Upon waking, Gajeel was first hit with a splitting headache worming its way through his skull and second that it was deep into the night. His body was stiff and he felt like he was clawing free of his own grave just to force his eyes open. He gasped at the sudden searing fingers of pain that raced across his torso when he went to move. It was enough to almost put him back under again but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it. In too much of a rush he pushed back the blanket that covered him and in the dim light of the moon viewed stark white, hastily wrapped bandages. His migraine responded to his sudden movements vindictively, rising in its ferocity and tearing like white fire through his skull. His mouth tasted like blood again and his vision blurred.

"Shit."

He took a moment to steady himself and let the throbbing in his head ease. He blinked through the fog in his vision until he was finally able to make out the vague shapes of his companions. Freed and Bickslow slept near each other with Evergreen curled a few feet away, her caramel hair splayed out around her in complete disarray. Laxus leaned against a tree at his side, arms crossed as he must have fallen asleep either keeping watch or determined to be awake when Gajeel came to. Gajeel realized his head must have been resting in the blonde's lap and a small smile came to his lips as he gazed over at him.

The biting scent of iron stirred his attention, reminding his stomach of how voracious it was. He whipped his head around in search of his meal – dizzy from the action itself – and could have rejoiced when his eyes alighted on a bag of railroad spikes which must have been lifted from the train car they'd made their escape in. Gajeel gritted his teeth and clumsily pushed himself to his feet. His legs shook pitifully and he had to catch himself on the tree lest he tumble back to the ground and wake everyone. It was a long moment before he felt sure enough to step forward and lift the satchel off the ground. The clinking of metal had his mouth watering before he'd crossed the boundary of Freed's runes into the bitter night air.

He didn't wander too far from their little camp, just far enough so the grinding and snapping of metal against his teeth wouldn't disturb the others. He came to a small clearing and eased himself to the ground, panting with the effort of it, and clutching at his ribs as vicious pain made itself known in his chest. At least one rib was definitely broken, but he wasn't coughing up blood so he assumed that was a good enough sign.

He knew he was a mess. He could feel his hair sticking to the back of his neck and the sides of his face. His hands moved clumsily through weakness and the influence muscles being shocked one too many times. But the more as ate he felt better; quickly he found that his headache eased, the debilitating quaking in his limbs subsided, and the intense throbbing through his ribs became less and less demanding. He leaned back into the frost-trimmed grass and took a shuttering breath of frigid air. The night was cloudless and the moon shone like a beacon down on him, washing the world around him in silver. In the middle of nowhere, with no influence of city lights, he felt he could probably gaze straight into infinity. Stars blanketed the inky black sky, tiny pinpricks of shuttering light.

Despite the pain and weakness that still weighed him heavy, Gajeel felt like a child again. He huffed out a visible breath as he munched away at his iron wistfully, turning his mind to memories of winter nights on Metalicana's back as his father showed him every inch of the pitch-black sky. He recalled lullabies aimed at scaring the darkness away as he was clutched by massive claws and a voice that made the forest shiver with its power and pride. He hummed quietly a tune that didn't seem quite right coming from his mouth, sang softly words that weren't meant for man to pronounce.

It was strange, this feeling that settled in the center of his chest. He felt calm. Even deeper than that he felt simple. It was a way he hadn't been since he'd been hurled violently into adulthood by Phantom Lord. Maybe he'd finally left it all behind him, he'd finally said goodbye. Laxus's words resonated in his mind. You always have a choice.

For the first time in his life he felt like he actually did.

As he finished his sixth spike, or maybe it was his seventh, he became acutely aware of eyes gazing at him and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Swallowing hard, he finally dragged his gaze from his improvised meal. Laxus was standing at the edge of the wood, eyes blinking through the darkness to him. In that instant, he reminded Gajeel of a toddler waking to a parent's raucous in the middle of the night, demanding what it was that woke them so they could go back to sleep and rest easy. He pulled his coat close around his shoulders, blanket in hand, and stepped cautiously into the clearing. Golden eyes shimmered almost platinum in the moon's vibrant light and even the tawny of his hair seemed to glint white. He was a god of the night approaching him, fists shaking slightly from the cold as he folded into the grass at Gajeel's side.

