Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Summary: Life in Magnolia City's magical crimes investigations division is chaotic, dangerous, and sometimes short. But at least it's never boring.

Main Pairing(s): Natsu Dragneal x Zeraf (eventual), , Jellal Fernandes x Erza Scarlet (established)

Other Mentioned Pairing(s): Gajeel Redfox x Levy McGarden (established), Loke x Lucy Heartfilia (eventual)

WARNINGS: AU , eventual Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned

Modern Fantasy

By V. Shalyr

1. Glimpses

Erza Scarlet looked sternly across her desk at one of her most problematic—if effective—field team captains. "Natsu, we really can't afford to keep paying for these damages. You've got to start being more careful."

The young man occupying the other chair in her office ran a hand through his wild hair and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away. At least we caught the guy, right?"

"Yes, well, we also gave him several broken ribs, serious burns, and a huge medical bill—which we have to cover."

She sighed and shuffled the papers on her desk. She hated paperwork. It was the worst thing about being in charge of this division. Just looking at it all was making her want to strangle something. On days like this, she wished fervently that she'd turned down that promotion.

It would have been nice if people outside of their division could just understand how tough it could be to deal with criminals who had magic at their disposal. It didn't matter that all of her agents were wizards. Fighting was messy in itself, and fighting wizards was naturally even more so.

"If it was up to me, I'd just let it go," she said finally. "But unfortunately, the other departments have been a bit... shocked and displeased by our incredible expenditures. They want us to at least attempt to remedy the situation."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"It means that, as of tomorrow, every field team is getting a budget for damage expenses. Once you use up that budget, you're going to have to pay for damages out of your own pocket."

Natsu grimaced. "Seriously? We don't get paid enough as it is."

"Then hopefully, you'll start being more careful."

"Okay, okay." The Dragon Slayer shook his head and got to his feet. "Anything else?"

"You've already handed in your report?"

"Yeah."

"Then no, you're free to go."

Despite the lecture and the fact that it was Monday, Natsu left the office that evening in a pretty good mood. As far as he was concerned, it had been a successful day. The criminal he'd been sent after was safely behind bars, and nobody on his team had been seriously injured. The new budget might pose problems, but he'd never been one to worry too much about the future.

The streets of the city teemed with life. All the noises and smells had taken some getting used to when he'd first moved here two years ago, but now, it was as familiar to him as the mountains where he'd grown up. He still missed the place sometimes, but it hadn't been home since the dragon who had raised him had disappeared. No one here even believed his stories of dragons.

Well, except for his current teammate Wendy and that bastard amateur musician anyway. And no one believed their stories either.

With this somewhat sobering thought in mind, Natsu pushed open the door of the Tenrou Coffee Shop and made a beeline for a small table near the counter. The blond girl already sitting at it greeted him with a wave and a smile.

"Hey, Natsu. Thanks for coming at such short notice."

"It's no big deal. This place is pretty close to the office anyway."

He appropriated a chair and picked up one of the neatly folded paper menus sharing the napkin stand with the napkins. Overhead, various pale yellow lanterns hung from the boughs of a tree carved in sprawling tangles across the ceiling. The scent of wood mixed with the aroma of baking bread and roasting chicken, and was that apple pie? He could really do with a sandwich right about now, or maybe two sandwiches plus dessert.

"So, Lucy, what did you want to see me about? You already interviewed me about that museum break-in."

The journalist coughed. "Um, it's not really about work."

Natsu waved over a waiter to place his order then looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"You've worked with Loke before, right?" she asked.

"He's on Gray's team, but yeah, I've worked with him a few times. Why?"

"He—sort of invited me to have dinner with him the weekend after next."

"So? You going to go?"

She sighed, stirring the ice cubes in her tea with her straw. "I'm trying to ask you if you think he actually, really likes me."

"Uh..." Natsu scratched the back of his head, unused to being asked these sorts of questions. He wasn't the kind of person other people tended to consult about their love lives, and he really preferred it that way. "Well, he's certainly always flirting with you."

