AN: Fairy Tait belongs to Hiro Mashima!

Hey! This a 'medium length' fic for you! :) I still have a few chapters to write near the end, but it's a Gajevy request from ro-blaze! I've been playing with posting this first chapter for a while (I think I mentioned posting it about four/five months ago, but I think something came up? Sorry!), but here it finally is! Please enjoy! :)

Chapter One

Where the hell did that freak just come from?! He'd just been minding his own damn business! Gajeel slipped into an alleyway and glanced back over his shoulder as he pulled the collar of his leather jacket up around his neck. He watched the skinny guy scanning the crowd for him. The bastard may be tall, but there was no way he'd be worth draining. He'd only just had a drink a couple of nights ago anyway. The tall Hunter started shifting through the crowd at a surprising pace in Gajeel's direction. Gajeel silently cursed as he realised the Hunter must have worked out where he'd gone.

He glanced down at the dead-end and groaned. It was just his luck. He'd lived for over six hundred fucking years without getting caught once and he was about to be cornered by a skinny guy. He hated wasting a good meal but he didn't drink from Hunters, or guys for that matter. It wasn't that they tasted all that different; it was just easier getting women back to his. Unless he found a place with some nice guys that looked after themselves and were into 'guys like him', he had to actually expend some energy to persuade them back. Willing victims always tasted better.

He slid his sunglasses back up from their resting place on the bottom stud that pierced through the bridge of his nose and slipped back into the crowd. He felt the Hunter's eyes on him instantly. If he ever found the bitch that bit him and didn't finish the job, he'd fucking rip her damn head off! He was too fucking tall for this! He smirked as he reached his planned destination and stepped in the door. He swiped his card and waltzed in as if nothing was wrong. He sauntered over to the furthest long, pine table and threw his jacket over the seat that faced the door. If the freak came in, he'd see him and the freak wouldn't even know it was him. He was pretty sure of that last part anyway.

He wandered into the aisle he had planned to investigate today. Back to his usual routine and hopefully that damn Hunter would have left when he finished. How many Hunters bothered with library cards? He'd been yet to meet one after six hundred and nine years. Before that, he hadn't even known they'd existed. He sighed as he looked at the section titled 'Vampires'. Maybe he'd actually find something that wasn't all fiction today? So far the only thing he'd found in these books that was actually true was the need to drink blood. They'd fucked up the quantity. Every single one.

"Can I help you?" A female voice chimed from behind him.

"No, I'm ju-" He paused as he blinked a few times to check what he was looking at.

Standing in front of him was a child. A short, almost flat-chest girl with short-ish blue waves. Her smile was surprisingly friendly considering the obvious size difference, but her smile wasn't the only thing shining in those large, hazel eyes. Suspicion. Was she a Hunter? She couldn't be; she's a child...! And female! He hadn't ever heard of any damn female Hunters! He paused in his thoughts as something occurred to him. He silently cursed as he tried to remember when the equal rights thing had passed. It felt like yesterday to him, but something told him that it had been during the last hundred years. What should he do if she was? What would she do if she was? He'd normally just get the fuck out of there before they started throwing shit at him, but this was a library...? Hunte-

"Are you ok?" The girl frowned, tilting her head slightly in concern, the suspicion still there in her hazel eyes.

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting a kid to be working in the library." He sneered, turning back to the shelf.

He held back the grunt of pain as a foot made contact with the back of his knee. He steadied himself and turned to glare down at her. She was glaring back. She was standing less than a meter away from him in her short, black pencil skirt and long sleeved black blazer, glaring at him. She was actually pretty cute for a pain in the ass kid.

"What the fuck did ya do that for? I'm pretty sure ya ain't supposed to assault yer patrons." He grunted as he tried to burn a hole through her through his sunglasses.

"You're not supposed to insult staff either." She returned, apparently not even remotely intimidated. "Now, what can I help you with?"

"Nothing." He sighed, turning back to the shelf. Why was the damn midget being so persistent?!

"Then perhaps you should leave?" She replied airily.

"And why's that?" He snorted, skimming his finger along the spines of the books as he searched for one he hadn't read.

"You're rude and look like you're up to no good." She shrugged, making him look back over at her.

