Chapter 1 – A Stalker's Thoughts

Gajeel sat cross-legged on the rooftop looking down on the street below. He squeezed his arms tighter around the little exceed as he watched the little bluenette wobble as she followed the taller blonde, arms outstretched, along the canal wall. 'Idiot, what does she think's gonna happen if she falls?!' he thought, unwillingly irritated, not that he'd care what happened to her.

"Watch you don't fall in girls!" the usual men called jovially as they slipped by on their little boat.

Gajeel wasn't sure how he managed to find himself sitting on the rooftop with Lily in his arms, watching the two Fairy Tail mages walking back to the blonde's apartment after a morning at the guild to read the next chapter of the blonde's latest novel that she was writing; he just felt he had to. It wasn't that it was urgent – he just wanted to.

And that's what puzzled him.

He spent almost all his time with her and Lily now, even with the constant teasing of their friends. They weren't together, but he just couldn't get their friends to accept that there wasn't anything between him and the Shrimp. He knew she'd forgiven him for the Phantom Lord incident – she'd reassured him of that plenty of times in the years since. So it wasn't that he felt guilty anymore, or did he? Gajeel sat pondering about his usual conundrum that was his constant urge to protect Shrimp. Even if she was with Bunnygirl.

Which meant Flame Brain wouldn't be far behind.

This was the reason he'd chosen to make himself comfortable on the rooftops instead of following a few yards behind as usual. The last thing he needed was that immature hot-head actually catching him 'following' her. As he glanced back down at the street he realised he'd lost sight of them and decided to shift. He popped the chibi Lily onto his left shoulder and agilely made his way across the rooftops in the direction of Bunnygirl's apartment. He hadn't been in it but he'd followed Shrimp enough times to know where to go.

He froze.

The scent of the other male dragon slayer was between him and his goal. He ducked down and scanned the surrounding rooftops, and then the street below. How the hell could he explain what he was doing there if he was found?! He was sitting contemplating what to do when a chill ran down his spine. A spiky shadow hovered behind him, and he realised Lily was gone. Slowly, barely daring to look at the terror-creating monster behind him, he turned.

"Why are you peeping on Lucy and Levy?!"

A second, much sharper, chill went down his spine. Goosebumps appearing on his skin as all the raven black hairs stood up on his studded, muscular arms. His crimson red eyes crept slowly up Titania's Heaven's Wheel armour. The swords of which were all perfectly aimed at the large iron dragon slayer. He wondered silently if he could deflect them all with his iron dragon scale armoured skin and decided speak very carefully.

"Making sure they got back safely. Master said something earlier about a dark guild in the area." He answered vaguely and rubbed the back of his head nervously, hoping the s-class re-equip mage hadn't been back to the guild yet after finishing her latest mission.

"Oh...fine. I just thought it was strange that you were stalking them instead of walking with them." Erza jibbed with a glint in her eye. She re-equipped into her usual armour and lay down next to the dragon slayer.

Gajeel took the hint and sat back, watching the birds higher up in the sky. Suddenly, he realised Lily was still gone; he looked around him but couldn't see the little black exceed anywhere. As if she had sensed his discomfort, Erza mumbled a simple sound that only Gajeel's excessively excellent ear could have picked up: 'Levy-chan'. Gajeel smirked at the thought of the little black exceed effortlessly gliding his way in through Bunnygirl's window and into the adequately plump bosom of the petite solid script mage.

Erza noticed the smirk and shifted to knee him in the thigh. He flinched as her knee made contact and looked down at her with a puzzled expression. He looked at her soft scarlet hair lying vibrant and silkily across the rough, grey slate roof tiles. His mind began to drift again, this time back to the picnic Shrimp had suggested a while back. He remembered the sun glittering through the trees and hitting her magnificent blue hair as they lay on the little red blanket – him lying there relaxing on his back with his arms behind his head for a pillow, and her lying propped up on her side by one elbow, head in a book, threatening to bite her small, defenceless nail as the book got more intense, the little black exceed tucked under her left arm drinking the delicious kiwi juice Shrimp had made that morning especially – not that Gajeel had been allowed any. It was all for her adorable little Lily. There were times when he wondered if Lily really was his exceed.

Gajeel sat drifting through his memories of the many hours he'd spent with Shrimp, some would say fondly, but this was Gajeel. Gajeel was a tough, 'no shit-taking' iron dragon slayer – he had no time to think of what that weird feeling was when he thought of her! He was more of a man than that soft sap of a take-over mage, Elfman! The idiot's elder sister was more of a man! Then again, she was engaged to that pompous green-haired rune mage, Freed. Although, since the almost ending of the world, everyone seemed to be opening up to the people they liked – even successfully taking mates!

Cana and Bacchus were a bit unexpected but it did explain why he'd been hanging around the guild hall so much and why Gildarts had had a huge fight with him – destroying half the forest surrounding Magnolia. Gajeel let out a sigh, still disappointed that he'd missed the fight – it must have been fun. He let out his little 'gihe' when he continued onto the latest couple at the guild – not even match-making Mira had seen it coming! She'd even transformed into her Sitri Satan Soul just to punch Bixslow when she'd found out he'd been dating Lisanna. Gajeel glanced at the mage lying next to him, once again wondering who'd win if Titania and the pin-up barmaid actually went head to head in a fight.

Gajeel could feel hunger growing in his stomach and made to move but Erza stopped him. Once again puzzled, he turned to Titania.

"What about the dark guild?" she asked, her voice serious.

"Well, you're here now anyway, and I'm pretty sure Flame Brain is at Bunnygirl's apartment. Lily can come get me if I'm needed." He brushed off her question with an honest, if not totally truthful, answer. Both Erza and Natsu were nearby, and Lily always seemed to know where to find him.

Erza nodded and let him go while making for the direction of Lucy's apartment herself. Gajeel swiftly moved in the direction of the guild, least he be caught again without a good explanation.