"How are you feelin'?" his words slurred with sleep and he stifled a yawn.

"Weird." Gajeel admitted, not making any move to sit up for fear of white hot fire in his chest.

Laxus gazed down at him for a long moment before dragging his eyes down his chest, "How's that looking?"

For the first time Gajeel really regarded the bandages. Sitting up gently, he began tearing through them to reveal the deep purples and blues of bruises. They blossomed from his side and across his ribs before resting at his diaphragm.

"Shit…" Laxus breathed, eyes darkening with worry, "I can numb that again… until you can see Wendy."

Gajeel blinked wordlessly for a moment, refusing to make eye contact. The remembrance of the what happened in the train stuck out in his head. The utter loss of control over how his body reacted made him feel sick to his stomach. His spine locking, his eyes rolling back, and he was sure a none-to-glorious noise had twisted from his throat when it happened. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl and scalp prickle.

"I don't know, Sparky…" he said at length, trying to hid the leeriness he felt, "Not sure I wanna go through all that again."

Laxus turned his head away again, brushing his thumb against the bottom point of his scar as he did. Gajeel clicked his teeth, fit to change the subject to something that didn't involve him having to endure more electrocution, when he heard Laxus let out a tense breath.

"It's easy to forget," Laxus stated each word slowly and without looking at him. There was a tinge of guilt in Laxus's voice that startled him to no small degree, "that you react differently to my magic. If I scared you in the train… I'm sorry."

Gajeel straightened at his words, completely blindsided by the apology. It wasn't that he thought Laxus would hurt him unapologetically, but he did think Laxus just didn't realize how devastatingly strong he was. It didn't help that their magics were naturally combative; like fire and gasoline, he supposed. And now he felt guilt pulling at his chest, telling him that he was being too harsh when it was clear his partner had only meant to help him. He was suddenly exhausted and he picked at his nail for a moment before offering a reply.

"Honestly, Laxus," his voice was more scathing than he had really intended and he certainly didn't miss the way Laxus jumped at hearing Gajeel use his name as opposed to one of his preferred pet names, "there's a short list of things that scares me and yer magic didn't make the cut. It pisses me off that you'd think it does."

As he kept speaking his tone lost more and more of its severity and he stared pointedly at his boots, refusing to make eye contact with the blonde, "I never had the luxury of working with a team before. Ya gotta understand, I'm used ta having to push myself past my limit. It's one of the things I take pride in… finding a way to keep going when really I shouldn't be able ta…" he paused, reigning in his thoughts for just a moment, "I don't refuse yer help because I'm scared. If I were a good enough mage I wouldn't need it."

He glanced through raven locks to see Laxus's aurous eyes shimmering down at him patiently. It was written all across his face the words he wanted to say but knew Gajeel wouldn't particularly welcome. You have a team now. You're a part of Fairy Tail.

You're not alone anymore.

He blinked slowly. He wasn't, was he? He hadn't been alone for a long time but he wasn't able to accept it until now. Slowly, everything he thought he'd known about himself was rolling of his shoulders like an avalanche. Despite the trepidation in his stomach he cleared his throat and flipped his ebony curtain over one shoulder perhaps a tad too dramatically, as it flared once again the pain in his chest. He'd be a liar if he said he didn't feel uncomfortably exposed with his neck and chest bared to Laxus like some sort of vampiric offering.

He forced himself to unclench his jaw, "If it makes ya feel better."

He must have stunned the blonde with that reaction because Laxus's brows rose immediately in response, "What?"

"I said if it makes ya feel better, go ahead," he insisted, trying not to trip over his tongue in the process.

"You… you're serious?"

Gajeel forced the corner of his mouth up in a hesitant smirk and cocked a studded eyebrow at him, "You better hurry before I change my mind."

"You know I can tell when you're nervous, don't you?" Laxus turned towards him and damn him if his heart didn't falter a few beats as he did.

"I said I wasn't scared… didn't say shit about being nervous," he admitted through tight lips, leaning himself onto his elbows so he could track Laxus's movements. The slight stretch made him wince.

"You're a lot of talk, aren't you?" it was a playful jab aimed at easing is worry but Gajeel didn't feel any less tense.

