Yellow flag time! Minor lemony opening! Not for youngsters, and not for pure eyes! Shield your eyes my Squishy! Shield them!

In the chill of the evening, their breath came out in opaque, white puffs with each pant. The ethereal light of the full moon glistened off beads of sweat rolling down rippling muscles. With each pleasured growl, the limbs of the trees trembled.

"Ga-Gajeel," Natsu breathed, clinging to his mate desperately. His entire body trembled in ecstasy and shook with the force of Gajeel's rhythmic thrusts. "C-can't take much more."

His only response was a deep humming against his throat as Gajeel lapped his cool tongue up it. With half-lidded eyes, he took in the raven-haired boy's bare form. Eyes like rubies, hair cascading down his back and around them like a waterfall, teeth gritted to barely block throaty moans—they made him appear primal. They made him look irresistible and delicious and perfect and all his. As the thought crossed the fire mage's mind, his love's entire torso flexed in an especially electrifying shiver of heat, and he caught the moon's light in a way Natsu had never witnessed before. It was as though his skin had been turned to iron again, finer and sleeker than before, his muscles defined in deep shadows against silvery flesh. Yet when he reached out to claw at the skin of Gajeel's forearm, his fingers sank in just as they would any other time he pressed into that smooth body.

Another thrust and Natsu was thrown out of his dazed reverie by a shout of pure passion. "Gajeel!" Another and his back arched, heat pooling in his stomach.

"You're so warm." The metal dragon slayer purred out his remark as he kept up his pace. Had he been thinking of anything other than Natsu's moans and skin and very existence, he might have been proud of himself for improving so fast, but his fiery mate gripped him so tightly, heated his skin up wherever theirs brushed, his only thoughts were of the moment.

"Ah!" Both slayers cried out, Natsu's hand gripping his aching member, Gajeel at the tightening of his mate's passage.

"Don't s-stop!" The fire mage threw his head back for a moment, but another instinct took over. Mark.

Neither noticed that the fire mage's pupils had narrowed into serpent-like slits.

Out of nowhere, Natsu lunged for his mate's throat, canines longer and sharper than before. The sight made Gajeel's blood run cold as his mind flashed back to the nightmare he'd had just a few nights ago. A flash of teeth, a sensation of pain, warmth and life dribbling from his body—it all flew past his eyes in a second.

He pulled back, but not enough for his mate to miss entirely. The fire dragon slayer's fangs sank into the junction of his love's shoulder and neck, shallow enough to avoid true injury but deep enough to send a spark coursing through the iron mage's body.

Growling deep and guttural in the back of his throat, Natsu sent a quick wave of fire down through his fangs to cauterize the wound. Through his instinctual haze, though, he thought to lift his hips and press and grind them against Gajeel. The effect succeeded as the pain his mate would have felt at the fire was drowned out by an almost whimpered moan of bliss.

"Natsu, yes!" Gajeel's world spun on its axis at a breakneck pace. The motion of his mate creating extra friction at his groin combined with the perfect meshing of their heated flesh and suddenly desperate thrusts created a heaven he had not thought possible. With a final thrust he came, and with his release, he tilted his head back and roared so loudly, it echoed through the entire forest.

~NGGNNGGNNGGNNGGN~

A loud roar made the group of three jump. The two males, one tall and skinny, the other so round the buttons on his shirt threatened to pop off, quickly scanned the forest surrounding the path they took. Their smaller counterpart listened intently, tilting her head in the direction of the strange sound.

"Levy," Jet whispered. "Are you sure you don't wanna set up camp? It might be safer than wandering through these woods at night."

"Yeah. I mean not that we couldn't protect you or anything." Droy held up his hands in defense, worried that his crush might take offense.

Body relaxing, the small bookworm of Fairy Tail shook her head. "We're nearly to Magnolia. We might as well walk the rest of the way tonight so we don't have to worry."

With a shared shrug, the two males walked down the path towards home. Neither of them noticed the confused expression on their partner's face.

Gajeel? She looked back in the direction of the sound. Dark shadows and leaves dancing in the breeze were all that greeted her save the muffled scurries of nocturnal creatures. Her forehead wrinkled, her mouth twisted into a frown. Why would I think that?

