Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rain was one of her least favorite things. Rain soaked into your clothes and your skin until your very being was chilled to the bone. Rain drummed on the windows of her vacant childhood home, absent of warmth like the father who couldn't bare to look at her for the resemblance to a mother gone too soon. Rain took the breath from her lungs in puffs of white smoke and turned her lips blue, a sickly shade so unlike the sky blue she so loved on clear summer days.

In short, Lucy Heartfilia hated the rain. She couldn't stand it. But today, she braved the storm outside her apartment to make her way to the guild hall. The Master had called for her via one of her celestial spirits (not that she had any idea how he had gotten into contact with Aries). It was, by all accounts, probably just something routine. At least, she thought so. But that was before she entered the guild hall.

Somehow, the moment she entered she was spirited away and into the familiar arms of her best friend. Almost a brother in all but blood, Natsu Dragneel was a creature of impulse. Beside them sat Lisanna, who just seemed amused as Natsu practically hissed at anyone who got close.

Unfortunately for him, a blur of yellow shot past him and snatched Lucy right out of his arms. She ended up on the second floor, held tightly to Laxus' side. He narrowed his eyes down at everyone below, and she looked back at his team for some sort of explanation. Bixlow held a finger to grinning lips, and the other two just shook their heads. She and Laxus has actually become fast friends, as she had with almost all the dragon slayers. He was overprotective, and extremely competitive. He thought her fragile in some ways, but he was very chivalrous about it. In some ways, he was right. She wasn't overly worried when he growled over the railing.

Still, she took the opportunity for escape when a metal pole lodged itself into the wall beside her. She grabbed on and slid down, grateful to be wearing jeans for once to shield her legs from the rain. She let go before she ever collided with Gajeel, rolling to a stop and darting up.

"Thanks for the save Gaj."

"No problem Bunny."

She groaned at the nickname, and he just grinned, though it didn't make him look any less menacing. Thankfully, he wasn't looking at her. She would've been perfectly content to sit with Levy and Wendy in the corner too, where apparently Gajeel was staking his claim of the giggles and whispers of the two bluenettes were anything to go by. Not that she minded, her relationship with Gajeel was much like the one she shared with Laxus. Except, Gajeel was fully aware she was perfectly willing and able to kick his smug ass when she felt like it. The one and only time Laxus had actually called her fragile out loud, the rest of the dragon slayers had burst into boisterous laughter. Soon, the whole guild was in on the joke. They thought he was delusional. Laxus had turned red and never said those words out loud again.

She was about to sit down when a giant purple snake flew by, scooping the blonde up on her way past (for this could be no one but Kinana), she deposited the girl at a table near their very own poison dragon slayer before flying over the bar and morphing back into their beloved barmaid. After they had recognized each other, Kinana's memory had swiftly returned and she had gained control over her shape shifting ability (the result of a curse, but an ability she treasured nonetheless). The Master had promptly  taken Kinana, Mira and Erza with him to begin the fight for the freedom of the Oracion Seis. Stating that their crimes were a product of continuous and well known psychological abuse. With a character witness in Kinana and Erza's testament as to what life in the tower was really like (Mira was just there for moral support and/or intimidation should it come to that), the ex dark guild was soon released to the care of Fairy Tail's pint size guild master.

They were extremely wary at first, but they were slowly becoming accustomed to the way things were now. Starting with befriending the dragon slayers, the rest of team Natsu and the Strauss siblings. Lucy was not surprised to see the rest of the former Oracion Seis members in what she assumed was Cobra's 'territory' within the guildhall. 

What did surprise her was the inclusion of the former Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. After the incident with the dragons, and the corruption of the ex master was discovered, the magic council made the decision to disband Sabertooth. With this announcement came the swift arrival of the twin dragon slayers, Yukino Aguria and Rufus Lohr. All of whom also found themselves confined to this corner of the guild hall, near the platform housing the request board, split up between barstools and the table closest, likely dragged closer by said dragon slayers.