"I look like I'm up to no good?" He frowned, narrowing his eyes at her. What exactly did that mean? Maybe this kid could actually help him? "What makes ya say that?"

"You're wearing sunglasses inside," she mused, watching him more carefully than he liked, "and you're wearing baggy trousers. I can come up with two possible answers and neither are good."

"And what would they be?" He snorted, rolling his eyes at her. If he found out what draws a Hunter to the conclusion he's a bloodsucking Vampire, maybe he could make himself not look like a Vampire. Hell, that might just save him having to keep up with the fucking changing shit! Although, this current clothes that he had gotten ten years ago had been pretty good at making him look like a human 'with no sense of anything'. He'd managed to make himself look like a thug and that kept most humans away from him – always a good thing for a Vampire.

"Well, either you're planning to steal a couple of books," she began, narrowing her eyes at him as if she could see his eyes through his glasses. He hoped not, "or you're a Vampire."

"A Vampire?! How the fuck did ya come up with that?!" He exclaimed, trying to sound angry. "Do I look like I have fucking giant fangs?!" He added quickly, opening his mouth to show her his teeth as he finished.

"Vampires have retractable teeth." She deadpanned, watching him closely, daring him to argue.

"Huh?" He frowned, trying to sound confused by her response.

"Oh!" She gasped, her hands coming up to her mouth. "I am so sorry! You're just one of those guys into mythical creatures like Vampires, aren't you?! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to embarrass you! Oh my god...that's why you're wearing the sunglasses...you're embarrassed about it and didn't want to be recognised...sorry..."

"It's alright, Shortie." He sighed, pretending to have been caught. "Since ya've figured me out, can ya recommend any of these?"

"Well...I could- No, I shouldn't...but I did just embarrass you...and accuse you of being a Vampire...Sorry about that..." She mumbled, looking away bashfully.

"Look, it's fine." He grunted, his eyes running over the people in the library now staring at them. Including the Hunter from the street. "So, can ya?"

"Well, these...If you're looking for things a little less...'theoretical', there is a book I can recommend...but it's not here on the shelf." She replied quietly, glancing around her as the gazes melted away. "I, em, just give me a minute." She frowned, suddenly walking away.

Gajeel turned back to the shelf and grabbed a random book on Vampires and one on Werewolves; nothing wrong with making himself more convincing. She'd actually come up with a pretty good cover story for him. He glanced over at her and saw her talking to the tall, skinny Hunter that had been following him in the street. He grabbed a random seat, staying clear of his leather jacket. The idiot hadn't even seemed to have noticed him! Looked like the old short hair to long hair trick worked on him. He needed to get it cut again though; it was getting too close to the bottom of his jacket. The two of them seemed pretty friendly...Two Hunters that knew each other...? Or was it just him and she's his girlfriend that's learned shit from him?

"Hey." A male voice stated over his shoulder as he turned back to his books. The freak was too fucking fast. If he's this fast when he's walking, how the fuck was Gajeel going to fucking out run him?

"Hey." He grunted back, reading the page he knew every damn word of. Why did Vampires have such brilliant memories that they only needed to read things once? He still remembered every gory detail of every war he'd found himself enlisted into. They were far from his favourite memories.

"So, Levy says you just came in a few minutes ago? You have an interesting book there?" The Hunter began too calmly.

"Yeah...I did...Ya got a problem with that...?" He hummed, pretending to be more interested in his book than not getting his head chopped off.

"Interested in Vampires? It's not as romantic a notion as you read in books. They don't woo women and take them as their eternal brides, making love to them every night." The Hunter returned, leaning over his shoulder slightly so that his shadow fell on the book.

"Huh...That kind of sounds fun...How'd ya become an eternal bride...? Does it work on guys...? A hot female vampire fucking me every night for eternity sounds better than ecstasy..." He replied almost absently.

"What they really do is hypnotise poor, unsuspecting women, take them back to some damp house, and rape them while draining them of all their blood." The Hunter stated almost as absently. "Sound familiar?"

"Did ya get that from some fucked up film? If ya're trying to recommend the second one, ya need to get yer fucking head checked." He glared as he turned around in his seat. "I wouldn't mind the title of the first though."

