Dragon Mating Season

An unplanned swim

Fourth, they will mark you.

{LEVY'S POV}
I yawn and stretch, glad to be back in my own bed. Then I try to get up and find that I have a major problem. Gajeel's lying on his back on top of the covers, snoring away.

That's not necessarily the bad part. I could totally get used to waking up next to Gajeel every morning, even if his snoring is like a chainsaw.

The bad part is that I have to pee, and his arm pinning me to the bed. I try to push it, but I might as well be trying to move a house for all the good it does me. As if sensing my distress, Gajeel turns on his side and moves his arm.

Relieved, I start to get up, only to have him latch his arms around my waist and pull me in so I'm lying next to him with my face pressed against his chest. I blush, kinda not wanting to leave. But I still really have to pee!

I push against his chest, trying to separate us, but Gajeel's response is to growl lightly and pull me closer. It's no use. His grip is iron.

Out of desperation, I whisper-yell, "Solid script: water!" The word appears above Gajeel's head, ready to douse him and hopefully wake him up.

"Mate..." Gajeel murmurs in his sleep. My blush darkens, and I cancel the magic. I suppose I can hold it for a little bit longer.

"...you're so tiny. My fun size Shrimp."

Aaaand cue the tic mark. "Solid script: ice cold water!" I say through gritted teeth.

Gajeel blinks groggily, only to have a torrent of freezing cold water hit him right in the face.

"Blurgh?!" Is all he can manage to say.

I smirk, proud of myself, until I realize that I forgot to turn off the water after a few seconds.

"Ah!" I shriek as the icy water also soaks me, my bed, and anything within the near vicinity. By the time I manage to stop the water, my apartment has become an arctic swimming pool.

"Save the books!" I cry, teeth chattering, watching my babies float everywhere.

Stupid Gajeel doesn't listen, instead grabbing me and jumping so we're on top of one of my bookcases, and out of the water.

I sit in a tight ball, with my legs pressed to my chest and my arms wrapped around my legs, for warmth. Gajeel sits criss cross applesauce and picks me up, then sets me in his lap and wraps his arms around me. Immediately, I feel warmer.

"You gave me a heart attack Shrimp." He scolds me. "I thought you were gonna drown."

"Thank you for saving me." I giggle.

He grins proudly. "Anything for you Shrimp."

"Then can you put me down?" The grin falls off Gajeel's face and he stiffens, giving me a kicked puppy face.

"You don't like it?" Hurt is evident in his voice. I recall Emery's book, about how resisting could be seen as rejection. Could Gajeel be progressing into stage four?

"No, no." I immediately appease him. "It's just I have a small issue."

Gajeel's eyes narrow. "What is it? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Am I hurting you?" Geez, he's so overprotective. I love this guy.

I blush. "I still have to pee."

*at the guild hall*
People gape as me, Gajeel, and Erza walk into the guild with dripping wet hair. Erza too, because she heard me screaming, broke down the door to my room, and got a face full of cold water.

"Levy-chan! What happened? And what is up with those clothes?" Lu-chan runs up to me, giving me a once over. Natsu is right behind her.

Emery and Misaki are sitting at one of the tables, staring at us curiously.

I scratch the back of my head sheepishly. "We took an unplanned swim."

"Where?" Mira asks, followed closely by Laxus.

I bite my lip. "My apartment."

The girls stare at me, then burst out laughing. I give the full story. Erza was able to requip into dry clothes, but mine were all soaked, so I had to wear some of Gajeel's from his house. The dress I'm wearing is actually one of his shirts and the pants underneath are a pair of his shorts plus a belt looped twice around to keep them up.

Lu-chan is about to reply, or probably just laugh more, when a gasp sounds from across the guild hall. All eyes fly to Misaki, who's having a recognizable shuddering fit. Looks like I was right about stage four.

"Run!" Emery's voice shocks me. He's holding Misaki, who just finished her seizure. "Go back to your houses!"

I think about stages four and five. Yeah, I definitely don't want to be in public for that. I grab Gajeel's hand and bolt, behind me being Lu-chan and Mira with their respective mates.

When I reach my room in Fairy Hills, still quite wet from all the rain we've had this week, I quickly prop up the door Erza broke down in its frame as best I can, and turn to face Gajeel.

"Sorry," he mutters. "I'm losing control of myself."

I shake my head resolutely. "Don't be sorry."

"I don't want to hurt you Shrimp. You're so little. What if I break you?"

I roll my eyes. "Give me some credit will ya? I'm tougher than I look."

He reaches up, and lightly touches my shackle burns from where I sawed at my rope bonds to get free. "I know. But these—"

"Are not your fault." I interrupt.

"They took you because you're my mate." He averts his eyes guiltily. "I'm supposed to protect you. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

I clasp his face between my hands, forcing him the look at me. "Gajeel. I would not have put up with everything this past week if I didn't want to to be your mate too."

His eyes widen. He leans forward, "Levy..."

I smile when I hear him use my real name. I really do love him. "Mark me Gajeel."

He doesn't have to be asked twice.