~NGGNNGGNNGGNNGGN~

The iron dragon slayer woke with the dawn. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the vivid yellow and red gleams coming off the fresh dew surrounding them. Tall grass tickled his bare flesh, and the heady scent of damp earth swirled around his head, nearly lulling him back to sleep.

For a moment, his memory faltered. He had no recollection of where he was now, no knowledge of what occurred the night before. He nearly hoisted himself into a sitting position, hoping to take in his surrounding to lessen the confusion, but a toasty weight pressed down on his arm.

It hit him.

In his arms lay his mate, his love. His precious Natsu rested in his arms, spooned tightly against his body. Around them glowed the tall, green grass that surrounded the lake's banks, the sunlit dew seemingly alight with the slumbering mage's inner blaze. Above was the last twinkling star of the long gone night, winking at him mischievously as though to remind the iron mage that it had watched the beauty of the couple's passion in its rawest form. The memory brought a face-splitting smile to his face, and the thought that Natsu wanted to share their mating with anyone who cared to know only broadened his smile into an enormous grin. He leaned over to nuzzle his nose against Natsu's soft cheek, inhaling his wonderful scent.

Still in his peaceful slumber, the fire mage stirred just enough to press his back snuggly against his mate's body. "Mm…Gajeel."

The sound of his name against Natsu's lips made his heart pound. He was all too happy to lean his forehead gently against the smaller boy's and whisper, "I'm here, Natsu. I ain't ever leavin'. I swear."

The pink haired boy's only response was his lighter-than-usual snoring that tickled Gajeel's face, but the burly mage didn't mind. He'd show him how the truth of his words every instance he was able.

But for the time being, he reached over to nibble at Natsu's earlobe. The smaller boy wriggled familiarly at the sensation, a flush coming to his cheeks. With a chuckle, Gajeel carefully withdrew his arm while keeping up his light ministrations, careful to time his movements so as not to wake the other.

In a moment, his arm was freed. He bounded to his feet with a grin still glued to his face, yet he didn't lose his focus. His red eyes gleamed while they scanned the area, wary of anything that might disrupt his mate's much needed sleep.

If he doesn't rest, he doesn't heal. It's not that difficult to comprehend, human.

"Gihi." The old hag's voice rang through his head sharply. He recalled vividly the conversation they had just moments before he and Natsu had departed for Magnolia.

I ain't stupid! I'm asking what the hell I'm supposed to do with this? Shouldn't ya be telling the blue cat?

Why not you? Haven't you become infatuated with the boy?

Wha…?! The hell does it matter to you? Ain't like he's talking to me anyways.

It all seemed so far away now. It felt like that misery, that longing took place years ago, long lost in a tumult of stomach churning emotions. How long had it really been though? He counted, twitching a finger for each day. Four at the witch's house…another two at the guild, too scared to talk…then there was last night. Seven. Seven days was all it had taken for the most outrageous, fantastical, incomprehensible thing his mind couldn't even come up with to become a reality.

"I'm the luckiest bastard in the world, dad." He brushed a knuckle against the stud that once shone against the others scales of his dragon parent. Slowly, his giddy expression dwindled until his mouth was set in a grim, colorless line and his eyebrows arched up at sharp angles. "I wish ya could meet him, wish you could tell me ya approve. Hell, would you?"

He glanced over at his peaceful mate. In the vibrant colors of morning, his skin appeared lit from within by some ethereal presence. His taut, tan limbs glided rather than moved, and the muscles in his back arched serenely when he stretched out across the grass. Pale locks framed a face of cherubic bliss, a tender smile gracing his face as he dreamed.

"Mm…jeel."

With a pink tint to his cheeks, the iron mage's features softened. "I know he ain't your style, old man. Honestly, the first time I laid eyes on him, I didn't think he'd be mine either. Or…well, maybe it was the fact that we beat the living shit outta each other then. Damn, he's strong!" His smile returned, serene. "You can't tell him that, though. His head would grow about three sizes. Guy thinks he can take on the damn magic council if he puts his mind to it! Gihi! Ya know somethin', though?"

