmony, filling the room with a sound like lustful heat seeping into the bones of every being in the entire place. His skin felt charged as if the distance between Laxus and him wasn't enough to keep the Lightning Dragon's static at bay. He felt the hair on his arms rise, his spine sending tiny shivers to echo through his bones. Each note that they sent twisting together was tantalizing and seductive in a way so foreign but intriguing to Gajeel.

"Lay me down tonight…"

"Lay me by your side…"

"Woah, Lay me down tonight…"

"Lay me by your side…"

"Can I lay by your side?"

"Next to you."

"You…"

Stricken silence was all there was for one second, two, and then cheers began to come from the tables as the curtains fell on the duet. Gajeel just stood, staring at the red fabric while he calmed himself. For Mavis' sakes he felt like he'd just run a marathon. His breath was shaky and his hands were grasping the stand just a tad too tightly. Even Laxus seemed locked in his place, the song like a strange spell that locked them in place.

"You guys did marvelously," Mirajane smiled as she saddled up to the two of them, "I don't think I've heard a more perfect harmony."

"I don't sing," Laxus replied quickly, stripping off his tux jacket and loosening his bowtie.

"Well you do now," she crossed her arms in amusement as she watched him, her eyes obviously tracing his now exposed arms, "I have to say, I see you in a new light now, Laxus Dreyar."

"You've heard me sing in the shower,"

"Yeah but… this was different," she leaned forward, her long eyelashes batting delicately.

Gajeel felt something angry roll in his stomach, something akin to disgust but too heated to be anything less than jealousy. Immediately he regret the feeling, biting it back as quickly as it had flared up and turning away from Mira's obvious flirting. He tried his best not to stomp down the stairs but his footfalls still seemed to ring out loud and furious in his retreat.

"Better go make use of that open bar…" he growled to himself, passing quietly through the throng of women.