"Yer the one who said all us Phantom Mages were more of a show than anythin' else," he could feel the air charge and it took more control than he would have ever admitted aloud to keep his voice from shaking.

"You areshowy,"

"You like it."

It was when Laxus reached for him that Gajeel finally let slip just how uneasy he was. He snapped his hand up and grabbed Laxus's wrist as it hovered inches above his skin. This time it was Laxus's turn to raise a critical eyebrow at him, though there wasn't even a shred of humor in his eyes any longer. The slightest bit of hurt played there, though he'd not voice it. Gajeel swore.

"Don't look at me like that," he hissed, forcing himself to release his overly tight grip, "It's just… you have more magical energy in one leg than I probably have in my whole damn body. You're a walking thunder storm and I'm a fucking human lightning rod."

Laxus's expression softened, "You sell yourself short."

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to admit you're stronger than me? Take the compliment."

A sly grin lit up Laxus's eyes, "I'm flattered."

"Good."

"Am I allowed to touch you now?"

Gajeel didn't realize he'd been progressively leaning farther and farther away from Laxus as he'd edged closer. He didhowever notice how close Laxus was. So close that his heat fell off of him in waves with his magical energy and it all billowed down on him in that intimidating presence the blonde always held about him. He was very viscerally ripped back in time to the night they'd been in the hot spring. Laxus was gazing down at him all over again, attempting to convince the nervous raven he wouldn't do anything to hurt him, urging him to trust that Laxus could stay in perfect control and all would be fine if he could just let go. Gajeel laughed tensely and when he spoke it was barely a whisper.

"Ya look like you're gonna to kill me again." Gajeel felt awkward and heat was starting to creep up his chest and throat. Laxus's eyes widened with recognition, his smile became a touch more tender than it previously had been. Porcelain fingers brushed as gentle as the touch of a feather against aggressively bruised skin.

His response was not one of verbal reply but rather an action that made Gajeel have to clamp his mouth shut. The shock from Laxus's hand was so light, so loving, that there wasn't a single ounce of pain or even discomfort. It didn't cause his muscles to become rigid, didn't send explosive agony zinging through his every inch of his being. The feeling was delicate and extremely intimate; Laxus smoothed his hand against Gajeel's skin in a gentle caress that made him swallow damningly. Aureate eyes were alight with intensity as he studied Gajeel's reaction and hot blush rushed to the tips of Iron Mage's ears. On an impulse, he whipped his hand around to snatch Laxus's wrist away. Electricity flitted up the blonde's palm to the tips of his fingers, snapping quiet static into the air before Laxus released his magic and the swell of energy dissipated, almost making Gajeel feel cold with its absence. He was suddenly aware that he was out breath.

"I wasn't done." Laxus's voice slipped like residual lightning down Gajeel's spine and he leaned close. Gajeel collapsed into the frozen grass, briefly wondering how it was his heat alone wasn't melting the ice. Laxus's crystalline breath hovered just above his lips, "Can I try again?"

"Laxus…" he whispered, the words holding more breathless desire than he would have hoped. A cold hand slipped across his torso but the shock never came. Instead, pale and cold-chapped lips were pressing against each other. Hot breath filled the immediate space with gasps and sighs as Laxus pulled himself over Gajeel and rocked into him possessively.

"You're amazing, you know," Laxus crooned into his mouth, eyes half-lidded and gazing into Gajeel's as if he could somehow instill his sincerity with just the look, "I'm convinced you can do anything."

"I didn't-" he couldn't argue through Laxus's persistent mouth as it stole his words away with each kiss, his tongue dodging out to silence him whenever he tried.

"Even running for your life from Enforcement you're the sexiest thing on this earth," he sighed, trailing kisses down his jaw and slipping his hand to pull Gajeel's chest to his own. Gajeel arched his back, sent fingers clawing under his partner's jacket to ball into his shirt. Pain ebbed into his consciousness, reminding him of his injury even as it lacked its prior savagery.

"Funny… I was gonna say the same about you," his words were almost wanton in Laxus's ear and it seemed to ignite the man even more. He pressed his knee between Gajeel's thighs and rutted against him as he ran his tongue against the raven's throat. Gajeel moaned, wincing as he sucked in a ragged breath.

