"Hurry the hell up, Juvia. I have things to do."

"But Juvia can't decide! Gajeel was supposed to help Juvia but he's done nothing but make everything worse!"

"I said you looked fine, didn't I?" Gajeel growled from his perch on Juvia's couch, chewing on some iron filings as the blue-haired woman threw yet another dress onto the floor. How many had that been? Ten? Eleven? Hell it could have been more for all he knew. He'd told her time and time again that she looked nice, pretty even, but the strikingly pale woman didn't seem to hear him as she threw another piece of clothing over her shoulders to shimmy over her hips.

"Juvia needs to look better than fine! She's going to get Grey's attention on their date! She has to look perfect!"

Gajeel bit back a snort. He didn't want to mention that their date also happened to be with Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Happy… and was just dinner with a group of friends… and he was probably barely going to speak to her as always…

He just rolled his eyes as she turned in front of her mirror, looking herself up and down, putting her hands on her waist, crossed them in front of her, fluffed her hair, and then sighed emphatically. She cast her gaze to him, pale blue eyes asking the question he still didn't want to answer.

He hooked together two pieces of metal and twisted them together, creating a tiny, intricate spiral, "I liked the other one better."

"Which other one? There's over a dozen here!"

"The purple one."

"Juvia doesn't have a purple dress! Gajeel hasn't been paying any attention at all!" she whimpered, snatching another dress from the closet, "If Gajeel isn't going to help then he might as well go home!"

He glanced over at her.

"You know he doesn't give a shit about what you wear, right? The dumbass barely wears clothes himself."

"I thought Juvia said Gajeel should just go home!" she fumed, crossing her arms and glaring at him through her azure locks. He huffed at her and continued wrapping iron pieces together, "Besides, what would Gajeel know about relationships? He's never been in love before."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out he's an idiot," he quipped back, eyeing her mischievously. The woman was a hopeless romantic, "Besides, love doesn't really have anything to do with picking out a fucking dress."

She smoldered silently, ignoring his comments as she continued looking through her clothes.

Gajeel kept twisting iron, tiny green sparks warping the metal as he wished. He had to keep his hands busy lately, his mind having been wandering places it wasn't welcome. He could feel it building in his stomach every once in a while, a need that was terribly carnal and demanding. As long as he kept active, made sure his mind and hands were always worrying over things, he wouldn't let it distract him. But every once in a while it would sneak up on him, cause a shiver to run down his spine and his eyes to wander places they shouldn't.

Juvia spun around in a tight fitting light blue dress. She looked herself up and down, smiled bashfully and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. The way her head was tilted her waves fell over one shoulder, allowing the shockingly white skin of her neck show. His ruby eyes fell on her, sweeping just once over her figure. She was actually very beautiful. Grey was and idiot. Juvia practically threw herself at him and yet he turned a blind eye to her.

She must have decided she didn't want this dress either because she began gathering up the hem in between her fingers, was drawing it above porcelain knees and lush thighs. He felt a sudden heat flush through his torso, make a sudden drive for his groin. For an instant his spine went straight and his muscles jumped into action. His hands balled into fists and he swallowed audibly.

He forced his eyes down to scowl at his intricate work and held his breath. He focused on each delicate link. So small and detail oriented was his work that he couldn't lose concentration. He made a goal to set five of the tiny ringlets before he let himself breathe again… four… three… two… one…

He let out a slow breath. His heart had slowed its pace once again; the striking heat had eased away. He wasn't looking at the Water Mage, didn't pay attention to the cautious look she was shooting his way. They'd been friends for a very long time and had seen each other at their worst. No one understood Gajeel like Juvia did, not even Lily. She could tell immediately what was going on and slowly closed the door to her closet as she changed once again.

Even from where Gajeel was sitting he could smell her apprehension. It made his stomach knot angrily and he stopped to rub his forehead.

"Gajeel hasn't talked about Laxus in a while," Juvia's voice broke the tense silence and it startled him. His bloody eyes snapped up at her door and he glared at the wood as if it had been what had spoken the words, "Is he doing better?"

"Hell if I know," Gajeel growled, "I'd rather keep my distance."

"I thought Gajeel and Laxus liked each other?"

He resisted the urge to laugh out loud, "Gajeel and Laxus can't stand each other, Juvia. Why the hell would that have changed?"

Juvia emerged in her usual blue outfit, boots pulled up to her thighs and arms and neck covered. She crossed her arms and stood before him, her lips pursed as if she were going to say something but didn't want to. He could tell it was something that made her uncomfortable just by how she was standing. He was already dreading whatever the words were.

"What?" his voice was low and cautious, as if someone in the next room could hear his words.

"Juvia thought Gajeel had been helping Laxus?"

"Not anymore. All it does is end me up…" he trailed off, his cheeks suddenly feeling warmer. Juvia raised an eyebrow at him, "Nevermind."

"Juvia talked to Laxus yesterday."

