The guild had grown to be unusually restless since Flamebrain discovered Bunny Girl's birthday was tomorrow. The news sent all of FairyTail into a frenzy.

A huddle had formed near the bar as more and more members conspired to participate in the surprise festivities.

From Gajeel's lone vantage point at Shadow Gear's table, he could make out the backside of one particularly short solid script mage. She bounced with excitement as duties were passed out and the movement caused her dress to billow and cling to her form.

His mouth ran dry and he took a tight swig of beer from his mug.

His cat had taken off at some point, landing on his script mage's blue head.

He tried to tune into their quiet conversation, straining to hear them over the din of the other conspirators.

Her eyes found him, listening to whatever his traitorous cat whispered in her little ears.

He looked away from her, not wanting to be caught staring, and took another large gulp of his amber drink, bringing the level low enough for a refill.

The team huddle seemed to have broken apart and he heard the click of familiar red sandals approach him. She slid into the seat across from him, folding her hands on the table.

She bit her plump lower lip, not meeting his eyes. He had a hunch of what was coming before she spoke.

"Tomorrow is Lucy's birthday," she started.

He nodded his head, acknowledging her comment.

"Mira said she was going to be busy with decorations, and Natsu and the others already formed a team to raid her apartment for gift ideas," she continued.

He knew exactly where she was going with this and he formulated his answer before she asked.

"I was hoping you could help me make something?" she ended her request high, bracing for rejection.

Which he was going to, until he suddenly discovered the surprising, yet unrelenting power behind her hope-filled, hazel eyes that silently cracked his ironclad resolve and begged him for assistance. It crossed his mind that he would not want to be the cause of her dejection or sadness. And certainly not over something as little as this. She probably wanted a little charm for a necklace or bracelet. That was easy enough for a night's work.

He crossed his arms over his chest, fiddling with the silver piercings in his lower lip.

"What did y'wanna make, shrimp?"

She visibly glowed with happiness, straightening her shoulders and beaming brightly.

"Cupcakes!" she exclaimed.

Shit.

Levy glanced down at the scrap of paper in her hands, adjusting the large bag of eggs in her other. He had given her directions to his house, and she had followed them to the letter.

Her anxiety began to mount as she approached what she suspected was the home of the iron mage. It certainly wasn't what she expected to find. It was somewhat small with a well-trimmed yard, but on the side of town known to be more...affluent. Certainly, not the dive she had envisioned.

She approached the door, rapping against the wood with her knuckles. She really hoped he wouldn't change his mind about helping her. She had never made anything like cupcakes before and she wanted them to be perfect. Pantherlily promised her that he had nothing going on that afternoon. So if he turned her away, what was she going to do? She didn't have a backup plan.

She waited a few more seconds, becoming disheartened by the amount of time passing for him to answer the door. She was going to knock a second time until the wood disappeared from under her fingers, revealing a dark man and darker interior.

"Yer late."

He stood in the doorframe, his coarse hair pulled into a thick bundle at the nape of his neck. He had changed into a black sleeveless shirt, but still wore the same snarky grin he usually did when he was teasing her.

She lifted the bag of eggs he had requested from her, opening the top for him to see inside.

"I was out. I had to go get more," she explained.

He took the offered dairy and moved aside for her to enter. She strolled past the threshold, curiosity plain on her face as she examined his hastily cleaned home. Most everything had just been tossed and sealed in his room. He deftly kicked a pair of unnoticed boots under his couch to avoid her wandering eyes and pointed her to the kitchen. It was the one place that he actually maintained.

"Wow, look at all this!"

She raced straight to the counters to admire the gleaming utensils and sparkling glass bowls. Everything glittered under the bright kitchen lights and she reached out to touch the wonderful light show.

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away from the supplies.

"How much do y'know 'bout cookin', shrimp?"

He watched as she thought for a moment, "Some. Why?"

He shook his head in disbelief, "Wash."

He pointed her to a kitchen sink. Of course, she knew that. She rolled up her sleeves and lathered the soap in her palms. She watched him over her shoulder as he dug through a lower cabinet.

"Up to yer elbows," he called.

She scrubbed at her skin like he told her to, possibly losing a few freckles in the process. When she finished, he handed her a paper towel, discarding it in a nearby bin once she was dry.

"Here."

She turned to see him holding out a wad of fabric, unfurling it before her. It was an apron.

He twirled his finger in the air, gesturing for her to turn around. She hesitantly complied and he looped the strap around her neck.

"Rule Number One: Keep yer hands clean."

He pulled the straps at her waist tight, criss-crossing them in the front before tying a bow in the back.

"Rule Number Two: Keep yer hair up."

Before she could stop him, he had pulled her hair into a tail, using his thick fingers to comb the curls back. She blushed furiously, feeling the heat crawl up her ears. When he had adjusted the elastic tie to his liking, he put his hands on her shoulders turning her to face him.

"Rule Number Three: Always. Listen. To Gajeel."