On one side of said table sat Rogue, brooding quietly and glaring with one visible red eye, the other concealed by hanging strands of ebony black. Rufus sat on the opposite side of his bench, reading quietly to himself as far away from the rest of the guild as he could reasonably get. Across from one irate dragon slayer sat the other, practically oozing murderous intent, with Yukino tucked safely under one arm, a blushing mess. Lucy had been deposited next to Rogue, as all the seats surrounding Cobra were filled by his friends. Even Kinana didn't wander too far. Rogue slid one hand over as he glared off into the guild, just barely touching her own hand, assuring himself she was there.

Lucy was, by now, extremely confused and very tired of this game of keep away. Shaking her head, she just laid down on the table, lacing her pinky over Rogue's, a subtle sign of reassurance seeing as he wasn't all that fond of physical touch. It was Yukino's soft giggle that made her look up.

"I take it this is your first time being around so many dragon slayers this time of year?"

Come to think of it, it was. There was always either some dire event going on that pulled everyone in different directions, or she had never taken notice of any strange behavior by whatever dragon slayer she happened to be around at the time. (Because they all insisted upon getting their weekly dose of 'Lucy time' as the had dubbed it.)

In response, Lucy just shook her head.

"It's mating season. This time of year, dragons and, more to the point dragon slayers become incredibly territorial and protective. If they have mentally branded you as one of their own, you're pretty much stuck. As unmated dragon slayers, these three-" she pointed between Cobra, Sting and Rogue, "-are especially so. Because they have no concrete assurance that the ones they love most won't be snatched from right beneath their noses via kidnapping or a battle."

"A battle?" The blonde couldn't help her curiosity. Yukino seemed happy enough to oblige.

"Dragon culture is a bit different to human in that gender does not dictate their roles in their relationships. They are born with the secondary definition of submissive or dominant. Unlike humans, a male submissive dragon is capable of giving birth. Any submissive dragon is. Dominant females are capable too, but it's highly unlikely. Usually, if a dominant challenges a submissive and the challenge is accepted, the dominant is then free to mate them. No matter what the extenuating circumstances."

That was . . . Practical, actually. And she kind of liked that it had little to do with gender at all.

"Is it common for two dominant dragons to fight over a submissive?"

Yukino just shook her head.

"Actually, submissives are the ones who decide who can pursue them and who can't. They have to accept a challenge for it to be taken seriously. And it must be a submissive versus dominant battle. It's not an 'I beat you, and I get them' type of situation. The submissive makes the decisions between interested dominants."

Lucy just hummed softly, eyes darting quickly over to Rogue and back to her fellow celestial mage. Yukino had, apparently, seen that. At least, if that smug look on her face meant anything. The white haired mage couldn't help but add on another bit.

"There are also circumstances where if a dominant doesn't think s submissive with a family relation to them should be mated to any of the candidates, they can choose to challenge the submissive for the right to protect them from suitors. In the case of humans, it's pretty much the same minus the combat part."

"So in this case, you and I would be . . . "

"The submissives, yes. As well as Levy, Kinana, Freed and Lisanna. Wendy is too young, so Gajeel has taken right of protection. However, the rest of us are seen as potential mates. And if we agree to the terms set out for us, we would then become the submissive of the offering dragon slayer."

Across the guild, Natsu huffed.

"Lucy can't be a sub though! She's Lucy- she's attached to every dragon slayer. I still think I should get right of protection!"

From his lofty perch on the second floor, Laxus scoffed at his declaration.

"Oh, please. You have no control over your instincts! If anyone should have right of protection, it's me. I'm the eldest, and she'd be safe with me."

Gajeel stood from his seat beside Levy and Wendy, an impish grin across his lips.

"If we're havin' this thing, I'm throwin' my hat in the ring too! I want right of protection over Bunny girl. She's as much my anima soris as she is yours."

Cobra slammed his mug of Clorox and chloroform down on the bar, standing himself.

"Then I'm volunteering for right off protection too."

Across from her, Sting arched one cocky brow.

"If anyone is going to have right of protection over Blondie it's gonna be me."

Rogue, in the silence that followed, sat up straighter and glared collectively at the rest of the dragon slayers.

"You're all incorrect. I will be the one to protect Lucy."