"…why?" Gajeel suddenly felt apprehensive.

"He seemed very upset. Like he wanted to do something bad to himself."

Gajeel gritted his teeth, "He'll get the hell over it. Just give him a couple days."

"He asked Juvia how she got her scar."

Gajeel froze. His eyes to her neck then, neatly covered by the high collar of her dress. It had taken her coming to Fairy Tail before she finally let her skin show, so self conscious of the blemish and memory behind it that she hid it from everyone at Phantom Lord. But the kindness and accepting nature of the rowdy guild had brought out the self-confidence to show the world her pale skin and she'd been so much happier for it. Gajeel hadn't thought too much about it when she had started wearing her high collared dresses again, but now he felt stupid for not noticing.

"What did you say?" he was looking down at his hands again, weaving in and out, in and out, an intricate little chain forming in his hands. He tried to act like it didn't faze him, like what had happened so many years ago no longer bothered him, but his voice came out smaller than he had wanted it to. He felt like the nauseous feeling in his gut was going to slowly eat him alive.

"Juvia told him the truth."

Gajeel bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted iron. He didn't look up at her, just kept working on, trying to convince himself that he shouldn't be feeling how he was. He shouldn't want the earth to suddenly swallow him alive. If Juvia was willing to talk about it to someone, then clearly she had come to terms and moved on. Actually, he knew she had. She had done so a long time ago.

He hadn't.

"Laxus remembers what happened,"

Her voice was full of concern and remorse and so many things that Gajeel didn't want to think about.

"Juvia thinks maybe Gajeel needs to talk to him."

"I ain't having anything to do with him. Maybe the bastard will finally leave me alone."

"Juvia thinks Gajeel is being overly cruel."

"Yeah?" he made eye contact with her then. She was standing in front of him, arms crossed, a disappointed look in her pale eyes, "Why the hell should I care?"

"How did Gajeel feel, when it was him in Laxus's place?"

Gajeel felt a harsh pang run through his heart. He remembered it so vividly. Juvia came into his room, eyes worried and innocent and having no idea why he was hurling insults at her as if she'd just killed his best friend. He remembered how she had screamed when he came after her, silver scales glittering in the dim light and angry hands grabbing her wrists while she tried to get away from him.

He shut his eyes against the images he was seeing, the angry remorse making his stomach roll dangerously. Just thinking about it made him want to throw up all over again. He wanted to scratch the experience out of his mind forever. He would have rather lived in blissful ignorance than relive the gnawing guilt whenever he saw nervous tension in Juvia's blue eyes.

That's why he stayed so close to her side. He'd do anything for her. He'd fought for her honor against Jose and anyone in his way, he'd raged against anyone who raised a hand against her, tore down any man that dared look at her in a way that made her uncomfortable, followed her to Fairy Tail despite all of his reservations, and here he sat helping her sift through frilly dresses when he would rather be anywhere else. She knew it, that a deep hate for himself still broiled just under the surface. She had tried time and time again to make him forgive himself. She'd forced him to stop fighting, to take care of himself, to feign recovery from the memory of her…

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that interrupted his increasingly dark thoughts. She was smiling calmly down at him, no fear in her eyes and nothing but that innocent, hopeless romantic, everything-is-going-to-be-ok look on her face.

"Maybe Gajeel should let Laxus know he's not the only one who has trouble with his Dragon Instincts?"

He felt heat rising to his cheeks and he brushed off her hand, "If you talked to him he already knows. Besides, I doubt he'd want to go anywhere with me anyway."

Juvia's brows pulled together in a confused expression and she took a step away from him, "Why would Laxus have to go anywhere with Gajeel? All Gajeel would have to do is talk to him…"

Embarrassment etched itself so clearly across Gajeel's face that Juvia stopped in her tracks. Realization hit her face and rosy blush suddenly covered her cheeks as well.

"G-Gajeel wants to…?"

"Stop it right there, Rain Woman!"

She looked down at her hands, the words falling from her mouth as she quickly processed what Gajeel had just let slip, "Gajeel will have to leave town soon and he wants to take Laxus with him? Gajeel wouldn't take anyone with him unless...!"

Gajeel's red eyes were fiery and he stopped her from continuing the train of thought, "That's not what I meant!"

She eyed him knowingly, a scandalous smile coming to her face, "Gajeel is in love…?!"

"You know it doesn't have to work like that!"

"So Gajeel has strong feelings for Laxus? Like what?" she was pressing close to him, her eyes excited.

"I fucking hate him! Ain't that strong enough?!" he snarled down at her, "Now shut the hell up and wipe that smirk off your face!"

"Is this the Boy Love that Erza was talking about? How does that work? You're both men…?"

Gajeel didn't think his face could have possibly gotten hotter, it was so intense the tips of his ears and his neck were also burning, "Juvia!"

She suddenly gasped, her hands springing to her lips and she looked him up and down, "Laxus is so strong! Gajeel! Does that mean you were the beta…?"

