Dragon Mate

Chapter 2

"AHHHHHHH"

"That does it Gray! Eat fire!"

"You want to go then let's go flame brain! Ice Make-"

"Luce!"

What the hell was that? Gray stood staring at the fire mage as he bounded over to the busty blond that had walked into the guild. The Ice mage's magic simmered away in its unused state. He had never known Natsu to walk away from a scrimmage with him, yet today the moment the blond had walked into the guild he had lost interest in their fight and had made his way over to her.

"Juvia also noticed, Gray-sama."

Juvia sidled up to his side, her eyes trained on Natsu. Gray kept quiet as he watched the fire mage hang onto the blond's shoulder while she talked to Levy. Lucy didn't seem to notice anything untoward, yet still Gray couldn't help feeling that something was amiss.

"Do you think there is something wrong with him?"

The water mage asked him, her gaze flickering to him for a second before it was back on their fiery friend. Natsu's body seemed to stiffen for an instant as they watched him but then he was off Lucy again and yelling into Macao's face, like nothing was wrong.

"Maybe we are imagining it?"

Gray murmured.

Juvia didn't answer immediately, she simply slipped her hand into that of Gray's and rubbed soothing circles on his palm, making him shiver. Her eyes were narrowed, a slight frown creasing her brows and her lips were pulled into a thin line as she concentrated on Natsu. Gray knew that she too had picked up that something seemed off about the dragon slayer. It wasn't just his imagination then.

"No. There is something wrong with Natsu-san."

She finally whispered, confirming his earlier thought.

"Yet what it is Juvia cannot put her finger on."

"Hmm." Gray hummed. At the outset it didn't seem like there was anything different in the dragon slayer's actions, but something wasn't right, he just didn't know what.

***************

Far in the back of the guild someone was also observing the actions of the fire slayer, though his own eyes kept slipping to the blue haired slip of a girl talking to Lucy, her smile sending an unknown feeling down his spine. He couldn't decide if he liked it or not. Not that he would tempt fate at the moment by approaching the script mage to find out for sure. For some reason she hated his guts right now. Lily had tried to explain to him what he had done wrong – though that conversation had just gone straight over his head.

His eyes slipped back to Natsu, and he caught the fire dragon narrowing his eyes at the blue haired woman for a split second. It was gone so fast that Gajeel wasn't sure he actually saw what he thought he did, but it had seemed like Natsu had disliked something Levy had said to Lucy. Instant rage seemed to fill him up at that.

The girl might not like him very much at the moment, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't protect her and rip anyone to shreds that dared lay a hand on her body, be it friendly or not.

He was halfway across the guild when he caught himself.

'Where the hell am I going? I just decided not to tempt fate yet here I am on my way to bash Natsu's head in for looking at her funny. If he even did. The hell is wrong with me?'

Gajeel tisked and scowled down at his own feet. He didn't know what had gotten into him the last few days, but he felt more on edge than usual, snapping at anyone and anything. He found himself becoming more and more overprotective of Levy by the minute. Last week he'd had to restrain himself from ripping Jet's hands off for placing them on her shoulders. Things were starting to get out of hand in his emotions department and he needed to get control back. Soon.