His twisted grin resurfaced as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Cupcakes are easy," he stated and listed the initial ingredients, "Flour, sugar, and salt in the big bowl first. And y'might wanna lose yer sleeves."

She reluctantly pulled the umber fabric down over her wrists, exposing her arms. She handed the accessories to him to hold, much to his surprise and courtesy.

He pointed to the canisters awaiting next to the largest bowl and she opened them, scooping out the amount he instructed. He had her drop the butter in next.

When the creamy clump hit the powder, a cloud of dust enveloped her face, coating her skin. She coughed and waved her hands to disperse the mess. When she heard the distinct sound of a suppressed snicker, she shot a glare at the giant man. She puffed her cheeks with irritation when he continued.

"What's next?" she snapped, using a dishcloth to clear her face.

"Next, I take this," he slid the bowl away from her and stirred the buttery mixture, "and you add the eggs when I say."

She leapt at the opportunity to pull the attention away from herself and retrieved her bag of chicken eggs. She emptied the contents of the bag on the empty counter space.

Gajeel looked to see what was taking her so long until he saw six dozen egg cartons lined in a neat row.

He sputtered for a moment, "H-holy shit, shrimp! I said six eggs! Not six dozen!"

She paused, thinking back to their conversation, realizing that she had misheard him, and turned an impressive shade of crimson.

"You know, maybe if you didn't always mumble and grumble your way through a conversation this wouldn't have happened!" she yelled.

With an air of condescension, he laughed at her, "Sure, blame the guy y'need help from. See what that gets ya."

She wanted to leave, to pout. Instead, the humiliation of her mistake and his teasing had caused unbidden tears to fall down her cheeks.

Gajeel offered the large bowl to her, doing his best not to notice her embarrassment.

She was ashamed of the droplets and angrily cracked the number of eggs he asked for. He adjusted the spatula to lean in her direction; a peace offering.

"Stir," he instructed when she stubbornly ignored him.

She released a sharp breath, and whisked the batter in harsh, little circles. Gajeel found her heavy concentration to be comical, yet effective. She focused her frustration into the thickening goop and had begun running out of steam. She switched the utensil to her other hand, growing tired.

She had not noticed she was possessively hunched over the bowl until she saw his hand invade her space with a cup of milk. He poured the white liquid slowly to avoid splashing, and she in turn beat it into the batter.

She felt better after a minute, her anger depleting and the cupcake mixture looking more edible by the second.

She glanced at him placing paper cups in a silver muffin tray behind her and dipped her little finger into the edge of the mixture, popping the dollop into her mouth. It was gritty, but oh so good. Needing one more taste, she reached into the batter again, this time with her forefinger.

"Oi!"

She jumped at his outburst. Caught with her finger still in her mouth, she looked at him guiltily.

"Rule number one," he pointed her to the sink.

"Yeah, but have you tried it?!" she asked animatedly.

She had never made anything so good that didn't first come with a kitchen fire. She pulled open a draw that contained silverware and retrieved a little spoon. She dipped it into the tan mixture and offered the bite to him, not realizing the connotations associated with the action due to the fact she was caught up in delicious enthusiasm.

He pushed away from the counter and crouched to her level, opening his mouth for her to feed him.

She now realized her mistake, but couldn't back down; he had inched much too close for friendly comfort. He eyed her with challenge as she slipped the morsel into his mouth.

She felt the spoon snap as he bit the ladle off with the cupcake batter. She stared at the stem in her hand with mild horror, momentarily forgetting his partiality to metal.

He laughed at her expression and she joined him, releasing the pent up tension he created.

Once Gajeel had Levy fill the paper cups to the correct level, he slid them into the oven, setting a timer.

"How long until they're done?" she asked sweetly.

"15 minutes. Gives ya time to make the frostin'."

She frowned as she watched the light from the oven bake the little desserts.

"This is a lot of work," she commented quietly, possibly to herself.

"How so?" he questioned. It wasn't too different compared to many other desserts.

"My hands hurt from mixing," she clarified, flexing her fingers under examination.

Her comment irked him, and he struggled to suppressed the words that leaked from his mouth.

"You should come train with me some time."

He mentally kicked himself. Of course she wouldn't want to train with him. What was he thinking?He should have kept his mouth shut like his instinct told him to.

Levy instantly perked up at his proposition, "Really?"

Gajeel nodded. Was that her accepting? He considered himself very lucky indeed, especially if he could pass off the cupcakes as being Levy's hard work. But now he had secured another day with her. And for training boot.

Levy felt more like an obstacle than a helper in his little kitchen, so she took a seat at the bar, watching him scrub dishes and take over making the frosting. He stood in front of her as he expertly folded the buttery mixture in itself, combining the coarse ingredients until it suddenly looked smooth and frothy. Levy found herself mesmerized by his binding muscles completing such a minuscule task. His quiet strength was clearly evident with the ease with which he handled the new mixture.