"What the hell are you? Why would you want to know that?!"

"Maybe Juvia should be helping Gajeel pick out something to wear," she smiled at him cheekily.

"That's it, I'm leaving." Gajeel snarled, grabbing his jacket from the couch and headed pointedly for the door. Juvia rushed over, all giggles like she had just been talking about crushes at a sleepover.

"Juvia will stop! Juvia will stop! Gajeel doesn't have to go, Juvia will stop!"

He eyed her angrily before resigning back to his perch on the couch, this time twisting the metal pieces much more ferociously. She stood back in her closet doorway, crossing her arms as she surveyed. She spoke again, this time her voice much calmer, much more serious.

"What did happen, Gajeel?" her light blue eyes didn't meet his, "Gajeel was very hurt when he came back from his mission with Laxus. Maybe it's not such a good idea to meet him?"

"It was a little different on the mission…"

"What does Gajeel mean? Juvia is confused."

He sighed, daring to shoot her a look. She was wringing her hands together, obviously uncomfortable, "I saw myself having this conversation with Laxus and Wendy, not you," she blushed and didn't say anything, staring at herself intently in the mirror instead of looking at him. He surrendered his reluctance. She'd gone through it. Maybe she had a right to better understand it?

"I barely understand it myself, how am I supposed to…?" she glanced over to him, obviously surprised he was actually talking about this with her, "It's uncomfortable. You think about things you don't want to – well not even that – things you know you shouldn't, like having sex with just about anything with a skirt. Generally, it's only guys that become super aggressive. It's like adrenaline, it drives you crazy. You just need to…" he felt that damned warmth crawling up the nape of his neck again. This time he wasn't just embarrassed though, "…it's not just sex. It's fighting. Or just being destructive."

"Laxus attacked you?"

"Well it's not usually that bad. He was injured; we had been running for our lives all day. He was angry and didn't understand what was happening to him. He'd never been through it before. This is something that happens when you're younger and already going through other changes. He's a grown man and it's not exactly pleasant to feel that way unless…" he stopped, realizing just who he was talking to and that she was currently covering her face and blushing so hard he could almost feel it from across the room, "anyway, I didn't want to fight 'em. That would just make things worse, because then he'd want to fight me even more. I tried to just let him do whatever he wanted, if it would calm him down. But it didn't, he just got even angrier. Honestly, I thought he was going to kill me so I… why am I explaining this again?"

"Gajeel doesn't have to, if it makes him upset."

"I ain't upset," he growled, not convincing either of them, "I showed him a different way to let out his energy."

He tasted every syllable as he spoke it, just thinking about it making a shiver try to break out along his skin. He took back to making loops with metal again, distracting himself before Juvia could notice what was going on with him. He ran his tongue against his canines, feeling the sharpness against his muscle. He needed to calm down before he did something stupid.

"G-Gajeel started it?" she gushed, "Gajeel does love Laxus!"

"You're fucking crazy," he was too busy trying to keep himself composed to argue with her, "It wasn't exactly my fault. He bit me."

She was quiet again, her demeanor once again serious, "Why doesn't Gajeel explain all this to Laxus? He's very upset…"

He bit the inside of his cheek again, "Whenever I'm around him… things happen. I doubt I'd be explaining anything if I got him alone to talk to him,"

She was suddenly in front of him, large icy eyes just inches from his face and full of shock, "Gajeel and Laxus… have been alone?"

"Would you stay on track for two seconds?!"

"Juvia never thought Gajeel would end up with Laxus!" she gushed, "Gajeel needs to help Laxus control his Dragon Instincts! Juvia will aid by convincing Laxus he needs to go on a mission in the area Gajeel will be camping! Laxus will stumble on Gajeel in the woods and have a romantic rendezvous beneath the stars! Then Gajeel and Laxus can come back to the guild together and proclaim their love for each other and…!"

She was off, her voice excited as she wove this strange fairytale pairing as if she were writing a sappy romance novel. Gajeel finished the chain while she ranted and walked over to her vanity, grabbing a bright sapphire pendant that was lying alone on the desk. He quickly fashioned it together and walked past her to her closet, fishing through the fabrics for a certain dress he'd seen her in a few months ago. It was so deep navy blue that in dim light it looked almost black. The strands of silk were so fine that it almost looked iridescent under the light. It was sleeveless and flowed almost to the ground, even as tall as the Rain Woman was.

She halted her speech when he approached her again, laying the hanger over her shoulder and bringing the intricate necklace up to her pale skin. He clasped it around her neck, and let her hair fall around it to frame her face.

"There, ya romantic idiot," he let a smile curl up the side of his face at his handy work, "Yer gonna be late for your date."

"Where is Gajeel going?" she inquired after him as he grabbed his coat and started for the door.

"I told you, I have shit to do. I'm leaving town in a couple days."

"If Juvia doesn't see Gajeel before he leaves, be safe."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved at her over his shoulder as he vanished out the door.