The rest of the dragon slayers stared at him in bewilderment, and even Yukino and Rufus (finally! He looks up from his book!) seemed surprised. Lucy really didn't see what the big deal was. He'd just done what everyone else had done. And truth be told, she was more comfortable with Rogue than any of the others. He was considerate of her, and he was soft spoken. He didn't see the need to fill a comfortable silence with unnecessary words. Wendy shook herself out of her stupor and looked to the blonde.

"Well? Who do you choose then? It's up to you who it is, but they're going to be attached at your hip until the end of mating season. Which is roughly two months from now. So I'd choose wisely Lucy."

The blonde blinked a few times, and announced her choice without hesitation.

"I choose Rogue."

The guild was dead silent, and Yukino swallowed hard.

"Lucy? Are you sure you want to-"

Lucy narrowed her eyes,  and the temperature around her dropped twenty degrees.

"I. Choose. Rogue."

Across the guild, Levy piped up.

"But Lu-chan-"

"No! No buts. I choose Rogue, and that's the end of it."

Wendy just giggled softly.

"Then you have to tell him, 'Ryos, I accept your mating season terms, may the will of the dragons bind us together' but be prepared for the backlash. You'll be bound to him after this."

Once again, Lucy didn't hesitate. She turned right to Rogue, looked him in the eyes (eye- but that's not important) and announced her choice.

"Ryos, I accept your mating season terms. May the will of the dragons bind us together."

The sharp pain in her side had her doubling over, and Rogue had to her her from hitting her head on the table. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was the worried crimson eyes of the person she'd just bound herself to. Not that she could've possibly known what that would mean.

Chapter Text

When Lucy woke up, it was to the stark white if the infirmary ceiling. She scrunched her eyes shut and groaned softly. She went to move her hand, but a weight held out stubbornly in place. Turning towards the weight, she pulled the pillow over her head in hopes of blocking out the light some. A low murmur sounded nearby, and she noted that the room seemed to dim beyond her mostly ineffective obstacle. Peering out slowly, she was relieved to find that was indeed the case. She met crimson eyes, dancing with amusement and felt heat creep up her cheeks as she sat up.

"How are you feeling?"

The familiar deep tenor of Rogue's voice was comforting in the sterile room. Something warm to combat the cold, detached feeling of the off-white walls. She offered a small smile, feeling rather that seeing, the way Rogue tensed sightly.

"Much better now, thank you. I suppose all this mating season business means you've been here this whole time?"

He nodded, not seeming to mind, shaggy hair falling just right so as to seem playful. She didn't understand how anyone could be wary of him. Even with less expression in his overall features, his eyes showed more than enough to gauge his mood and the playful head tilts or slight twitches of his lips spoke volumes. Though, she supposed perhaps not everyone paid so much attention.

Despite what she was sure must be popular opinion in the guild right then, she had thought through her options logically. She couldn't live with Natsu, and the way this situation was sounding, it seemed she would've had to live with whoever she chose. At least for a while. Natsu was messy, and she couldn't afford to feed him that often.

Laxus was a more favorable option, but not ideal. He had his own mate to pursue, who actually may view her presence as a problem (unlike Lisanna, who just would've found it amusing to have her around). She knew the two of them were regularly . . . intimate, and she would not be the one to cockblock a dragon slayer. No thank you.

Gajeel had yet to confess to Levy, and perhaps she would've been able to enact a scheme of some kind to get them together. Likely at the cost of Gajeel challenging her at just about everything. He liked to compete with her, knowing she'd give as good as she got and they would go back and forth at nearly anything for hours. She didn't think she'd have the energy to deal with Gajeel nearly so often.

Cobra had Kinana, and three former Oracion Seis all lived together with the two of them. They had ample room, but Lucy doubted she would get much privacy. She'd been in situations like that with Team Natsu before, and much as she loved the company she could not abide the lack of personal boundaries. Especially not the kind of boundaries that Cobra would cross without even really thinking about them. Because he'd lived with these same people all his life. Best not to throw off their equilibrium so soon after they'd found it.

Sting . . . Was Sting. Enough said. He prided himself on his similarities to Natsu when he was growing up. He was clueless when it came to boundaries. Especially boundaries of those he was close with. They were practically siblings at this point, he would encroach upon her space far too often for her liking. Aside from that, she refused to be the reason he didn't just confess to Yukino already by giving him right of protection.