"He flirts with a lot of women. I never know if he's serious or not."

"Why are you telling me this? I don't know what he's thinking, and I can't read minds. Why don't you talk to Gray or something?"

Lucy fidgeted in her chair and laughed a little in embarrassment. "Actually, I was sort of wondering if you could, you know—smell if he's being sincere when he talks to me. Maybe if you get a different table at the restaurant we go to or something."

"Basically, you're asking me to spy on you two and see if he lies at all."

"You could put it that way. Please? I'll owe you one."

"...You understand that I might not be able to tell you anything that you can't figure out on your own."

"I know. I just—want a reliable opinion from someone I trust. I'd just ask one of my Celestial Spirits to help me out, but they'd all stick out a bit too much. Besides, you're a good judge of character."

Natsu hesitated. He really wanted to refuse. This was not his area of expertise.

"I'll pay for the food if you go," Lucy added. "I hear that it's a very good restaurant."

"...Okay, fine. When and where was this date of yours going to be exactly?"

"In two weeks, Saturday night around seven at the Aria."

Damn. He'd passed by that restaurant on his patrols, and it looked like the kind of place that wouldn't allow anyone wearing jeans or sneakers through the door. He hated having to dress formal, but he'd already agreed to go. Oh well, at least he'd get a good meal out of it.

Speaking of meals, the waiter arrived at that moment bearing two plates. He set both sandwiches down in front of Natsu without comment; it wasn't the first time the Dragon Slayer had visited and the entire staff knew about his formidable appetite.

Before Natsu could bite into the first sandwich, however, the front door of the coffee shop swung open and another customer stepped over the threshold. The Dragon Slayer paused, turning his head so he could watch the stranger walk over to the counter, make an order there, and then move to sit at a table in the far corner.

"Any idea who that is over there?"

Lucy shifted around in her chair to follow his gaze. "Oh, him? I don't know. I think he just recently started coming here. I see him in here now and then, but he never talks and he's always alone. Why?"

The Dragon Slayer shrugged. "He smells... strange. Old."

"But he looks like he's in his mid teens. How old could he be?"

"Don't know, but you know that museum exhibit my last case was at? It reminds me of that."

"Those relics were a couple hundred years old, Natsu."

"I know. Weird, huh?"

"I couldn't say. I don't have a Dragon Slayer's senses. For all I know, lots of people smell like museum artifacts. Although," she added, voice turning dry, "I don't think you have much room to talk about weird."

On another day, Natsu might have protested this. But today, the stranger was distracting him. It wasn't just that his scent reminded him of ancient ruins and autumn afternoons. The boy smelled like magic too, very old and very unusual magic.

It was a calm, quiet sort of scent, and Natsu found himself thinking about it long after he'd gone home.

.

A knock came at her door and Erza looked up.

"You may come in."

When she saw who it was, she smiled and some of the tension left her shoulders.

"You're off early today. Did the university reschedule your Mechanics of Magic class?"

"Actually, I had a full house. All one hundred and thirty-two students showed up, which is definitely a first this semester," the man said. "If you check your clock, I think you'll find that you've been working late."

A glance at the digital face occupying a corner of her desk told her that this was, indeed, the case.

"I'm sorry, Jellal. I should have called."

"Don't worry about it."

"It's just these recent reports." She sighed, looking back at the papers that had taken up the last hour of her time. "Members of Grimoire Heart have been seen around the city. We'd heard rumors before, but now we're sure."

The bright light in her office seemed to make the red markings on Jellal's face even more vivid when he frowned.

"Why did they come here?"

"We don't know yet, but we'll find out. So far, I'm fairly sure it has nothing to do with you, but you should probably be careful anyway."

Jellal nodded then took a seat, shunting aside a pile of folders so he could place a bag on the table. "I brought dinner. I hope pasta's all right with you?"

TBC...

Author's Note: I've had this stuck in my head for awhile, so I figured I might as well jot it down. This was partly inspired by the chapter "Modern Magic" in my other story "Firelight and Shadows", although they are unrelated and quite different.

.