"Laxus…" he arched against him again, exacerbating Laxus's desire in his search for friction. The pain in his ribs grew steadily and there was a quiet voice in the back of his mind telling him if they didn't stop it would take even longer for his wounds to heal. He fought to ignore it by pulling Laxus's lips back to his own and stealing the warmth he found there, running his tongue against the blonde's in frantic demand. The pain was too much, though, and he quickly found himself panting and holding Laxus apart from him, trying to keep his breaths shallow so as to lessen his discomfort. Laxus scowled.

"Ah fuck… I'm sorry. I keep… shit," he pushed himself up onto his heels and Gajeel felt winter settle into his bones without Laxus to keep him warm. He smirked through his grimace, though, and reached wildly up to grip onto the blonde's collar and pull him back down again.

"Do I look like I'm glass, Sparky?" he growled against his lips, content to just struggle through the pain if it meant Laxus would stay pressed to his chest.

"Your fucking ribs are broken," Laxus murmured into his mouth, taking care to keep his weight on his hands, "Glass or not that shit hurts."

Gajeel rolled his eyes but relented. This time when he pulled Laxus down he pulled him against his shoulder. Laxus seemed startled for a moment before settling around him, his head resting into the raven's chest and a long, pale arm wandering gently around his torso. He pulled his blanket over them although he knew Gajeel didn't need it. The raven seemed content even in the frigid late autumn night.

"What were you singing earlier?" Laxus yawned, slipping his free hand down to intertwine their fingers.

"Hm? Oh… the lullaby."

"Didn't sound like any lullaby I ever heard,"

Gajeel chuckled, "My dad used to sing it."

"Really?" Laxus's voice filled the air with honey and Gajeel couldn't stop himself from watching him. Auric eyes fought to stay open as he got more and more comfortable under Gajeel's arm. His cheeks were still tinged the slightest shade of pink and his lips bruised, ready for him to claim if he desired. Gajeel brushed his fingers against Laxus's chin, tilting his face up to him just enough that he could make out more of his pale neck. Even his scar looked beautiful as it crossed his eye, and it was when he found himself staring down at this that he noticed Laxus's wry expression, "What?"

"Nothing…" Gajeel whispered, suddenly feeling something pulling at the bottom of his heart as he swam in gilded eyes, "I just think I've lost my mind."

Laxus chuckled, "Should I ask why?"

"Because I swear you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"That was cheesy as hell," Laxus scoffed despite red suddenly surged up his cheeks.

"It's true,"

"I think you're just delirious from pain," Laxus curled into him, finally letting his eyes close, "That or blood loss."

"Blood loss?"

"Probably internal. You'll be dead by morning."

"And if I still think you're beautiful in the morning?"

Laxus seemed to consider it for a moment, "At that point it's just poor taste."

"Gihi, gotcha."

In the morning Evergreen woke and was startled to see the both Laxus and Gajeel were gone. She wrapped her blanket around herself and walked into the forest, eyes following two pairs of boot prints in the dirt. When she found them they were still wrapped around each other, Laxus with his fingers still intertwined in Gajeel's and head resting on his shoulder. He was running his thumb over the studs in his partner's ear and when he heard her approach he only briefly flashed his eyes up to her. She smirked at him quietly and turned back to camp. After slight deliberation, she laid down between Freed and Bickslow and they reacted to her added warmth by leaning closer into her.

A few more hours rest, she supposed, would do them all just fine.

Author's Note:

Oof. Sorry this one is a little late, guys. You'd never have guessed but I rewrote this damn chapter 3 times, all 3 attempts wildly different from each other before I finally settled on this. Our boys need a little sweetness, amirite?

I'm trying to stay in the swing of things for you guys and post once a week but I will warn you now that my next post will probably be late. I usually get most of my writing done on the weekend and this week is my son's birthday (he's turning 3 and my fragile heart just can't take it) so I'll be a little busier than usual this weekend. Hopefully I'll still have a chapter for you Monday, though. Fingers crossed!

As always, thank you all for your support :) You guys keep me going.

Until next chapter! Have a good week! Kick some butt! And don't kill anyone I know!

Your friendly neighborhood StevMarie