The breeze blew through the clearing. The water rippled. The birds sang good mornings to the sun. The right words danced around his head, barely out of reach but not too far to try and grasp at.

"He's perfect."

As though in agreement, the wind blew each strand of pink away from Natsu's face. Gajeel took in his long lashes, the curve of his cheekbones and jaw, the barely visible scars along his hairline and tucked behind his ears and beneath his chin.

"Ain't no way to really describe it. He's wild. He's stubborn. He gets bitchy all the damn time, and he eats more than I do.

"But he laughs, and everything else is gone. He tells everyone about these adventures he and his team went on, and they come to life and get everyone's attention in a split second. And when he puts his head on my shoulder…dad…" Unconsciously, his hand rose to grasp at his chest where his heart rested and thudded wildly. "I don't wanna move. I don't wanna breathe because if I don't, maybe I can stop time. Then it'll last forever. I'll never have to go without the feeling of his warmth against me, the way his hip tucks into my side, never have to worry about him getting hurt because I'll always be there to protect him. The only shit he'll have to worry about is me squeezing him too tight because…I don't wanna let him go."

His hand moved to the back of his head to scratch at his scalp. Never once did his eyes drift away from the paradise laying out before him, not even as he swallowed down the hard lump lodged somewhere between his throat and his chest. "Dad, I hope you like him, because I love him so much."

Suddenly, a muffled noise, like a heavy footstep, sounded behind him. He spun, one arm extending into an iron bar as the other swung out madly in the direction of the noise. Air whistled past his fist as he nearly spun himself around with the futile blow. Puzzled, he peered to the left, then glanced to the right but found nothing but the natural surroundings.

Giggling from above brought his eyes up just in time to see a blue tail disappear behind the tallest trees. He could've sworn he heard something along the lines of, "They lllllike each other!"

Looking back down at his feet, he saw the unexpected sight of two pairs of pants tied together in a neat bundle. He knelt down to inspect them, and, sure enough, the bottom pair was a pair of his, the top a smaller pair, likely meant for Natsu. Stuck between them was a piece of paper with neatly scrawled letters written across it.

Gajeel,

I hope you don't mind, but Happy and I became worried when neither you nor Natsu-san came back last night and so went out to find you this morning. When we saw the two of you asleep…rather bare, we gathered up these clothes. They should be enough until you arrive back at Natsu's house. Happy extended an invitation for us to stay for as long as we needed since our previous residence is currently a bit unfit to live in. The door will be open.

P.L.

P.S. Can we go to the market later to get kiwis? Happy had to cough up enough for two dozen. I tried to tell him Natsu was a bottom.

Did you miss me? Guys, you have no idea how sorry I am for the hiatus that I took on this story. On any story as a matter of fact. I'm finally getting the hang of college life, joined a sorority, Judo Club, looking for work, the whole college experience, but I regret to say that it did distract from my duties as a writer for quite a while. =^.^'= If nothing else, though, I've been working diligently on my writing style! This chapter was a bit of an experiment of that. Did you like it? Yes? No? Purrhaps? =^.^= (Only Homestuckers will understand the gravity of my horrendous pun!) At any rate, things are hopefully going to be picking back up again soon, but as I have stated in previous updates, though this story may be a long time coming, I will not give up on it. It has been too much fun and too much help in developing my skills as a future novelist (hopefully!). Thank you all for bearing with me for so long! Please, bear with me just a little longer. We're going to get in the thick of it again real soon! Read, review, and enjoy! =^.^=

Also, thanks to everyone and their unbelievable support in reviewing this story! You honestly have no idea how much it means to know people honestly like something I at least partially made. To Staticy Fox Atra, I hope this answers your question as I have been plotting for quite some time. MWAHAHAHA! To Demonfox Joshua Mccloud, I'd love to read another person's fanfiction with this pairing! There are so few out there that it drives me nuts. My OTP is so many people's NOTP it hurts. =T.T= I love you all! I'll try and put more shout-outs in the next chapter, but I've stayed up until past 4am writing this, and I have something I have to do tomorrow. Bya!