Beauty of Fairy Tail (Gale/Gajevy AU)

Chapter 23

(With what you have told me, I will continue working for a while. I appreciate the help. I wouldn't have the confidence to keep writing, or to want to write professionally, when I'm older, without you. Thank you for all the support.)

Levy's still sleeping when I wake up. Her back is pressed to my torso. I have one hand under my pillow with the other around her waist. I tuck my face to her neck for a moment. She still has that peaches and icecream smell, but it has just a hint of iron to it, now.

"Morning, Gajeel," Levy giggles, arching her neck. I quickly kiss it and hear her sigh.

"How do ya feel, Shrimp?" She rolls over to face me, wincing as she does. She laughs at herself,playing off the fact that she's hurting a lot. "Not very good, I'm guessing."

"I'm fine, Gajeel. Just sore. I've never done that, before last night," she says. "But Cana gave me something for it, though. She gave me the condom, too." Oh, damn. I don't think she knows about the break, yet. She starts to get up, but I grab her arm and offer to get it for her. She points out the pair of skinny jeans on the floor and I pick them up. I also grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

"I'm real sorry. It was the season. During that time, dragons kind of lose themselves. We can tell what we're doing, until we mark, but aren't really in control," I address. Again, she tell says she's fine with what happened.

I hand Levy her pants. She digs into the back pockets and pulls out two different pills. One is bright orange and the other is white. She sets the white one on the bed table and throws down the orange pill with a sip of water. She looks better, almost instantly.

I ask, "Why didn't you take the white one?" She looks at me and blushes a bit. She tells me that it's birth control and she doesn't need it. "Uh, you might want to rethink that. Ah, shit! Shorty," I gripe, "last night my piercings did what the sound like they do. There was a tear in the rubber and there's a big chance that you've got a mini me in ya."

"I already know. I didn't need your super hearing to hear you swearing when you went to the bathroom," Levy brings up. I can feel the tops of my ears get warmer. I rub the back of my neck. We talk it over. If she becomes pregnant, she wants to keep it. She wants to tell Blondie, at least. I agree to that.

"Thanks, Gajeel. Meet you at the guildhall, later?" Levy asks, slipping on her clothes.

"Yeah. I'll see ya later." Levy kisses my cheek and disappears out the door. I sigh, grabbing clothes. I take a long, hot shower. I can't stop thinking about last night. If I had hurt her, worse than having to mark her, I would never forgive myself. At least, she's ok with what happened. I can feel her happiness.

That's what happens when a Dragon Slayer marks a mate. I can, now, feel whatever Shrimp is feeling, mentally. It makes her easier to track, too. Her smell is stronger, more addicting, and it's like a compass, that's always pointing to her, is lodged in my brain.

I jump out of the shower, dry off, and get dressed. I shake my hair out and blow dry. "I've got more hair than Shrimp. I'll deal with it another day." Before leaving, I grab an iron scrap to munch on, while I walk.

In the guildhall, Levy's talking to her friends with a face red as a strawberry. I walk over to them and ask if I can join them.

Levy replies with, "You'll have to pull up a chair." I look around the table and notice every seat is taken. Then, I hatch a brilliant idea.

"Well, Shrimp, after counting there is still a chair, at this table, for me," I say very matter-of-factly. She and a few others raise and eyebrow at me. This is when I pick Levy up, sit in her seat, and put her on my lap, much to the surprise of everyone.

"~Woooooah~," Cana sings. "Levy and Gajeel are getting frisky at the guildhall." Levy covers her face to hide her blush. I know I'm a bit red, but it's only because Cana's drunk off her rocker and drawing everyone's attention. Jet and Droy are glaring at me, from the other end of the table. Salamander, who looks very content, has his arm around Blondie, who is a little pink in the cheeks, but isn't complaining. Scarlet's eating cake, per usual, and stealing glances at this hooded guy, next to me.

"So, what's up?" I look at everyone for an answer, but I think they're leaving it to Levy to answer me.

"I was te-" "She told us about last night," Erza blurts out, before shoveling down more cake. I look at her. "What? She wasn't detailed about it and, honestly, I'm happy for you two. That was a big step that requires a lot of trust." Levy smiles at her friend. What, probably, wasn't said is that Shortie had almost no say in the matter. That my instincts took over and I had no say, in marking her, last night.

There was no trust, last night, no matter what she says. She told me no and I ignored her. It doesn't matter if she kissed me back or did things for me, it's still kneels like I did exactly what I stopped those perverts in the alley from doing to her, before our first date. I know that I'm not like them. I can be. But, I'm no saint and if I can hurt Levy once, I can do it twice.