He reached into the silverware drawer and dipped a little spoon into the sugary paste, returning the favor and allowing her to try it.

She smiled at his stern expression before taking the bite, sliding the spoon out of her mouth. It was buttery and sweet, but not so much so that it was overpowering.

"It's really good," she praised.

He dropped the spoon in the sink, smiling to himself at his successful attempt to flirt.

When the timer buzzed, Gajeel slipped an oven mitt on, pulling the oven shelf out.

"What're you doing?" she queried from the bar.

He inserted a thin toothpick into the golden mounds, ignoring the strong heat waves emitted from the open oven.

"Checkin' if they're done. If the pick comes up wet, they're not done. But these are."

He set the muffin pans on the stove, setting another timer.

Levy gave in to her imagination for a moment, picturing Gajeel in a more domestic atmosphere. It was fairly easy since he was already set in the kitchen, but it was a bit far-fetched to see him there in the future. Though, she didn't see it as impossible for him. She also liked the idea of training with him. It would give her a chance to learn more about the mystery that was Gajeel.

The chime of the timer brought her into the present and she noticed Gajeel was staring at her.

"What?" she asked, slightly chagrin.

"Nothin'."

He filled two large, plastic bags with the frosting from the bowl, twisting the top closed, cutting one corner, and handing her the ready pouch.

"Icing. You can do it any way you want."

He moved all the cool cupcakes between them, demonstrating different techniques. He dolloped one, spiraled another, but her favorite were the cupcakes that he made look like flowers.

She was slow, and her hands were unsteady from lack of experience. Her flower looked much more like a toddler attempted it than an adult. She concentrated hard on her next victim, frustratingly trying to mimic the petals with very little success.

"Here."

He had moved behind her, pressing into her back, and covering her hands with his own. She could feel his breath against her hair. Her slid a new cupcake before her, gently squeezing the pouch she held and turning the cupcake with the other.

"Ya gotta make sure it sticks to the cake, or it'll fall," he spoke softly. The timber in his voice stirring the heat in her cheeks.

She pulled her attention back to the desserts to find that she had replicated a dainty flower bud just like his. When she applied her newfound knowledge to a new cupcake on her own, she felt excited. While it wasn't an exact match to his, it was certainly recognizable.

She beamed with pride having iced almost every cupcake to look like a delicate blossom in the prime of its bloom. Gajeel had retrieved a red jar from the fridge and dropped a plump cherry atop one cupcake, pushing it towards her.

"Your final product," he announced, replacing the jar in the fridge.

"I can't eat it. They're for Lucy!" she protested.

He pulled a small plate from a cupboard and a fork from the drawer, putting the cherry-topped dessert on the platter after removing it's paper wrapping.

"Consider it a poison test then," he smirked.

Her eyes narrowed at his joke, still refusing to eat it.

"Fine. Then I will."

He snatched the confection away, holding it up to take a bite. She lunged at him to save the dessert from an early fate, only to topple a carton of eggs to the floor, shattering them on impact. It took mere milliseconds for the slime to fall under his bare feet and send the giant iron mage to his backside. As a late reaction, Levy reached to keep him upright and slipped in doing so, toppling over and landing on top of him.

He was propped up on one elbow, but their faces were inches apart, noses just barely touching. He blinked at her and she pulled away slightly, processing the sudden urge to kiss him. He held his other hand to her, to give her back the stolen cupcake, but it was damaged beyond repair, having been crushed in the burly man's hands. She looked at the mess with confusion, and came back to meet blood red eyes that had the same idea as she.

She fervently crushed her lips to his, and he responded with equal excitement. It was controlled at first, and Levy was the first to pull away, remembering herself. He looked like he didn't want to stop, and after a quick analysis, she decided she didn't want to either. She grinned and came back to him, placing her hands on either side of his face as they devoured each other in their second, not-so-chaste kiss.

Gajeel completely forgot he still held the ruined dessert in his hand and wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, smearing delicious cake crumbs and frosting all over her dress as he crushed her to himself, deepening their kiss.

While either were busy conveying their feelings for each other, Pantherlily arrived home unnoticed and quickly exited the premises upon discovering the mage's initmate embrace on the eggy kitchen floor. Once safely out of earshot, and en route back to the guild, he smiled to himself.

"'Bout time," he muttered.

All of FairyTail took up a hiding place within the darkened guild hall. Levy had even convinced Gajeel into attending and both were well-hidden under Shadow Gear's table.

Gajeel could hear Bunny Girl's string of complaints outside the guild doors as Salamander pushed her inside. Within seconds, the hall was lit, and members burst out of all manner of places shouting 'Surprise!' at the more than frightened Celestial Spirit mage. Though he did not join in, he returned to his seat, now happy that the ordeal was over.

He watched as his newly acquired script mage bounced with unrestrained happiness, joining the blonde girl and revealing her cupcake surprise.

In hindsight, he was happy he helped her. Otherwise, they would not have ended up an item. And there would be one extra cupcake displayed on the bar.