"Jet, look, just stop this...He's just some random guy who's interested in that stuff..." 'Levy' mumbled quietly from behind 'Jet'. If Gajeel hadn't been a Vampire, he wouldn't have heard her; he decided to pretend he hadn't.

He turned back to his book and began 'reading' again. He felt the Hunter shift behind him. What was he going to do? Surely the guy wouldn't try to kill him in the middle of the library? 'Jet' had no evidence what-so-fucking-ever! Gajeel had hidden his eyes and his teeth were drawn back in! Those were the only giveaways, right? He had been a little more tanned when he'd been 'alive', but there was no way this 'Jet' would know that...was there? Had this guy seen old photos of him? Did this guy know that he'd been around for centuries from seeing him in old photos? It was possible...It wasn't as if he had a recent birth certificate, but there were photos of him from both world wars in the town hall...? If anyone thought he looked familiar, he'd always just tell them that his father had come from this area – or his grandfather depending on who was asking.

No-one was old enough to have known his 'great grandfather'. Yet.

"How old are you?" Jet demanded quietly from slightly further away.

"Twenty-two. Why?" Gajeel grunted, turning the page of his book.

"I meant your real age." Jet growled as he shifted again. Was a silver knife about to slit his neck?

"Twenty-fucking-two." Gajeel snarled back, making sure not to let his fangs slip out. If he snarled with no fangs, this freak might just decide he really wasn't a Vampire. What was up with these people? Was it really so damn obvious that he was a fucking Vampire?!

"Jet, just drop it...I told you, he's not one of them! You normally trust me! What's so suspicious about this guy?" Levy huffed quietly from behind Jet.

"So, how old are ya?! Ya clearly deserve to be in a mental hospital! Both of ya! Ya do realise Vampires don't actually exist, right? I just find this shit interesting, but the two of ya have clearly lost yerselves in it." Gajeel snapped, trying to sound angry and offended by them.

"Look, Sir, I'm really sorry about my friend's behaviour. He's a Detective of sorts...There's rumours about a 'real Vampire' being in the area, so he wants to be the one who catches it..." Levy explained sheepishly.

"And ya think it's me?" Gajeel grunted, staring back at them in disbelief.

Had it really been that obvious that he'd returned? He wasn't the only vampire in the area; that much he knew. No-one missed the women he drained. He'd follow them for a week or two to make sure that they were 'isolated' before risking approaching them. If they spotted him following them, he'd back off completely and look for someone else. He didn't exactly need to feed often, even with his large size.

Other Vampires were less careful though.

"Fine." Jet frowned before finally turning away.

Gajeel watched as he hugged the girl and started to walk towards the exit door. Jet glanced back over his shoulder at him before slipping out into the street. A Hunter with a library card. Gajeel couldn't deny that it had to happen sometime. He needed to find a new library. He always came to this one when he was in Magnolia though? Maybe he should sell his place in Magnolia? He had three places around Fiore, two in Bosco, and one in Seven. Fiore was his home, so he spent thirty years of his sixty year rotation in it – who wouldn't? People were clearly starting to get suspicious though...

"Asshole." Gajeel muttered as he got up with his books.

"Hey...I'm really sorry about my friend..." Levy mumbled awkwardly, looking down at her feet.

"I've dealt with worse." Gajeel grunted as he walked past her to put the books away. "If ya're really sorry, ya can show me that book."

"Sure." She nodded as she followed after him.

Gajeel placed the books back where he had gotten them and turned around to find Levy less than a foot away from him. He would have jumped if it hadn't been for his nose telling him that she was there. He stared silently at her as she smiled friendlily up at him. Gajeel folded his arms in front of his chest, knowing it would instantly make him look impatient. The girl took the hint and suddenly walked off at a surprising speed that made Gajeel wonder if she'd be a bigger problem than the guy.

"Where are ya taking me?" He frowned as they walked through a set of previously locked doors into a dark corridor at the back of the library.

"Into the 'classified' section." Levy replied in an almost sing-song tone. "The book is there, but before I let you see it, you'll have to tell me why you want to." She finished, spinning around to look up at him with narrowed hazel eyes as they stopped outside a padlocked door.