Rogue though? Rogue she could trust to respect her boundaries. They'd taken several missions together (because the council had, around the same time as disbanding Sabertooth, forbidden team Natsu to go on missions together unless absolutely dire circumstances presented themselves. They could go in sets of three, at most but no more) and Lucy trusted him to maintain her privacy. He never initiated contact unless she was comfortable with it, careful to keep an eye on her reactions. He withdrew if she seemed or stated that she was uncomfortable. And he had never once made her feel like she was fragile. (Something even Gajeel, for all their competitive nature, was sometimes guilty of.) He was chivalrous, without being misogynistic. He was careful, without making her feel inadequate. He was protective, without making her feel small.

Yes, if she had to endure two months of having someone attached to her at the hip, she was glad to choose Rogue. She knew he was quiet, and others had a hard time reading him, but to her he was an open book. Even his micro expressions held significant meaning. And she was very good at deciphering them.

"To be entirely fair, this was partially my fault. There's a catch to all this. Do you recall feeling pain somewhere right before you passed out?"

Setting a hand to her left side, Lucy nodded.

"If you look there, you'll find a mark. It's used to identify dragon slayer mates, and depending on the dragon slayer, it grants certain abilities."

Lucy arched a curious brow. A nonverbal cue to continue. A brief look of discomfort flashed through his eyes, and she just nodded her understanding. She wouldn't press any further.

"Perhaps I can help Lu-chan."

Levy made her way through the infirmary door with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. Though, the tension in her body proved to Lucy that she was wound just a bit too tight. Likely concerned for the blonde herself.

"That'd be great Lev! Any insight to share?"

The tiny woman perched herself on the bed, taking the side across from Rogue which effectively put her furthest from the door.

"He won't be able to tell you what kind of abilities you'll gain. No one will know until you do, because they're unique to each dragon slayer. And to each mate pair. For example-"

"Wait a minute-"

That sentence didn't sound right. Why? What was off-

"What do you mean mate pair?"

That's the bitch! That's why it sounded off. Despite not consciously knowing, she'd somehow understood where the issue was.

"I thought you knew . . . Ryos didn't say 'I want right of protection'. He said 'I want to protect Lucy'."

"Is there a difference?"

" . . . Lu-chan, it's the fine print that matters with magical deals, you know that! You kept interrupting when we tried to explain, so Yukino and I thought you understood. Rogue wasn't offering protection like he would for a family member he wasn't ready to see mated. He was offering protection as a potential mate. That's why everybody looked at him like that."

Lucy just blinked at her blearily. 

" . . . Oh."

Despite this revelation, Lucy really couldn't bring herself to feel bad about what had happened. Actually, she was somewhat relieved. For Rogue to view her as a sister would've been a little bit awkward. She knew they understood each other a fair bit, but she didn't think sisters looked at their brothers quite like she looked at Rogue. Looking to the crimson eyes of her prospective mate, she didn't think the next two months would be so bad. If anything, she would get the chance to understand him better.

"Does that change the terms?"

Levy considered this for a moment.

"I don't think so. It's pretty much the same deal, but he'll be more . . . drawn to you, if that makes sense. More attuned to your presence, and what you may want or need. It's the dragon in him- he can't help but try to provide stability. Whether that's physical, emotional or some other kind of stability."

Lucy just shrugged her shoulders.

"Works for me."

Rogue was certainly not expecting that answer. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to mind her casual acceptance of what she had not, in fact, been aware of.

But he could think about that later. For now, his first order of business was to get Lucy to eat something. Unfortunately, Levy was right. He'd noticed Lucy becoming a little thinner lately, and the dragon in him was determined to provide her enough food to be comfortably soft and curvaceous.

He tried not to think about the fact that that particular instinct was rooted in the primal desire for her to give birth to his children.

Chapter Text

I'll be moving this work to a separate profile just for my personal projects, where it will still be fully available! I'll leave this version here though, and will hopefully be giving it regular updates on the new profile! This on makes me feel a little pressured, not that its anyone's fault but mine. So I'm going to lighten my load, so to speak! I'll also be moving some of my other stories, so please be on the lookout for them on the other account, OfRunicLore! Thank you!